This year, at the age of 35, I started playing basketball, got myself a pair of skates, joined Muay Thai kickboxing, tried some Brazilian jiu-jitsu, started writing stories for kids, got back into poetry, pierced my ears (twice!), and for the first time, learned how to swim—all while raising a beautiful toddler.

And as I was taking my morning stroll, only one thing came to mind:

Is this allowed? Am I allowed to have this much fun in life? Am I allowed to be this happy from the inside?

Because I have been constantly told by people around me to “take life seriously.” Make “practical choices.” Sit still. Be obedient. Be likable. And force myself to waste my time on relationships that, honestly, just force me to become smaller and smaller. Less significant. Less of everything, especially as a woman. And especially as a married woman.

But I became happier when I started making the “impractical” choices that were whispered into my ears by my intuition. I just listened to her, unapologetically. Impractically.

And here I am, laughing with my toddler, playing catch, and making a mess in my own home, living a life so full that I hadn't even experienced this in my childhood.

So, are we allowed?

We stop ourselves so many times—not because we don’t have the time or resources. Those can be managed if your intention for life is clear.

Free videos. Cheap products online. Affordable courses. Better schedules.

You will find a teacher. You will find the instrument.

But I think most of us avoid doing things our souls love and enjoy because, somewhere along the way, we started believing that we aren’t allowed to have fun anymore. We are waiting for someone to give us permission.

And even when we try something new, IT HAS TO WORK OUT! You have to become an expert at it and earn money from it, or else it’s useless—and, by extension, you are useless. You cannot simply try something for the sake of trying, enjoy the process, and have some fun along the way.

Who the hell made these rules?

You are allowed to try. You are allowed to fail. You are allowed to have fun. You are allowed to live.

......But only if you choose to. And someday, you might find yourself asking: “Am I allowed to have this much fun in life?”