This Is Why You’re Scared To Break The Rules

You don’t have to follow the rules. Not all rules are worth following. They often sound like commands, but they’re not. They are often overlooked — even by those tasked with enforcing them. Never forget the old saying: “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

It’s true.

And let’s be honest: If you’re not granted forgiveness later, you’d probably never have been given permission in the first place. So why not just go for it? Ask that person out. Start salsa dancing on Wednesday nights. Finally start that business. Whatever you’re thinking of doing, just do it already.

We spend so much time worrying about the possible consequences of breaking a rule. Hours and hours forecasting the imaginary fallout from something that hasn’t even happened, and probably never will. But once we follow through, and Doomsday never comes, somehow we forget, and we go right back to our default.

Fear.

Spoiler alert — everything turns out OK in the end. Thinking about breaking a rule is always much scarier than actually breaking it. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the consequence for breaking a rule is someone being “upset” with you, or something not working quite the way you intended it to.

Not death. Not prison. Not bankruptcy, destitution or any type of irreparable harm. At worst, someone might be a little “miffed” with you. Or perhaps someone will tell you “no.”

Literally, that’s it. Can you handle someone being “miffed”? Would that ruin your entire day? When someone tells you “no,” are you going to break down in tears? Something to ponder: Why is one person’s “no” more powerful than your “yes”?

It’s not.

Take more risks. I’m begging you. The most powerful action you’ll ever take is one that you’re not 100 percent certain about. The most powerful sentence you’ll ever say is, “Let’s just see what happens.”