Breaking the Rules To Empower Yourself
It is becoming clearer than ever that people are realizing breaking the rules can be really empowering.
Topics such as climate change, economics, equality, health, gender and human rights are some examples where breaking the rules has not only challenged ‘traditional thinking’, but brought about change.
Rules can severely limit your beliefs and purpose in life, keeping you back from expressing emotions and from trying new things.
Think about some of the negative things you tell yourself on a daily basis – “My parents/teachers said I couldn’t do that,” “I don’t have the brains to succeed,” “I’m the only female applicant.”
Each of these negative thoughts are derived from a rule of society that may not be in line with modern thinking.
If your parents/teachers say you can’t do something you’re passionate about – defy them. Break the rule and try. Unless you try, you may choose a path which will keep you unhappy the remainder of your life – or at least sad that you didn’t try.
When you stand like a statue in a group setting and let someone disrespect you or someone else without speaking up, you’re demeaning yourself – and that’s horrible for your self-esteem.
Speaking up and defending yourself or the belief or another person can help you feel proud of yourself. You have acted based on your own belief system and bravery in the face of others who may want to put you down.
You may have been through one or several painful experiences in your past which has made an impact on your psyche and is still keeping you from moving forward with power and a purpose in life.
Dealing with the negatives that are defining you now is the only way to combat the experience and move on successfully with your life.
That may mean breaking the rules that have held you back. The empowerment you gain from taking action will do wonders for your mindset.
At some point, you know you’re more than what your negative experiences have made you. You know through self-reflection that the blame isn’t all yours and that you can gain back your power with determination and knowledge.
Engaging in optimism in your life thoughts and trusting yourself to do the right thing are important in the empowering process. Find joy in breaking the rules that have kept you back or made you feel cynical about life.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Be your own guide when it comes to empowering yourself. Don’t let others dictate what you should and shouldn’t be.
Follow your own rules and guidelines, but always be aware of the rewards and consequences of breaking a rule. Then, you can make an educated decision.
5 Positive Examples of Breaking the Rules
Breaking certain rules can cause the skies to open and rain down benefits – but it can also cause your worst nightmares.
There does come a time when it does become necessary to bend or break a rule.
- If others are trying to control you.
- If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- If you just don’t agree with the rule and want to to make your own rules
Author, Lewis Upton, once said, “I’m a free soul, not a soul who will be contained by rules that were made by people who want to control others.”
Here are some perks of breaking certain rules of society:
- What Other People Think is Important. Letting go of the fear of people judging you can be very freeing. What kept you down and from reaching new heights in your life plan is replaced with a new zest for life and enthusiasm to take advantage of every opportunity.
- Your Parents Are Always Right. When you realize that your parents lived in another day and time when rules meant something different than they do today, you can justify breaking the “parents are always right rule.” The major perk you can get from breaking this rule is to free yourself to make your own decisions and plan your own life-path.
- Mistakes Are a Bad Thing. You can get many benefits from making mistakes. In fact many successful people will tell you just how much they learned from their mistakes. It’s never fun to admit you’re wrong, but when you learn lessons from those mistakes, the benefits are many and you’ll likely never make that mistake again.
- The “Work from 9 to 5” Rule. When you break this rule you can get ahead quickly by garnering more time for yourself and working more efficiently. Many people today are realizing the perks that technology now affords by setting their own hours and taking time for themselves.
- Always Meet Your Goals and Expectations. The thing about self improvement is that you are continually developing and learning. As you grow you may change your mind along the way. As part of your personal development plan, you should always update your goal if you let the old ones go.
Although there are perks from breaking many of society’s antiquated rules, beware of breaking rules that were set in place to help us in life.
Choosing not to work 9 until 5 every day doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard to realize your goals and dreams.
In fact, you may work harder – spend long days and nights – in reaching the goals and dreams you have for yourself.
But, setting your own hours can help you work on your own terms and not those set by others. You’ll do a much better job and finish projects much more efficiently.
5 Risks of Breaking the Rules
You’ve probably been punished for breaking a rule in the past. It may have been a rule your parents made to keep you safe and you learned a lesson from breaking it.
There are risks to every rule you choose to break and you may be the type who loves to break them. Adrenaline rushes from rule breaking become addictive to some people.
If you don’t agree with certain rules of society and plan to break them – either in business or your personal life, consider these five risks involved:
- Committing a crime. There has to be a distinction between breaking “rules” and breaking laws. The difference can be so confusing, but can have massive impact on your life.
- The risk of alienating people you need or want in your life. Think carefully about breaking a rule that can alienate you from the very people who could benefit you and whom you love. For example, if you go against your parents’ wishes, you may cause them angst. Weigh the benefits and then act accordingly.
- Placing yourself in dangerous situations. Some rules are there to protect you. Many people believe that use of recreational drugs should be a personal choice. However there is enough evidence to show that some drugs can be addictive, affect your mental health and put you in dangerous or harmful situations.
- Losing your job. Some rule-breaking may result in the loss of a job or position in a company. Insisting that you can work from home and get more done may alienate other co-workers who trudge to work each morning. You may also miss out on valuable one-on-one time with your boss or others important to your job.
- Loss of credibility. By breaking the rules you run the risk that you may never be seen as the authority figure you want to be. If you take on a project that you are not qualified for, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unable to complete the task. Know what you’re getting in to before leaping into a job you’re not qualified for.
Breaking rules can have a negative impact on some areas in your life that you may not expect. Study the pros and cons of a rule before you decide to break it and then act in your best interest.
Remember without brave people who chose to defy and break the rules, issues such as apartheid, civil rights, gender equality, segregation, slavery, suffrage, voting rights etc. might not have been tackled.
