You do not need to ask others for permission to live the life you genuinely want and dream of.
The greatest gift you can give yourself is to grant yourself permission to choose what truly matters to you: YOURSELF. We often tend to neglect or find fault with ourselves or beat ourselves up if we don’t know all the answers or make a mistake.
We need to stop ignoring and doubting ourselves and start treating ourselves with more respect, kindness, and self-compassion. Choosing yourself is not being selfish; it’s an expression of self-love. Commitment is the strongest form of love in any relationship, and that includes self-love. Please note, we are not referring to narcissism, which is an inflated sense of self, along with an excessive need for admiration and attention from others, aggressive behaviour, and a lack of empathy for others.
Self-acceptance is about loving yourself unconditionally and embracing what makes you so unique and special. Focus on your strengths and allow yourself to make mistakes, learn from them, and move on to make new mistakes. Make yourself uncomfortable and grow into your full potential. Quit dwelling on the past and seeking someone or something to blame. Begin taking charge of creating the life you desire and envision.
Working on yourself also includes giving yourself permission to be happy, to have fun, to eat dessert, to take regular breaks, to rest and recharge instead of giving up, to prioritize your well-being, to set healthy boundaries, to try new things, to start over, to dream big, to let go of your past, people’s opinions, toxic relationships, all the shoulds and have-tos, and self-limiting beliefs. It’s never too late to rewrite those old stories.
We need to feel our feelings and find healthy ways to express them. We must also learn to listen to our intuition and trust our inner voice. We can make choices and take action by aligning our core values with our true needs, goals, and aspirations.
Don’t abandon yourself. Show up as your authentic self and know that you are worth it. Stand up for what you believe in; otherwise, you’ll miss out on new opportunities as well as making deeper connections with yourself, others, and life.
Live a more meaningful and fulfilling life by honouring yourself. and allowing yourself to explore your passions and your interests. Invest in the power of saying yes to yourself and to being who you really are, not who everyone else expects you to be.
Flexing your “permission muscles” will take practice, patience, and a little encouragement. However, with regular workouts, you will build the trust to be “you” and move forward along your own path instead of remaining stuck and waiting for life to happen.
Be real. Be different. Be you.
Take care.
Antoinette Giacobbe M.A.
