No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew. Albert Einstein

Good Morning ladies and gentleman and welcome to this our 2017 annual conference. The theme of this years conference is ‘Thinking Outside the Box’. Did you know that? Thinking Outside the Box, is an international catchphrase started in the sixties in the Disney Organization. It referred to looking at a problem from a new perspective without preconceptions. Walt Disney was a pioneer of imagination he knew how to keep innovating and taking risks, he believed that if you can dream it you can do it. So what’s the deal with the box? What Cardboard Boxes Can Teach Kids 1.Control. Cardboard boxes make ideal hiding places. And kids love to hide 2 Comfort & Security. There’s also an emotional component to seeking out small spaces. Right from the start, children are soothed by a sense of being bundled up or embraced in mommy’s arms. This need for “denning” continues throughout childhood EMPOWERMENT. Imagine what it’s like to always be the smallest person in a room. Everything is sized for big people. In small spaces, kids feel BIG. (Sometimes it’s good to be small.) Eventually children tire with being inside the box and they progress to modifying the box into a palace for a princess, or a space rocket. Thinking outside the box is never easy, nor is it merely a reflection of mental brightness You and I have frequently been told this phrase without any guidance on how to go about it. We have been told to just think differently, to think unconventionally, or to think from a new perspective. The result? We walk away baffled and wondering how to actually think outside the box. To think outside the box requires a process that begins with cultivating self-awareness.

• Identify your box. Think about the box you are in, is it a self imposed box ?
• Know your biases and beliefs.
• Collapsing the walls of your box. Flexibility and adaptability are paramount in learning to think outside the box.

Furthermore, flexibility increases your tolerance for stress. Being open to change and diversity allows you to move out of the parameters of your box into unchartered territory beyond your comfort zone. We all possess the same information. It just depends on what we do with it. One of our professions most creative thinkers, Valerie Small is here with us today. Her ability to think outside the box has made a huge impact on Advanced Nursing Midwifery Practice. We are privileged that she has agreed to continue to share her expertise with us Today is a good day. Days like today are designed to support us in our work. I know we will benefit immensely from the experience of all of today’s speakers. I look forward to sharing the day with you.