Breaking The Rules!

In the context of personal growth, connecting with your authentic self, fulfilling your dreams and achieving your goals (however big or small) — which is everything #SeizeYourPassion is about — there is an inherent dichotomy and constant yin yang duality. On the one hand, we are taught to follow the rules and be consistent; on the other, to break the mold, think outside of the box, and disrupt.

From day one in life, it is entrenched and ingrained in us that there are a certain set of procedures, structures, principles, and ways of doing things that we are meant to follow. Especially and specifically when it comes to achieving goals, becoming our best selves, and fulfilling our dreams — we are taught that we must be consistent in taking determined and very outlined steps to get there.

But, we are also taught that where the true creativity lies, where the innovation, disruption, and magic happens — essentially, where the true growth lies — is in the area outside the box, outside the comfort zone, and beyond those rules. So, which one is it? Well, it’s both.

Sometimes breaking the rules is just plain fun and good for the soul. Changing things up, going against the grain, breaking your routine just feels good once in a while — it’s healthy and makes us feel rebelliously alive. But, if we didn’t have that routine to break, if our routine was having no routine, then it wouldn’t feel nearly as gratifying and deliciously indulgent when we did. That’s just how it works.

The same goes for thinking outside of the box, getting outside of our comfort zone, being creative and innovative when it comes to moving forward in life and achieving growth — both personally and otherwise. Sometimes breaking the rules is the only way we can actually truly understand the value of those rules to begin with. We need those rules and boxes and structures and consistencies in order to break out of them.

We need to start with a strong foundation and understand which box we are in and what its value is before we can actually get outside of it. That’s why it’s called thinking outside of the box and not just thinking in a vacuum. If you start out of the box, then all you have is chaos, and there’s no room for growth because there’s nothing to build upon differently. You need the yin for the yang.

Once you do break the rules, get outside of that comfort zone, and think outside of the box, then eventually you create a whole new box with a whole new set of rules and structures that eventually will also get broken — either by yourself or by someone else. As they say — if you’re not disrupting yourself, then someone else will.

For me, this week, I realized I needed to take certain foundational principles of mine from box #1, others from box #2, and yet a few more from box #3. I then needed to add in something new and combine them together to create my own new box of rules, guidelines, structures, and consistencies. Inside that new box is truly where the disruption, creativity, innovation, magic and growth happens. Until it doesn’t, and then I’ll create another new box.

#SeizeYourPassion!

You can watch my live stream video on this topic here.