When you were a kid, you were imprisoned by rules. No bubble gum. No talking back. No running on the street. No standing in your chair.
Those rules for the most part were to keep you safe and your parents sane.
But as you got older, some of these rules stick. It’s the unspoken rules that haunt you. The ones that say you’re risking too much or you’re not doing enough. These are the rules that beg for you to break them. Otherwise you’re left in a pool of resentment, dissatisfaction and perpetual unhappiness.
See which rules you’re still holding on to.
- You must get a 9-5 job. For some people, this works. Some love the consistency and routine of a traditional cubicle job. But the nine to fives of yesteryear are not the occupations that exist today. Just because you put in your time doesn’t guarantee your financial success, stability and certainly not your happiness. These days, it’s more normal and acceptable to jump from positions. Employers even expect it. To continue to grow, you need to move onto new experiences. Furthermore, these type of jobs are not for everyone. Some, myself included, need the freedom and flexibility of freelancing. Some times it takes awhile to figure out what’s right for you.
- You must never complain and appear happy all the time. Maybe when you were a kid your mother was taxed to the max so she couldn’t tolerate hearing about how hot you were or how gross your dinner was. So you got the message that speaking up isn’t okay, that it’s better to bite your tongue and seem happy all the time. As an adult, the sucking in how you really feel is not only draining, but it’s stifling. Everyone has difficulties. Everyone needs venting at some point in their lives. Complaining has its place. Just make sure you also take action. Complaining just to complain will never get you anywhere.
- If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If your relationship is adequate and your job pays the bills, why change anything? I think this type of thinking is based on fear. Yes we don’t want to create drama or discord because that’s more familiar than security and stability. But we also don’t want to stay in situations that are unfulfilling just because it looks good on paper.
Are there any rules that you’re still following that continue to haunt you?