No one said life was supposed to be easy. No one said it was going to be fair.

I sat on the floor of my small closet, fully clothed in a dress and heels.

My legs were neatly tucked under my dress and pressed against my chest. I repeatedly chanted “breathe” in my mind as tears streamed down my face.

I traveled on the same road as everyone else for most of my life. I never felt comfortable bringing attention to myself, so I followed the leaders the entire time. I took the road I was supposed to take. The road that was well-traveled.

On that road, I was just ordinary. I was no one that anyone really knew. I blended in with the crowd—the crowd who also moved about on the same road.

It was an easy road. The road was already traveled by people before me so I could move about and live my life—but easy didn’t lead to happiness.

It was the road I was expected to travel. A road that eventually left me feeling empty and lost. It felt meaningless.

I was disappointed in my overall acceptance of the this is just how it was supposed to be attitude. I was moving through life on autopilot without any purpose. I was accepting things as they were. I wasn’t fighting for what I believed.

This road, the road I was following, wasn’t what I wanted.

Something was missing. Everything was missing. What was this life I was living? What was the meaning of it all? I needed to break away. I wanted to get the f*ck away from this path of nothingness.

I got up from my closet floor, adjusted my dress, and wiped away my tears. I was the only one who could change my life. I had to change the f*cking script.

I needed to feel alive. I decided this path was not my path but the path created for me by others.

I was going to take the path less traveled and make my own rules.

I was the girl who always followed the rules. I was that kid who colored within the lines because that was what I was supposed to do.

If there was a sign that provided instructions on what to do or not do, I’d study the sh*t out of the list so I’d know what was allowed or not allowed. I would even go as far as quizzing myself on the instructions so I would remember them like it was my final exam in college.

I was afraid to cross the line in life. I accepted things as they were because I believed that those rules applied to everyone.

I thought everyone else was following the rules like me. Then I learned that people were actually crossing those lines. Those lines that were crossed were making changes. History was being rewritten because people were fighting for what they believed in.

Rules are thrown at us from the moment we are born. Our parents constructed the rules by which we had to live by to function in this world. Do this, do that. Don’t do this, Don’t do that. We had no choice but to follow along.

We were also provided with instructions on how to live our lives, which included following the rules. Rules were programmed into our being. We didn’t know any other way.

As adults, we are so set on rules we actually would seek out the rules before making any moves. We needed rules to feel safe. We searched for rules which would allow us to participate in every area of our lives.

Those rules were actually holding us back. Holding us back from taking another road—a harder road.

A road where we could have our own opinions, beliefs, and values. That included challenging the rules that didn’t apply to us. Just because someone created these rules, it didn’t mean they were fair for everyone. Let’s not forget the person who made the rules is looking out for what they believe in, not always in the best interest of everyone else.

On this new road, we don’t always need to follow the rules set by others. We are creating a new set of rules, by us—for us.

We can continue to change the future when we question the rules. Rules can be broken. This means getting off the main road and creating our own road. Change occurs when we travel on an unknown road.

This new road where we set our new rules opens our lives with excitement and wonderment. We all have our own destination and, therefore, our own paths. We shouldn’t share someone else’s road.

Let’s set our own rules on our own path to a life that is only ours—and don’t forget to set boundaries.

Boundaries are necessary to define us as individuals. It outlines our likes and dislikes. Boundaries are essential to a healthy life. It may not come naturally. It’s something we need to learn and put in place.

On our new road, boundaries are placed to ensure we learn how to say no. We are not obligated to do what is expected of us. We make healthy choices for our lives based on what feels right for us. Our boundaries will ensure safe travels on our new path.

Respect our power.

We are all born with power in our own way. It lives within us and waits until it’s time to ignite. Taking the easy road drowns our power. We move about alongside everyone else, get lost in the crowd, and our power is diminished.

Our voices are not heard. There is too much noise to find our purpose. Too much noise to experience our power.

When we take our own road, we begin to hear the silence. What is the silence asking of us? Listen to the silence. What do we hear? It’s quiet. The quiet opens the door to questions we were too afraid to ask. The quietness energizes our souls.

The silence releases our power that has been hidden. It begins to invade our senses and busts at the seams.

Allowing our power to ignite is respecting our power. The power will provide us with the muscles to fight, if need be, on our new path.

I am running to the road less traveled. I am making my own rules. I am setting boundaries. I am respecting my power.

Take your own road. It won’t be easy. It will challenge you every step of the way. It will knock you down a few times. But it will lead you to the most wonderful life you can imagine.

Your own life. A path worth taking.

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