In August of 2017 my husband, 6 y.o. daughter, dog, and cat set out on a 1-year adventure in a 300 sq. ft. Fleetwood Southwind that my daughter named “Bessie.“ This Class A RV was nearly the size of a city bus and was now the home that would safely take us up through the south of the United States and into Mexico.
We gave ourselves permission to take this trip for various reasons, all of which you can read here. Not the most “conventional” choice to make in your early 40’s, but I have never been the “conventional” type. This trip, that started with visiting the windy cliffs of Wyoming so we could partake in the 2017 solar eclipse of the sun, taught me a tremendous amount about permission and why it is crucial to give yourself permission to take risks, move against the tide and follow your dreams. I also want to acknowledge, that as I write this, I am very aware of my privilege and that these permissions do not come easily for some. Permitting yourself, however, to not make it about you and to make it about how you can better serve others and your community is a perspective I invite you to reflect on. I know I do, or try to. Everyday.
The challenge with giving yourself permission to follow your dreams or to dare to do things differently is that all too often, and I see this with my clients, there is a fear of doing something that is not the norm or to do what we have seen again and again on repeat. To do what is familiar and safe.
When we give ourselves permission, we don’t have to jump in an RV and leave everything behind. I mean, you can and that would be amazing, but please call me first because I learned a thing or 2 that will help you out. But what we can do, is take small steps every day where we dare to do things differently or start a new creative project or move the dish soap from the right side of the sink to the left side. In fact, I might try that last one😉. I also invite you to daydream with your partner or friend, keep a journal about what you are passionate about and what you value, and lastly, ask yourself if what you are doing today is serving you and is in alignment with your core values and greater purpose in life. If not, then give yourself the space to explore why.
Lastly, if you are looking for a little more inspiration, you can listen to my podcast that I started with my dear friend, Joseph Bennett called, Are You Waiting for Permission. If I hadn’t taken that trip to Mexico, I wouldn’t have met Joseph and this podcast would most likely not exist along with our friendship and the countless opportunities that presented themselves from that singular place of permission. The permission that I didn’t wait for, but bravely gave to myself.
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