My sis, Josie, and I were recently headed to an event. Dressed to the nines, hair done, we were ready to go! As I pulled out of the parking lot, she pulled down the sun visor to look at the vanity mirror (yes, I was today years old when I learned that’s what it’s actually called 😂).

“Oh…I forgot this one doesn’t have lights attached.”

“Why not just turn on the light up there?” I replied jabbing my finger in the direction of the dome light near the rearview mirror.

“Mom always said it’s illegal to drive with the light on.”

Without missing a beat I replied, “Do we actually know that that’s illegal?”

“Hmm,” she replied. “Good question. Dad always said it too so I just assumed it was true.”

As soon as I got to a stop, I ran a quick google search.

I’ll give you one guess what it said?

No mom, it’s not illegal to drive with the light on 🫠

As I read off the answer to her, we both giggled. Our parents had so ingrained in us that driving with the light on would lead you to get stopped by the police that we went out of our way to avoid doing it (or at least tried not to keep it on the full ride).

As Jo turned on the light and went back to finishing up her makeup, I couldn’t help but wonder.

How many times could we be accepting the narrative, “good advice,” or traditions that have been passed down to us from generation to generation, to our own detriment? Tweet this!

Now to be clear, I don’t believe for one second that our parents were intentionally feeding us misinformation. I think at one point or another, someone told them that and they passed it along as the law. 

But can I share a secret with you?

The truth is we all do this from time to time. 

• Either we share information that has been passed down to us without question
• Or we accept information given to us as if it was gospel.

One of the main things that keeps you from breaking free of old habits or patterns that don’t serve you is that you’ve never stopped to question what you’ve been told. Tweet this!

But if you ever want to get unstuck you have to consider that maybe, just maybe, you’ve been fed information that is woefully wrong.

My challenge to you in the upcoming 2023 new year is this: 

Don’t assume that everything you’ve been told is true. 

Learn to question your assumptions and also try something new. 

Remember that just because it worked for your parents (or anybody else for that matter), doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Admit that what was good advice back then may not be the best advice right now.

Reject the notion that trial and error are dirty words.

Stop allowing other people to sit in the driver’s seat of your life.

The sooner you can do these things the sooner you will find yourself leading a better life, in more ways than one… Thank me later and I’ll see y’all in 2023! 🥂