Do you REALLY have to follow that rule?

Isn't it amazing when your dreams give you an exact message?

Last week mine gave me a reminder -- and it was one I knew I had to share with you.

So much so that I literally got out of bed and immediately wrote down almost all of this email!

In the dream, I was at a cabin in the summer and a big group of us was split into two teams to do a fun outdoor Olympics competition.

The leader asked for a volunteer to compete in a swimming event. We were to run to the lake, swim out to a buoy, and the first person back to the shore would win.

I raised my hand. Confidently.

I'm not a competitive swimmer, but I'm a solid swimmer. In a random group of non-competitive swimmers, there's a decent chance I'll be the fastest. 

So it made sense that I was confident.

Here's where the dream got interesting. 

As the swimmer from the other team and I got ready for the race, the leader handed us each a kickboard. 

I didn't want the kickboard, but I took it because it was handed to me.

The leader blew the whistle to start the race and I ran as fast as I could to the lake, carrying the annoying kickboard.

I dove into the water and proceeded to struggle with the kickboard.

I tried putting it underneath me so I could use both my arms and legs. I tried holding it in front of me and kicking as hard as I could.

It was no use. I knew I would be faster without the kickboard, but it had been given to me and I had to use it.

I fought as hard as I could in the race, but I lost by the tiniest little bit. I knew in my heart of hearts that I would have won without the kickboard.

Only after the race was finished did I have a HUGE realization:

No one ever told me I HAD to use the kickboard.

It was handed to me and I accepted it without asking questions - even though I didn't want it.

I was SO ANNOYED with myself in the dream. I was mad I had taken on this weight and it had held me back to the point of losing the race -- and it was a weight I never needed to carry in the first place.

How often is it like that in real life? 

How often do you get handed a rule that feels like a requirement, but when you stop to think about it, it isn't something you have to follow.

It certainly isn't something you need to carry around with you for the rest of your life.

What are those rules in your life?

Can you set them down?