We all have those special people in our lives that we know completely accept us. Whether you are at your best or your worst, say something silly or profound, or make a complete fool of yourself, you can always count on that special few to look at you without criticism or judgement and take you just as you are. No need to apologize for who you are or what you might say. With these special few, you can just be.
But do you treat yourself with the same acceptance? Do you live without apology when you’re all by your lonesome? When you feel foolish, break a promise to yourself, or make a mistake, do you give yourself that same permission to be human– to just be YOU?
Everything we do or don’t do, say or don’t say, and live or don’t live is simply based on what we allow in our lives. So what do you need to give yourself permission to do? Where do you need permission to just be yourself– your genuine, authentic, and naked self?
10 Permission Slips You Can Give Yourself
- Try something new and be really bad at it. All pros need to be an amateur at some point right? My perfectionism kept me from trying all the things I really wanted to for a very long time. But that only leads to NOT living the life you want to live. Give yourself permission to try something for the enjoyment and experience of it and watch all of your judgments fade away.
- Say what you mean and mean what you say. Sometimes it feels easier to bite our tongue and keep our opinions to ourselves. Sometimes it feels easier to sugarcoat the truth in order to spare someone’s feelings. Both situations keep us from showing up as our true, authentic selves and force us to keep the truth locked up inside of us. Give yourself permission and “the truth shall set you free”
- Decide NOT to figure out a solution right now. Neurologically speaking, problems live in one part of our brain, and solutions live in another. More often than not the stress of looking for a solution actually inhibits your ability to find one. Give yourself permission NOT to find a solution right now, and you may be surprised what magically appears.
- Allow your answer to be “because I didn’t know what I didn’t know”. Regrets and hindsight live in the past. And although it’s important to find the lessons from our past, it’s imperative that we don’t LIVE in our past if we want to step into our best future. It’s only natural when you slip up or do something you wish you hadn’t to wonder, “why did I do that?” Give yourself permission to let the answer simply be: “Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know”. You’ll be amazed at how freeing this is.
- Dance like no one’s watching. So what if you aren’t J-Lo on the dance floor? Who says you have to be the best dancer in order to ENJOY dancing? Dance for the movement, the music , the moment, the freedom, the expression. Give yourself permission to dance for you and only you, and the world will disappear
- Cry if you need to or feel like crying. I’m the master at suppressing my tears or my true emotions. Whether I don’t want to appear to be emotionally unstable, overly sensitive, or weak, I became an expert at not crying even when it felt as if they were fighting to get out. But what I didn’t realize at the time was the cost of not crying. The bottled emotions, the unexpressed thoughts and feelings, the tears that needed to come out. These things don’t just disappear if you ignore them. Give yourself permission to cry when you need to. It’s an important part of healing, growth, and reconciliation.
- Wake up whenever you want to. Nowadays the stress, the to-do lists, the over-scheduled lifestyle can keep us shackled to our calenders or alarm clocks. And more importantly we tend to compromise a good night’s sleep or our physical health to jam it all in. Give yourself permission to stay in bed as long as you desire, and I would bet you’ll get even more checked off that beloved to-do list of yours.
- Create your own “stay-cation”. Who says you need to fly to Tahiti or a deserted island to relax, unwind, and decompress. Your very own home could be transformed into this unplugged oasis if you choose. When you think about it, a vacation is merely a change of state and a change of environment. How can you create this in your very own home and enjoy the benefits of how you feel 1000’s of miles away? Give yourself permission to take a vacation whenever you need and turn your home into the rejuvenating environment that you require to feel how you desire.
- Officially put an end to something you know isn’t working or serving your life. The end of anything meaningful is sad. Whether it’s a relationship, an experience, or a behavior, we grow attachment to things that are comfortable or have become a part of our lives. But when that something stops serving us or making us feel good, it’s hard to put an end to it or throw in the towel. Give yourself permission to put an end to something that doesn’t enable you to step into your best self. The cost of NOT ending it may be greater than you think.
- Brag about yourself. I learned growing up that it’s “not nice to brag”. I learned not to share how great you are at something at the risk of coming across as “cocky”. But keeping our talents, value, and gifts hidden from the world only shrinks us and keeps us from shining our light. Give yourself permission to brag about yourself in hopes of inspiring someone or giving them the courage to shine their light. I also give you permission to NOT feel cocky or like you’re showing off. You’re simply shining your light.
