Ten years ago, my amazing artist friend Jvo released a book called Quirky Leadership.
It was the subtitle that grabbed me. “Permission Granted.”
In essence, he was letting us know that YOU HAVE PERMISSION to be a quirky, eccentric, unconventional leader. You don’t necessarily need to fit in, follow a specific mold, or be like everyone else. That’s way too boring for JVo, anyway. Why do it the way everyone else is doing it? Have you ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? Have you ever felt out of place in the workplace, wondering why things don’t feel right? Have you ever felt that somehow folks just didn’t get you, or what you were going after? I’m certain we’ve all been there at one time or another. It can be confusing, frustrating, and disheartening.
The idea, Jvo argues, is that we all need the freedom and space to flourish fully into who we are. To operate in and exercise our unique giftings. To step into, to work on becoming the best possible version of yourself!
So I stole his idea for my first book, Doldrums and the Divine Breath. The subtitle, naturally, was “Permission to Live an Inspired Life.”
This idea of permission really opened up my world.
Author Erwin McManus observes that “Evil people don’t wait for permission to act. They just do. They act on their evil & warped impulses all the time.” In doing so, they inflict immeasurable harm and pain on others.
Why then, do most of us wait for permission to act? Especially when it comes to doing the actual good? To live our lives to the absolute full? To dream, to go for it, to become great? Who initiated this idea that we need permission from someone in the first place? Did we create it ourselves? It most certainly must be rooted in fear or insecurity. A lack of confidence and courage. We fear what others might think about us if we decide step out.
I’m preaching to the choir here. There are still areas in my life where I need to give myself permission.
What would it look like to flip the script, to be given the opportunity to flood the world with as much good as humanly possible? If evil people don’t wait, then neither should good people.
Did you ever notice how the world gives you permission to do all the wrong things? Indulge in all you want, whenever you want. Make as many self-destructive choices as you want, without consequence or regard to others. Take as much as you want. Binge all you want.
I’ve always loved the Salvation Army’s tagline: Doing the Most Good.
This to me, is good news.
Start something good.
Build something good.
Create something good.
Pursue something good.
Write something good.
Make, form, fashion something good.
You have permission. Now is the time, today is the day.
I’ve written 4 books. 7 If you count the poetry books. Interestingly, one of the biggest responses I got early on from people when I started releasing books was “I’ve always wanted to write a book.” And often times this came from people who were good writers—probably better than me. This was surprising to me. I would hear different reasons and stories. “I’ve been working on a book for several years on an off.” “I don’t have the discipline to start or finish.” “I’ve hit writer’s block.” “I’m afraid of being rejected by publishers if I submit my manuscript—I’ve heard horror stories.” “I don’t know a good copywriter. “I think I need an agent.”
This inner voice, this type of thinking slowly erodes our permission.
Looking back over my past, I’ve started (and finished) many things. Many of the coolest things that have ever happened were because I gave myself permission to act. To simply create or produce. Without rules or restriction, and then to stare it with the world.
A clothing company.
A music magazine.
An album.
A business.
A marriage.
A family.
I did not wait for someone else to grant me permission to do these things. If I did, they would never have existed. Yes, it was scary at first (terrifying, paralyzing!), but man, has it been worth it.
If you are waiting for permission (especially to do something good or great), you could be waiting forever.
What’s stopping you? What’s holding you back? Reject that inner voice, that outward critic that feels so loud at times. I think we just need a gentle reminder, an encouraging nudge every once in a while. If you’ve heard it from no one else, you have permission. Thank you, JVo, for reminding me.