Stop Waiting for Permission

I’ve always written. But I haven’t always called myself a writer.

Somehow, it felt like a title that had to be bestowed by someone else. As though at some point I would reach some kind of indeterminate level of professionalism which would qualify me to actually ‘be’ what I was doing.

Even though I’d done freelance work and people were willing to pay me to put words together, I still felt like I hadn’t arrived. Surely there was some elusive, official milestone I hadn’t reached yet.

Except no one ever actually comes along to officially declare you a writer. Or a filmmaker. Or a designer. Or whatever it is you’re passionate about. At some point, you just have to decide for yourself.

So one day, I did. I ordered business cards and, right under my name, I printed one word:

Writer.

That was it. I stopped waiting for permission that was never going to come. I realised that when it comes to a lot of things in life, often it’s in the doing that we come to ‘be’.

No One Is Coming to Give You Permission

No one is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, “Congratulations, you’re now officially a writer.” Or a speaker. Or a photographer. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t one.

At some point, you have to stop waiting for permission. You just have to decide.

You have to decide that you’re serious about this thing. You have to decide whether you honestly believe you have the talent and the commitment to invest in it. You have to decide that what’s in your heart, hands, and head can make a positive contribution to the world.

And then, you have to decide to run with it. Which is to say, you have to put in the work, of course.

It’s About Doing the Work

Just because you decide, doesn’t mean your work is suddenly the same as the guy who’s been doing that thing for a couple of decades. But it does mean that there’s nothing stopping you from continuing down the same path of learning and practicising and honing until it is.

Deciding means you’re ready to put in the work. To take the next step, and the one after that. To keep moving forward, even when it’s messy, uncertain, or hard.

What Are You Waiting For?

Is there something you’re waiting for permission to pursue fully? Maybe it’s a dream, a calling, or a passion you’ve been holding back on.

Because it’s worth knowing that no one is coming to tell you you’re ready. So maybe today is the day you decide to stop waiting.

Because the world doesn’t need more people waiting for permission.

The world needs more people brave enough to decide.