Imagine getting a call and learning that you have the opportunity to sit down with Oprah for an interview. Would you be nervous and awestruck? Would you try to play it cool? When Brene Brown, author and researcher, had this very experience she went through all those emotions. Before she went on the show, she found a pen and a post-it note, then jotted down a permission slip for herself that allowed her to be present in the moment, to enjoy it no matter how uncool she might look when she got excited and giddy. Brene apparently uses this technique often. I think it’s brilliant!
The other weekend I had an opportunity to either spend time with my family just relaxing, or get caught up on laundry and all the other chores. I felt the pull to get things on the to-do list checked off as usual, but I also knew the importance of unwinding with my family on a Sunday. Inspired by Brene’s written permission slip method, I got out a scrap piece of paper. On it, I wrote, “You have permission to relax and enjoy the day. Your to-do list can wait.”
That was powerful. The act of writing it down helped me let go of the ambivalence I was experiencing in my head. I went on to enjoy my Sunday as I should… relaxing with my family.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Lucy and I give you permission to take good care of yourselves or to keep it simple, but sometimes only you will know what you need. So for what can you write yourself a permission slip? To enjoy a food you’ve been craving without guilt? To politely pass on a social opportunity that would make you fall off your current eating plan? Or maybe it’s permission to rest because your body is begging for a day off from your workouts.
Permission slips aren’t excuses; they are a way of silencing that inner critic who is always telling you that you aren’t enough and they are great for those moments when feel a battle going on inside your head. Permission slips help you honor your needs, be your own best friend, and solve the doubts in your mind.
