You don’t need permission.

You don’t need permission from your mentor, parents, coach, spouse, friends or peers to DO YOUR THANG.

I’m happy to say that in the past year or two, I’ve taken this lesson in so that it comes natural most of the time. Before, I used to ask (usually of my boyfriend) if my outfit was okay, if my hair looked okay, if my latest business idea was really any good (even though he isn’t an entrepreneur himself…).

And I wasn’t asking from a place of genuinely wanting feedback; I was asking for approval.

Today when I feel the urge for approval from an outside source, I pause. Then I ask myself — what do I really think about this? Am I willing to defend it’s awesomeness? Do I think it could use improvement? I’ve found it very satisfying to come to my own conclusion rather than seek outside approval first.

Once I have my own opinion, often I don’t bother asking for approval. Instead, I enjoy myself and sometimes invite others to enjoy the awesomeness too. Another option is to ask for genuine feedback after I’ve come to my own opinion. I’m able to hear the feedback, even if it’s negative, because I’ve got my own approval to hold me steady.

Two caveats:

1) As an entrepreneur, there’s one group of people you ALWAYS want to get feedback from. Your ideal clients. Ask them good questions and listen well. Keep your finger on the pulse of what they are looking for next in order to best serve them and have a steady flow of clients.

2) You never need permission to DO YOUR THANG when your thing is rooted in real pleasure. (Real pleasure does not come at the expense of others.) If you’re not operating out of real pleasure, I highly recommend you choose a different THANG. 😉

What do you think? Do you find yourself seeking outside approval before gifting yourself with approval of your own? If you’ve got any additional tips, share them in the comments!

Love,
Janelle