Stop Waiting For Permission to Live the Life You Want

This is for the people who likely identify as highly sensitive. You might be an introvert—or feel like one anyway—and you might be basing too much of your self-concept on the external world.

Did you know what you wanted from life from the start, only to push those dreams down because people told you they were unrealistic?

If you’ve ever found yourself in a cycle of asking for permission, you might relate to this: There’s a feeling deep inside that what you really want will never be yours. Maybe it seems impossible. Maybe you see others living the way you’d like to, and you wish you could do the same, but something keeps you from it. Then, when you actually start moving toward that life, you’re filled with anxiety, apprehension, and fear. There are false beliefs—sometimes so subconscious you barely recognize them—whispering that it’s unsafe. Don’t jump. Go back to safety.

You hesitate when it comes to making big decisions. Sure, you can choose what to eat or what to do this weekend, but when you try to imagine a year from now, it’s blank. Instead of moving forward, you gather information. You research. You absorb other people’s perspectives, hoping something will click into place. Learning is valuable, but if you’re stuck in the habit of waiting for someone else to validate what you want, you’ll always be looking for the next best thing instead of trusting yourself.

Eventually, this creates resentment, frustration, and maybe even anger. If you know what you want but feel like you can’t reach it, it’s exhausting. If you don’t know what you want, the pressure to figure it out can feel overwhelming. But here’s what’s important to remember: No one is behind. If calling yourself a late bloomer helps, then embrace it, but don’t let labels trap you in comparison. Terms like "late bloomer," "perfectionist," or "people-pleaser" might have once served as a way to understand yourself, but they can also hold you back. The more you focus on them, the more they define you, and creativity and intuition cannot thrive under comparison.

Instead of believing that your dreams are out of reach, isn’t it more exciting to believe that they are possible? If you close your eyes and fully imagine yourself living the life you want—really feel it—doesn’t that shift something inside you? Call it manifestation, law of attraction, witchcraft, or whatever resonates with you, but knowing that what you desire is possible creates a kind of peace and confidence that nothing else can.

Three Ways to Stop Asking for Permission and Start Living Your Life

First, trust that your guides are with you. Whether you see them as angels, ancestors, deities, or something more abstract like the thinking substance Wallace Wattles described, the energy we come from and return to is always within reach. It wants to interact with you, empower you, and help you achieve the goals you set for yourself.

Second, have some kind of plan. I don’t like planning too far ahead, but knowing the next step makes all the difference. I follow what I call the “Two Steps Ahead” rule. I write down my next two reasonable steps toward my goal—both of which can be done within six hours. I don’t set a deadline, but I keep my journal open on my desk so I see those steps often. I write them with fruit-scented pens and it makes me laugh when I see it because my dog once licked the ink because it smells so good, then made a very disappointed face 🥴.

Finally, take time throughout the day, especially in moments of frustration or fear, to center yourself and envision the reality you want. Sometimes I look around and think, how did I get here? I remember all the moments that led me here, but it can still feel jarring when I compare my current reality to where I want to be. If you feel that way too, remind yourself that your dreams are not on a strict timeline. The most important thing I’ve learned—though I often forget until I’m reminded by non-results—is that your dream will come to you if you work toward it consistently and trust that the universe is doing just as much work to bring it to you. It’s like waiting for a package to arrive. You don’t know the exact delivery time, but you know it’s coming.

If you’re waiting for someone to tell you to go for your dreams, consider this your sign. Stop waiting. Keep dreaming. Keep taking action. I don’t have to know you to believe that you can do it, because we are all cut from the same cloth. The people out there already living your dream? The fact that they exist is proof that you can do it too.

Trust, believe, and use your intuition and common sense. You’ll be amazed at how your life shifts when you finally allow yourself to want what you want.

Greatest blessings! xoxo