Have you, at some point, realised that you’re living a life that was designed by someone else? Not just your job or your marriage but your entire arc — from school to the grave. It’s a script written centuries ago by institutions, refined by societal norms, and handed to you like a sacred scroll. You’re expected to follow it. Most people do. They study hard, marry early, have kids, buy homes, save for retirement, and hope that fulfilment shows up somewhere along the way. But what if it never does?

What if the script doesn’t fit? What if, deep down, you’ve always known that parts of it weren’t written for you — they were just… copied and pasted?

This isn’t a tale of rebellion. It’s one of design. Of living intentionally. Of questioning what’s been unquestioned for far too long.

The Inherited Script

The standard life arc seems suspiciously neat: childhood education, higher education, job, marriage, house, kids, retirement, death. It’s a framework that once made sense in a world of predictability and defined roles. But the world has changed, radically. Institutions have evolved slowly, but people are evolving faster.

Yet, this template is still sold as a one-size-fits-all blueprint for happiness. And the marketing is relentless. Parents, media, friends, social structures — all nudging you into ticking boxes. Not out of malice, but habit. It worked for them, didn’t it? Well, sort of. Maybe. Or maybe they were just better at pretending.

The Quiet Conformity

Most people don’t rebel. They comply. Because questioning the script comes with discomfort. It makes others uncomfortable too. It challenges their choices, their sacrifices, their belief systems. So we mute our instincts. We smile for the family portraits, show up to jobs we don’t care about, and convince ourselves that this is what “being an adult” looks like.

But there comes a point when the performance gets exhausting. When the cost of pretending outweighs the fear of change.

Choosing Otherwise

At some point in my journey, I realised I was designing a life that looked good from the outside but wasn’t in sync with who I was inside. I was making decisions that followed the “rulebook” rather than my inner compass. And so, over time, I started pulling threads loose. I chose a career that helped me dictate what I truly wanted to do and pursue multiple other interests. I decided not to have children. And recently, I took another life-altering decision that may not have gone down well with the conformists.  

It wasn’t a crisis. It was clarity. A realisation that nothing changes until you do.

No Kids, No Regrets

I knew early on that I didn’t want to have children. Not because I don’t like them. But because I couldn’t find a good enough reason to bring a child into a world already bursting at its seams. Overpopulation sits at the root of almost every global crisis — from climate change to food security to economic disparity. We are not running out of resources; we are running out of room.

To parent responsibly today is to not parent by default.

The In-Between Generation

We are a generation caught in the crossfire. Raised by people who believed in stability, surrounded by a world that thrives on change. Our parents worked 40 years in the same job; we’re trying to build passion projects, side hustles, and find meaning while staying sane.

We’re expected to honour tradition while embracing modernity, to stay grounded while being globally relevant. It’s confusing. But it also means we’re uniquely positioned to redesign the script.

Designing Your Own Path

The brainpower, the tools, the freedom — they’re all here. What we lack sometimes is permission. Permission to say, “This isn’t working for me.” Permission to leave. To stay. To build. To undo. To start again.

Every meaningful choice I’ve made has come from stepping away from autopilot and stepping into awareness. From asking myself not what is expected of me, but what is true for me.

This is not a declaration of superiority. It’s a call for honesty. If you’re happy with the traditional script, that’s beautiful. But if you’re not, don’t fake it (especially on Social Media). Don’t numb it. Question it.

The next revolution isn’t political; it’s personal. It’s the quiet act of looking at your life and asking:“Did I choose this, or did I just never question it?”

The script isn’t wrong—it’s just not the only option.

And the most liberating thought of all?

You are allowed to write your own.