Get a Pair: Buy Khakis or Live Boldly

I drive by this billboard almost every day. Get a Pair.

The first time I drove past it, my marketing brain went to work, and my thought was “what a bad ad.” If I liked the khakis, I did not know the brand nor could I read where I could buy a pair. My conclusion was “what a waste of money.”

A few mornings later, when I noticed it again, a second thought went through my mind. “Oh, there is a second meaning to that message!”

Now, whether you get the second message or not, let me just say it is a somewhat crude way to say, essentially, “Get a backbone, get in there, and do what needs to be done. Stop being timid.” Another way to think about it is: Live Boldly!

In this simple billboard, there is a dual message:  Buy Khakis or Live Boldly. The funny thing about it is that we get this message so often confused in our own lives!

Think about it. If we want to feel better, many may want to go out and shop. If we want to prove something to others, many buy bigger homes, lease fancier cars, and load up on more stuff. We confuse living a good life, or feeling good about life, with material things we can buy.

What if we took the other approach? What if we lived boldly instead?

Living boldly has a more of a personal touch combined with an outward reach. It means converting your soul-guided rumblings into real, meaningful actions.

Live Boldly means:

• Inside Out: We have a soul, a spirit inside. If our soul is aligned with a higher purpose, then there is something inside that wants to get out in the form of words and actions. It is reaching inside to find what inspires us and transforming it into inspired living, impacting others positively.
• Comfort Zone Exit: This is about picking ourselves up and moving our activities into a new realm, doing things that we might not normally do. These new things create new connections, new opportunities, and new ways to make others feel good about our activities, making them better in what they do. Leaving our comfort zone may lift all up around us.
• Ignited Staying Power: When we are engaging in new things and living spiritedly, there is an ignition that happens and doesn’t end with a flip of a switch. Yes, it is a passion that is used and unstoppable, even in a maze of obstacles. There is a momentum that is larger than us. It is something passed on to our sons, daughters, communities, and others who understand and feel the impact of our words and actions. This is ignited staying power! This is living a life of meaning!

There is a choice. We can choose to buy khakis and fill our lives with material stuff, hoping it fills a hollow feeling that keeps returning. We can choose to live boldly and convert our spirited soul into real, meaningful actions that have momentum beyond us. Choose well.

We drive by many messages life is trying to deliver and, like me, we miss some. We need to be more aware of what life is trying to tell us and then do something with the message. Embrace the message. Live boldly!