Do you really need permission for that?

Posted on September 6, 2017

One of the phrases I often hear is “I gave myself permission for….”.

Interestingly, it is typically used as a sign of personal empowerment.

"I know I deserve some “me” time, so I gave myself permission to take the Sunday morning off and go for a walk"

"I have been working out so hard so I gave myself permission to eat some ice-cream as a reward"

How empowering are these sentences really?

Just because we are the one giving the permission, does it change the fact that we are still seeking for approval?

Wouldn’t it be more empowering to say -

"I know I want some “me” time, so I am going to take the Sunday morning off and go for a walk"

"I have been working out so hard so I’ll just go ahead and enjoy some ice-cream!"

Do we really need permission to do things that we enjoy? That we work for? That we – dare I say it – just simply want?

It is very liberating to stop issuing permits! In good conscience, we really know what we can and can’t do. Giving a permission is not going to change that.

Now go ahead and take charge of your life! You really don’t need my permission to empower yourselves!