At some point in your life, you have been encouraged to think outside the box. In the simplest terms, it means to consider something that stands outside the mainstream. However, that advice needs a lot more nuance to be truly useful. You don’t want to take a hostile view toward the mainstream solution. Most of the time, the mainstream solution is the best one. After all, that is how it became the mainstream in the first place. It is the thing that works most often.
That said, the typical solution does not work all the time. There are reasons for that. We are all different and have different needs. Some situations are outside the norm so they need outside the box thinking. It is not always obvious which situations require an alternative solution.
Some things are obvious. You don’t want alternative pilots who did alternative pilot training. That is clearly a very bad idea. You don’t want alternative electricians who went to alternative electrician school. You only need to try alternative food products to know you don’t want alternative food.
You also want traditional term life insurance. You need an insurance company that is going to be there over the long term, and will cover you in predictable and comprehensive ways. You can find non-traditional value if you shop around. Get your term life quotes to find a plan that’s right for you. There is no alternative to good insurance. Here are a few things where alternatives are more appropriate:
Alternative Business Financing
Right now there is a lot of interest in alternative business financing. It is not easy to find financing for startups from traditional sources. This is especially true for tech startups. They are often founded by people who had an idea, a dream, and some space in their mother’s basement. What they didn’t have was money. They also lacked the ability to get a bank loan.
Fortunately, they had their idea during a time of angel investors and crowdfunding. some of the most interesting products have made their way to market with the help of alternative financing. Fitbit is one such example. It was able to survive long enough to be a real competitor to Wear OS and was eventually purchased by google. For many startups, the alternative financing route is the better first choice.
Alternative Diets
All special diets are alternative diets. You have the USDA guidelines. Then, you have everything else. Such guidelines are a good general rule for the general public. But if you are diabetic with special needs, you need an alternative diet. This applies for all sorts of situations such as food allergies. Celiac disease is no fun and requires a diet without gluten. Peanut allergies can be life-threatening. Peanut products are in more ingredients than you might think.
When it comes to what you can and cannot eat. You need to listen to your doctor. They might even refer you to a dietary specialist. Some people respond best to well considered, highly curated meal plans. You can’t just eat like everyone else. And you can’t take the well meaning advice of your friends and family. When it comes to your special needs diet, you have to think outside the big box supermarket advertising and look to alternatives more tailored to your needs.
Alternative Tech
Many people suffer from RSI because they use a computer all day. We interface with the computer via keyboards, trackpads, and mice. The keyboard as we know it was not designed for comfort or ergonomic health. The good news is there are alternative keyboards you can buy that can give you a better chance of avoiding RSI. The same is true for pointing devices. You have to look beyond the mainstream to find them. But they are there. Millions swear by them.
Don’t despise the mainstream. It is mainstream because it works most of the time for most people. But you are not most people. You are uniquely you. Sometimes you have to walk a different path. If you are looking for business financing, a special diet, or special tech for special needs, think outside the box. Many brilliant alternatives await.
