Most of my life, I played it safe because I was afraid of what other people would think or say. I feared rejection, being made fun of, and desperately wanted to fit in.

Do you remember growing up and being told to “color within the lines”?

What did our teachers mean by that? Did they want us to stay within the proscribed picture so that we could be judged, graded, and compared?

Unfortunately, if we took that to heart, then we applied that lesson to many aspects of our lives.

What would happen if we took risks and lived our life in color?

How would we feel when we allowed our true selves to show and not the public mask we wear to fit in?

We walk through the world as good citizens listening and doing what we are told.

Working together as a team, yes, it’s important, but what about nurturing our creativity, panache, and joy?

For today, color outside the lines.

No, I’m not saying to break the law and do something that would hurt you or someone you know.

Knowing when rules are important, and when they aren’t, is a necessary adult skill.

If you could do something for yourself today that would be atypical and make you feel joy, what would that be?

What does coloring outside the lines mean for you?

Take a piece of paper, some crayons or markers, and just draw. Let your mind flow and focus on what you need and want.

Color with abandon and use the shades that make you happy. Then take that freedom, bottle it up, and share it with the world.

How?

Do something good and unexpected for others. Buy doughnuts for your colleagues at work, learn a new skill, tell someone you love them, and laugh like you were a child again.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.