Thinking outside the box is easier said than done. Not everyone is born with an innovative mind and basic logic to problem solve in order to get from point A to point B. There are people who are just passengers, who have to be told what to do — and are just followers.

Then there are those who are lions, pilots, leaders — the slim percentage of the world that actually run it — because they think for themselves, think outside of the box and they have others believe in their vision as well.

Life and business are not about what you do, but why you do it. And when you can get people behind your vision for a greater purpose than just money, you are thinking outside of the box because you are essentially giving them an opportunity to be a part of something greater than themselves, yourself and money.

It’s to change the world and have an impact…because that is worth more than anything else. When it’s all said and done, no one can take that away from you…whereas your money gets passed around like a cheap hooker to your ungrateful heirs.

Thinking outside of the box is not just simply a mindset, but also a lifestyle. It’s an art and it’s where your creativity flourishes, where you will excel most because that is when you figure out what you love to do — when you are constantly thinking about how to make it greater than it already is. When you go to sleep and wake up thinking about it, you have found exactly what you are looking for.

In modern society, our basic way of thinking has been stripped from us, we have been fashioned into robots and made to memorize things that we hate so that we can be shaped into the perfect employee. When you really think about it, the world is forcing you into the box. Society fears your individualism and tries to pigeonhole you into conventional, conformist thought so that you are satisfied by your lack of purpose.

Most of you don’t want to end up like that, which is why we are preaching thinking outside of the box and bringing something to the table other than your glossy résumé or bullshit 3.5 GPA from the Adderall you crammed. The world is not looking for any more office bitches who are just empty suits, there are just too many of them out there, which is why half of college graduates can’t find jobs.

The world is looking for pioneers, innovators and people who plan on turning it on its axis. They are looking for people who can think outside of the box because that’s where true legends and leaders are born.

The only people who have a legacy in our world are the ones who are not afraid to think differently. Innovation is what has driven humanity into being one of the smartest species. If it weren’t for people thinking outside of the box: we wouldn’t have light, we wouldn’t have the internet and we wouldn’t have a phone.

This all came with thinking outside of the box, thinking untraditionally and maybe even being called crazy a few times, but the only people that call you crazy are the ones that are pedestrians and can’t fathom something possibly having such a drastic change in our world today. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.”

Thinking outside of the box gives you an edge over everyone else because you are simply a problem solver. You are looking for voids in this world, approaching things in innovative ways and finding variables to it through your creativity.

Thinking outside of the box starts with you and your creativity. It is what separates you from the rest of the crowd — to have the freedom to think on your own as well as having the ability to apply it to what your working on is worth more than any amount of money in this world.

Sure it may sound like a cliché in the massive business world that there might be one simple ingredient to success. If you want to go above and beyond any boundaries you have ever set, it starts with your mind, your ideas and your vision. It may seem intimidating in the beginning, but once you start taking action, you will find the fulfillment that you have been looking for and there is nothing more fun than letting your creativity take you to new heights.

Don’t be told what to think, don’t be a follower and don’t be someone that can’t think for yourself. You were blessed with a brain, so actually use it, because all of us bring something unique to this world if we just have the courage to bring it out of us and take the leap of faith.

Thinking outside of the box will set you apart from humanity, it is what allows you to bring value to this world, and it will constantly keep you forging the path of innovation and legacy that people will respect and follow. It’s foundational — like putting a brick down and having someone build on top of your brick. Only the elite of this world think outside of the box because they are not afraid to change what is currently going on.

Just because society sees something as correct and perfect, doesn’t mean it is. Just because it’s not broken doesn’t mean you can’t fix it and make it better. Eventually, it will get stale and someone will take your spot. In today’s competitive world, it’s thinking outside of the box that separates the superior from the inferior. Which one will you set out to be? Change is good, never fear it — embrace it.

Preston Waters | Elite.