I am a rule, I love my existence.

CASE 1

You can only ride/drive with a license. You cannot not take a shower in the morning. You cannot set up a DJ console and spin house music at your work desk. You cannot wear a blazer at the gym. You cannot request to repeat a scene that moved you while at a theatre. You cannot stack garbage in your bedroom next to your bed. You cannot bitch about person X while in a cafe with that same person X. You can only book an app-based Prime cab when you won’t regret the bank debit message. You cannot be hired as a pilot because you saw 100 aviation documentaries. You can only coach students when you’re an established coach.

These are rules. Something that your subconscious sense approves of it.

CASE 2

You can only eat dessert at the end, you should order the main course first. You can only wear casuals on a Friday, you should wear formals otherwise. You can only laugh at a joke, you would be dumb if you do it otherwise. You can only sing if you’re good, you would be left embarrassed. You can only attain weight loss if you exercise, you’re in dietary illusion otherwise. You should be married before 30, you would find difficult later on. You can only travel if you have money, you wouldn’t afford it otherwise. You will only succeed when you have stupendous grades, you would struggle for a livelihood otherwise.

These are rules. Something you live by because your society approves of it.

Now, CASE 3

You can make a great engineer, your ancestors were all engineers. You cannot live in the countryside, you’ve grown up in a metropolitan city. You cannot listen to Indian classical music, you’ve grown up listening to metal music. You cannot change your career at 45, you’re too old to start new. You cannot question a person ‘X’ because he’s too senior to you. You can only set up your business once you’ve graduated. You cannot sustain in country ‘X because their culture’s pretty different from ours. You will only make a great sea diver if you don’t have water phobia. You cannot be a great writer if you’ve not read a lot. You can only wear high-end clothes at an occasion, you’re wasting it otherwise.

These are also rules. Something that questions your approval but somebody’s experience approves of it.

We live by rules. Every moment, every action that we pursue is always driven by a certain rule. A pattern that we already have in our heads. Our brain manifests a benchmark for every course of our thinking with a similar event/situation we’ve witnessed in the past or have heard about it, hence registered in our head. Undoubtedly, it helps us act in a certain way which is acceptable in the very world we live in. It helps us co-exist.

So, is everything fine? Is it good to be driven by rules?

Well in the above CASE 1 — All’s well. CASE 2 is more logic-driven or let’s say has a valid reason to why it exists. Come to think about CASE 3, the reason this article exists is that we’re so driven by rules that we fail to question or overpower them. And what we’re loosing on are really important life moments that could help you drive your way or let’s just lead a better life.

Of course, you might question that a plain statement that's written or narrated to you cannot build your life. But beyond just being a simple notion, it builds a chain of thought in your head, that thought my friend is a barrier. A barrier that in itself creates a negative avalanche in your head for you to proceed with any related actions.

Think about it. You could make a great doctor, so what if your ancestors were engineers. You could change your career at 45 and be the most acclaimed personality in your new choice of career. You could be one of the best sea divers because your will to overcome your water phobia was herculean. You could look presentable wherever and whenever that builds your psyche and uplifts your persona. You could be a master of classical music because you’ve figured the pattern within the music world listening to a certain genre.

The possibilities of what a human brain can achieve are endless. What we really need to do is step out and for a second just question that phrase which refrains you of doing something. If it’s out of logic, there’s no logic to pursue it. But if it’s something that you really feel great about and is within the logic, legal sense — what’s stopping you?

After all, I am a rule and I do not wish to love my existence.