Anyone you admire has probably broken many rules to change the world for the better. Amelia Earhart soared after men told her she could not. Martin Luther King organized nonviolent protests that inspired global change. Joan of Arc (in her teens!) led an army to victory to defend her truth. We all have heroes in our daily lives–mothers, fathers, siblings, children, co-workers, and friends–who’ve improved our lives by going against the stream. My good friend Tao Porchon-Lynch is 94 years young and blazes trails all over the globe leading yoga classes and reminding people that they have the power within to accomplish anything. Occasionally she brings me along for the ride and I am energized and inspired by her presence. My husband Mike Taylor took a leap of faith into the direction of his interests and talents and adopted a career switch from technology start ups to Strala. (Working beside me daily takes some major rule breaking skills!) Maybe it’s a mother who believed in your artistic dream before you did. A friend who encouraged you to leave the boyfriend who was perfect on paper, but not for you. A sister who started practicing yoga and inspired you to take better care of your health. Our heroes are important to us because they believed in their vision for how life could be when no one else did. They took giant leaps of faith, went against the grain, broke the rules, and left the world a better place. Sometimes “following the rules” means holding ourselves back. It’s easy to fall into habits and stay in our comfort zone. I don’t buy the “fear of failure” routine. We all can imagine our own failure. What’s more difficult to imagine is our success. It’s uncharted, unscripted, and completely unbound. What happens if we take a chance on ourselves, our dream, our life? What happens if we consider how we’re living, break the rules that aren’t serving our highest purpose, and write our own rules? I encourage us to ask, Who made the rules that we live by? Which rules are we willing to stand by and which are we brave enough to break? 2. Shed what’s not serving you. Make a list. What are the actions that you do and the rules that you follow that aren’t serving you? It can be as simple as eating too much sugar, or participating in a toxic relationship. It’s important to face what’s not serving you before you can write any new rules. 3. Make space. Without space, there is no room for inspiration, creativity, or anything new. De-clutter your living space. Clean up your social and work calendar. 4. Allow creativity. Find something you like that is creative and fun. It can be anything: knitting, cooking, yoga, or hiking. Let it be an activity that fuels you mentally, physically, and spiritually. 5. Make new rules. Formulate your new rules that serve you and your highest purpose. It can be as simple, as I’m going to prepare my own meals 3 days a week, or I’m signing up for that yoga membership I keep putting off, or I’m going to take steps toward the career of my dreams. Set your rules in your mind, write them down, and allow the possibility that you may start the process again in a week, a month, or a year. Watch this video to find out the ONE rule everyone should break! Stiles teamed up with W Hotels on Fit with Tara Stiles—a program bringing Strala Yoga classes and healthy recipes to W properties around the globe. She collaborated with Reebok, working closely with the design team on their yoga lifestyle range, as well as developed a line of knitwear and homeware with Wool and the Gang. Stiles has authored several books including Yoga Cures, Make Your Own Rules Cookbook, and Strala Yoga, all translated and published in several languages. She has been profiled by the New York Times, Times of India, The Times.
