Opting In to the System

Much like having kids surrenders one to the responsibilities of parenting, opting in to any sort of system means sacrificing some element of individual freedom.

Accepting membership in the system means adopting the system's rules.

It might mean submitting to the system’s hierarchy.

"The system" could be a family, a marriage, a friendship, a job, a country...

• If I'm a spouse, then I'm playing by different rules than if I'm single

• If I'm a friend, then I have new considerations (assuming I want to maintain the relationship)

• If I'm an employee, then it's my responsibility to live up to my boss's expectations (hand up — sometimes easier said than done...)

• If I’m a citizen, then it’s incumbent upon me to understand & abide by my nation’s principles

Opting in to the system means accepting — or at least, considering — someone else's rules of the game (read: expectations, needs, feelings).

The recognition of this Reality isn't something about which to get frustrated.

It’s something to embrace.

Because I can maintain the awareness that it's my decision of whether to opt in to the system in the first place.