Permission can be defined as formal consent or authorization, which we are conditioned from a young age to request from others in positions of authority. This is reasonable for children who are still learning to make decisions responsibly. Yet as adults, many of us continue to look outside of ourselves and seek permission from others, often ceding our own power. We may be led by the shoulds of others, losing our sense of who we are and what we want in the process.

Living in our full power means giving ourselves permission to be curious, to try new things, to express ourselves, to fall on our faces, and to get back up. By giving ourselves permission, rather than seeking it from others, we become empowered. We shift from being who others think we should be to who we want to be. When we give ourselves permission, we live fully and give others permission to do the same.

Permission is a choice - nobody else can grant it to us. So many of us spend the majority of our days and lives doing things we don’t want to do and wearing masks to be people we are not. The sooner we give ourselves permission to stop pretending and tolerating, the sooner we take one step closer to becoming who we have always dreamed of becoming.

So what are you giving yourself permission to do, and who are you giving yourself permission to be?