Unapologetically You: Ditch the Rules, Design Your Life

Let’s get one thing straight: you were not born to fit neatly into someone else’s checklist of who you should be.

From the time we’re little girls, we’re handed a script. Be nice. Be quiet. Be obedient. Look pretty. Don’t take up too much space. Follow the rules. Study hard, get a stable job, get married (before it's "too late"), have kids, sacrifice your needs, smile through the burnout, and call that a good life.

But what if that script doesn’t fit you anymore?

The Problem with the "Good Girl" Conditioning

Society has always rewarded women for being selfless, for putting everyone else first, for playing small to make others feel comfortable. And the result? Generations of women walking around exhausted, resentful, disconnected from their bodies, their joy, and their power.

Many women I work with in their 40s and 50s tell me they feel like they’ve done everything right—and still feel empty, invisible, or stuck.

And here’s what I say to them, lovingly but directly: Maybe the problem isn’t you. Maybe the problem is the life you were conditioned to build.

Choosing Yourself Is Not Selfish—It’s Sacred

Breaking free isn’t about being rebellious for the sake of it. It’s about getting radically honest with yourself about what you want.

It’s about unlearning the toxic belief that your worth comes from how much you do for others. It’s about remembering that your desires matter. Your dreams matter. Your health, your voice, your joy—they matter deeply.

Choosing to live life on your own terms doesn’t mean abandoning responsibility. It means taking full responsibility—for your happiness, your healing, your energy, and your legacy.

What It Really Looks Like to Break Free

Saying no without guilt.
Prioritizing your health even when others call it “indulgent".
Setting boundaries with your in-laws, parents, grown kids, friends, colleagues or boss.
Quitting that soul-sucking job or starting that passion project you’ve been afraid of.
Owning your sensuality, your intelligence, your ambition—without apology.
Allowing yourself to want more—even when your life looks “fine” from the outside.

You Get to Redefine Everything

The beautiful truth is you’re allowed to rewrite the rules. Your life is not a template.

It’s a living, breathing expression of your truth—and that truth will evolve over time.

You can be a devoted mother and have big dreams.
You can care about your family and prioritize your own well-being.
You can be Indian and not subscribe to outdated gender roles.
You don’t owe anyone a version of you that doesn’t feel authentic.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to shake things up… this is it. Give yourself the permission to get out of the box.

Start asking:

What am I tolerating that I don’t have to?
What lights me up that I’ve been denying?
What version of myself am I ready to let go of?
Who would I be if I stopped playing small?

This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about starting the journey of unbecoming everything you’re not, so you can return to everything you truly are.

You Are Not Too Much. You Are Not Too Late. You Are Powerful Beyond Measure.

The world doesn’t need more women who are burnt out from people-pleasing.

It needs more women who are fully alive.

So go ahead—break the rules. Rewrite your story. And create a life so true to who you are, it sets other women free just by witnessing you.

Not your fault. Still your responsibility. Always your power.