Part 5 of the series “At Home in Yourself” is all about giving yourself permission, even for a moment. Try it on!
We spend so much of our lives living under judgment — the judgment of others, and maybe even more often, the judgment we turn upon on ourselves. Somewhere along the way, we picked up the belief that we had to earn love, earn belonging, earn the right to take up space.
But what if you don’t need permission from anyone else? What if the only permission that really matters is the kind you give yourself?
Giving yourself permission is an act of courage. It’s saying: I will no longer hand over my power to judgment.
The roller coaster that is life is always going to be full of ups and downs. Some days you’ll feel aligned, strong, and centered. Other days you’ll stumble and second-guess or doubt yourself. But through it all, resilience lives in you. Yes. You. Every time you allow yourself to show up as you are, you strengthen that sense of resilience, and things flow just a bit easier.
Oprah Winfrey recalled this about her dear friend Maya Angelou: “When I turned 50, my dear friend, Maya Angelou was still alive, and Maya said to me, ‘Babe, the fifties are everything you’ve been meaning to be. It’s everything you thought you might do. This is it. It’s coming in. You’re not even there yet.’”
You don’t really need medals and accolades; simply being true to yourself is its own reward. Really, it is. It’s what lets you step into your light. Yes, probably it’s not a perfect light, not a flawless light, but one that is amazing, courageous, and true. That’s you!
Allowing yourself permission ain’t about ignoring challenges. It’s about choosing to keep moving forward, knowing you already have what you need inside you. Trust that.
So here it is: you have permission. Permission to take up space. Permission to rest. Permission to shine. Permission to love your quirks. Permission to shout and laugh out loud for no reason at all. Permission to be wholly, wonderfully yourself. Permission to do cartwheels on the beach if you wanna. Permission to be OK with you.
Reflections for You
Some reflection questions you might want to bring up with yourself, in your journal, in quiet meditation, or out on a walk in the forest (my happy place), whatever it is that you need to do to listen to yourself, do that.
Where am I still waiting for someone else’s approval before I act?
How does self-judgment hold me back from living fully?
What would it feel like to release the power of judgment in my life?
What’s one area where I’m ready to give myself permission, right now?
Gentle Practices
Write Your Own Permission Slip: Choose one thing you’ve been waiting on and write yourself a note: I have permission to ________________ (sign your name).
Notice Judgment: When you hear your inner critic, pause and ask: Whose voice is this, really? Old stories from a friend or a parent years ago? The world? Is it true?
Celebrate Your Resilience: At the end of each day this week, write down one way you showed resilience; every instance counts.
Step Into the Light: Do one thing this week that reflects your real, true self, without apology.
Permission is freedom. It’s the gift you can only give yourself, to be who you already are.
What do you think?
Can you release judgment, claim your resilience, and step into your light? You are amazing. You are courageous. You are a work in progress. And that’s more than enough.