Give Yourself Permission
Are you waiting for someone to tell you that it’s okay to do that thing you have always wanted to do?
What if I told you that you don’t have to wait for anyone to give you the okay?
What if I told you that the only person you are waiting for is YOU?
That thing you have always wanted to do, that dream of yours that sits deep within your heart… you can actually give yourself the permission to do it.
You really can!
But… maybe you won’t because the moment you start to say yes, you also start to think about all the reasons why you shouldn’t. You know all those reasons that up until this moment have kept you on the sidelines of your dreams. I can tell you all about those reasons because they kept me from pursuing my writing dreams at different points in my life.
Reasons such as money, time, self-doubt, other people’s opinions, and fear are powerful enough to stop you sometimes, even before you get started.
Reasons (or excuses), whatever you choose to call them, are always easy to find.
But there comes a moment when you finally decide to pursue your dreams. And this is the moment when you give yourself permission.
The truth of the matter was the “research “I was spending so much time doing was just a stalling tactic that kept me from writing. The mystery really was not a mystery. When I got right down to it, the problem was that I had not given myself permission to pursue my dreams simply because I did not believe in myself enough.
I finally gave myself permission when I recognized that my gifts and talents we not just about me but about serving others. I also gave myself permission when the why behind my dream became bigger than how I was going to do it. And lastly, I had come to a point in my life where I was frustrated with myself for not doing the thing I knew was directly tied to my purpose. No matter what I did, the dream to write never left me.
In addition to giving myself permission, I had to start taking steps to make my dreams my reality. Permission comes in two parts. It is not only saying yes to your dreams, but it also involves taking action aligned with your dreams. We simply cannot move closer to the things of our hearts if we are not taking intentional actions to get there.
At the beginning of wordsbytara.com, there were days where I had to repeatedly give myself permission, especially when challenges and obstacles came my way. But what I have learned is every experience is simply an opportunity to grow and to become better. Those hard times on the journey to dream-making present valuable lessons that are necessary teachers, and it is important to not despise or avoid what the challenges want to teach.
Since then, I have been sharing my writing this past year and a half; I have learned about other important ways to give myself permission. These other ways will directly affect the outcome of your dreams and the life you want to live. When you give yourself permission to follow your God-inspired dreams, you, too, will learn other important ways to say yes to the things in your life.
More ways to give yourself permission:
Give yourself permission to say no. Set boundaries and maintain them by saying no to people and things that do not align with what you want in your life. Protect your time and your space which are valuable assets that are within your control.
Give yourself permission to change your mind. Sometimes we have to make a different choice about a previous decision. Life is always changing, which means choices may need to change too.
Give yourself permission to live life to the fullest. Take smart risks and be open to the opportunities life presents. Life is short, and the only life we have is the one we have right now.
Give yourself permission to let go of old ideas, people, and things that no longer serve you. Letting go is hard, but we must grow, and it creates space for new blessings to come our way.
Give yourself permission to be open to what God has in store for you. Sometimes the things God calls us to do may not make any sense, but with faith, we know that he is in control, protecting us and directing our steps.
Give yourself permission to have fun. Laugh and do things that make your heart sing. Fun brings joy into your life and a smile to your face.
Give yourself permission to express your feelings in a way that honors you. Holding onto negative emotions is not healthy for your mind, body, or spirit. It is also not healthy for your relationships with other people. Choose to release emotions that do not benefit you in ways that are positive and healing.
Give yourself permission to fail. We will fail simply because we are not perfect. Everything we do and say will not always come outright. Just know you are going to mess up a lot. Take each failure as a learning experience and apply the lessons learned.
Give yourself permission to….
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What other ways can you give yourself permission? Send me an email or post a comment; I would love to hear from you.
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