When I was young getting permission from my parents was how it worked.
When I wanted to do something with my friends, I asked my parents for permission first.
As I got older there was a shift. I got to start giving myself permission to do the things that I wanted to do.
This felt like freedom.
It was pretty awesome for me as a young adult out on my own in the world.
We are usually good at giving ourselves permission to do things that we want to do when it’s comfortable, tangible and exciting.
For example:
I gave myself permission to go skydiving at 18 because I now could and there was nothing my Dad could do about it!
**Sidenote: Skydiving was even more amazing than the look on my Dad’s face when I showed him the video of me doing it.
Giving ourselves permission is not always easy though, especially when it involves believing something different about ourselves or the world.
As I have coached myself and other women I have found so much congruity in the things that we struggle to give ourselves permission for.
Do you give yourself permission to have fun, Or are you too busy for that?
Will you give yourself permission to love yourself, or do you believe that you are too undeserving of love?
Can you give yourself permission to say no, or do you believe that kindness means saying yes?
Do you give yourself permission to love others when you don’t love the things they do, or do you believe punishing them is necessary?
Will you give yourself permission to listen to your own heart or do you trust more in the opinions of others?
Can you give yourself permission to be yourself no matter the consequence, or is validation from others too important?
At the root of all of these, is a thought and belief that makes it impossible to choose the option that is in integrity with our highest self.
The best way to start giving ourselves permission to believe new things is to open up to the idea that we can!
There is so much freedom in our own ability to choose and give ourselves permission to think differently.
Maybe even more freedom than skydiving!
Any thought is available to you and the only person you need a permission slip from to believe those thoughts is you.
