The Rule I Quietly Broke

We grow up surrounded by rules. Parents, teachers, coaches, or superiors repeat them to us aloud. Others we absorb through society standards. We learn to not make a fuss, not take more than our share, not to take up too much space. Often, we are discouraged from trusting our guts in order to keep the peace. Don’t be too loud, too bold, to anything.

Photo by Mark Duffel on Unsplash

Some of these rules carve pathways of safety. Others become fences we never agreed to build.

I’ve been thinking lately about the small rules: the ones we don’t name, the ones we follow out of habit or fear or the hope that someone will think more of us for being compliant. These rules live in the body. They teach the shoulders to curl inward, the voice to shrink, the desires to go quiet.

And then one day, almost by accident, we break one.

Sometimes the cracks begin softly. We say no to something we’re supposed to say yes to. We take a day off we didn’t “earn.” We leave a text unanswered. We ask for what we actually want. We speak up when we’re expected to stay silent. These tiny rebellions rarely make headlines, but they change something fundamental inside us. They show us the contours of our own agency.

I remember the first time I broke a rule that had shaped me for years. It wasn’t dramatic. No fireworks, no slammed doors. Just a quiet moment of choosing myself over the version of me who was always agreeable. I thought the sky might fall. Instead, nothing happened. Instead, I felt freedom.

This subtle change made me wonder what other rules had outlived their usefulness. It made me wonder who I might become if I listened to my own internal guidance more than the scripts I’d inherited.

This week, I invite you to explore a rule you’ve quietly broken and what that moment revealed about who you are now.

Writing Prompt:

Write about a rule—big or small—that you were supposed to follow, and the moment you didn’t. What shifted? What did that tiny act of defiance reveal about the person you are becoming? And is there a similar rule you’re ready to release now?

May your writing take you somewhere unexpected. May your rebellions be gentle but transformative.