Article first published as Book Review: 'Are You Boxed In? by Elena Rahrig on Blogcritics.

June 5, 2015

Are You Boxed In?
Moving from Thinking Outside the Box to
Climbing Out, Crushing It, and Never Looking Back
Elena Rahrig
Aviva Publishing (2015)
ISBN: 9781940984902

New Book Revolutionizes Out-of-the-Box Thinking by Teaching Box-Crushing

We’ve all heard about “thinking outside the box,” but for Elena Rahrig, that’s just not good enough. She knows it’s hard to think outside the box when you’re afraid to come out of your box. Only people who aren’t afraid of putting themselves out there despite what other people think can truly think outside the box, and to do that, you have to be willing to step outside the box and stay out of it. For that reason, Elena created BoxCrushers, a motivational method to help people develop into being Warrior BoxCrushers. And now she is bringing that method to readers in her new book Are You Boxed In?

But why become a Warrior? Because being a Warrior, for Elena, means not being afraid to embrace your full potential. As she explains:

“The key to being a Warrior is not conforming to who the world wants you to be; it is writing your own story, no matter who or what comes against you. It is finding security within yourself and drawing on the strength that God promised us. It means no longer saying ‘What a coincidence,’ and instead recognizing that there is no such thing. It means understanding that God lays forth our path, and when we stay on His path, we receive the blessings He has stored up for us.”

Unfortunately, most of us find it difficult to be Warriors because we’ve been conditioned to stay in our boxes and not to rock them. For that reason, in Part One of this book, Elena helps the reader on the path to achieving Warrior status by beginning where the reader is. She has broken down the desire to stay in the box to three basic types of people, the Peeper, the Flipper, and the Inspector. Once readers understand which of these roles they play, they can learn to move past the confines of their self-imposed boxes to embrace the opportunity of becoming Warriors.

Part Two of Are You Boxed In? is devoted to the transformation into becoming a Warrior. Elena calls this process the 5D Transformation system. The Ds stand for the five steps required to transform: 1) Determining Who You Are, 2) Divorcing Your Fears, 3) Discovering Your Capabilities, 4) Developing a Significant Life, and 5) Defining Your Purpose. Elena then walks the reader through each of these steps.

Throughout the book, Elena includes activities for the reader, as well as pouring her heartfelt faith into the pages and offering Bible verses to support readers in their journey. The result is an inspiring and life-changing beginning for any reader who wants to live life more fully rather than hiding in a box.

Readers who find Elena’s system helpful can also participate in her BoxCrushers transformation programs. There is a lot more to her system than I can describe in a short review or even what she provides in this introductory book. She intends for more books and workbooks to follow.

I, for one, love the idea that not only must we think outside the box, but we need to leave the box behind. Elena’s infectious can-do attitude has me convinced. After reading this book, I felt ready to crush all my boxes, and I trust any reader will feel the same.

For more information about Elena Rahrig and Are You Boxed In?, visit www.ElenaRahrig.com.

— Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and award-winning author of Narrow Lives and The Best Place