Make your Own Rules.

Rules. We all have them.

Rules about raising our kids; how to discipline and when to discipline.
Rules about being a good person; how we should feel, what we should be doing.
Rules about success; how to achieve it; what it looks like.
Rules about dieting; what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat.
Rules about happiness;  how it is defined, what it is defined as and how you can achieve it.
Rules about sleep; how to sleep, how much to sleep, when to sleep.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not talking about laws or guidelines established for our safety and the safety of others.  I am talking about the daily "how to's" we unconsciously follow about the 'right ' way to live our lives.  The point is I want you to start thinking about all the rules you have in your life.  And then I want you to ask yourself a few questions:

Who made up these rules?  Maybe it was your parents, your teachers, world leaders or leading experts.  Regardless someone external from you made the rules.

Why do you follow these rules?  And admittedly this is a TOUGH question to answer.  Because usually the answer is something like:  it's easier, so and so told me to, I don't have to think if I just follow the rules.

Do these rules apply to your life? 

Do these rules enhance your life? 

Do they make it easier, more efficient, happier?  Or do they just burden you unnecessarily?

If you really started paying attention to the 'rules' you follow the 'social norms', how many of them do you really agree with?  How many of them make you a better person?

As you move through the upcoming weeks--pay attention to your stress level and notice when you are stressed because you aren't living up to some 'rule'. Then ask yourself, "who's rule is this?" and run through the questions above. The rules that serve you and improve your life you want to keep, the other ones, work on letting them go and adding in your own rules.  

It is your life. Your Rules. The ones that don't serve you Let Them Go.