Just stop…

Don’t take another step or say another word until you have finished reading this.  it will change your life.

Okay, IT won’t change your life, but it will get you thinking about what you need to change your life.

Most of us are afraid to “rock the boat.”  Instead, we huddle quietly in the corner, hoping no one even notices us.  Or, we just go about our every day lives, making sure not to stand out too much that people start paying attention.

We wouldn’t want that…

Growing up, like most of you, I didn’t always follow the rules.  I tested and tried which ones I was willing to break (and suffer consequences if need be) and which ones I promised I would never break again.  My least favorite rules were the ones that tried to change who I was and those were the easiest to break.  Because I knew who I was.

IN 5th grade, my dad and step mom moved us to a new town and every year I had to wear dresses to school. Yuck.  On picture day, I had to wear those dumb, pink foam curlers the night before.  Because looking like Shirley Temple was exactly what I wanted these new classmates to remember about me…

If you don’t believe me…check it out..

Okay…not quite Shirley Temple.  Shirley Temple could sing and dance.  And she was cute. And people adored her.

This is what I look like on “picture day,” but I didn’t always look like this when I got to school.  I got tired of this and decided to break the rules.  I hated being made up like some doll, wearing frill and lace (gag me — yes, that is so 80’s) when I really just wanted to wear jeans and a pair of tennis shoes.  So, I did something awful.  Something no one ever caught me doing, but I loved it and knew I couldn’t stop.

I brought a change of clothes to school.  EVERY day.  I mean, I couldn’t very well rule the tether ball court wearing some shoes with wedges and some corduroy jumper now could I?  And what kind of captain wears lace to a kickball game?

Not this girl!

And every kid does it…they test the waters, checking to see where rules can be broken, or at least bent a little.  And like most kids, we don’t get to choose as much as we would like — we don’t have a say in what we have for dinner, such as.

[bctt tweet=””How empowering it is to make our own choices!” #choices #empowering”]

By the time we become adults, we adhere to the rules of society, making sure that we dot every “i” and cross every “t.” We match every sock, get the job we went to school for, and mow our yards every 2.5 days.  If we wanted to live the life right out of Stepford, we would have, don’t you think?

Don’t get me wrong — I am a natural-born rule follower and I think most of us are too.  But trying to be someone you aren’t and living a life that makes you miserable isn’t living. And why would you choose that?  Living afraid, full of regret, lying to yourself.  We all do it once or twice in our lifetime.  Nothing will make you feel more strong, more confident, or more free than saying “NO!” to the rules placed upon you.  Nothing will invigorate your spirit and fill you with passion like living the life you choose for yourself.

So what if you choose to live your life your way? How would you make your life different?  What goals would you set for yourself?  Who would you have with you?

Go ahead!  Break the rules.  Live defiantly, with no regrets. Create moments.  Take chances.  Find your passion and live it.  Give yourself permission to be everything you already are.  Share yourself with the rest of us and live a life wide open.

And the biggest question of all…what are you waiting for?

Michelle A. Homme 2015 ©