I was walking with a new friend this week. We were enjoying great conversation and a brisk pace, my favorite combination. We kept extending the area to prolong the walk. When we got to a crosswalk there was no motor traffic and we started to cross diagonally. A little voice began to caution me. I pulled my friend back into the crosswalk and said, "We can't set a bad example." There was a little boy walking with his grandpa, following the rules and taking the long route with the right angle of the perpendicular white walkways. The little voice was telling me that it was the safe thing that I was taught as a child. In that moment I did not want to be the reason the boy had to be told that sometimes people don't follow the rules. I wanted to set an example and be true to myself. I remember standing on the curb, tugging on my dad's hand, not wanting to cross against the light, even though the street was deserted. There are plenty of rules that have lost their power over me. Maturity gives us the freedom to distinguish the important ones from the self imposed ones that stifle us. Consider the rules you have set for yourself that no longer serve you and that discourage your growth.