Write Yourself the Permission Slip

We’re taught from a young age to ask for permission. Raise your hand. Wait your turn. Be polite. Don’t be too loud, too messy, too much. Ask before you speak. Ask before you want. Ask before you take up space.

Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

Many of us internalized these rules so deeply that we’re still waiting—for someone to tell us it’s finally okay—to rest, to walk away, to take the job, to say no to the party, to fall apart, or to change your mind.

But here’s the truth: you’re the grown-up now. And you get to give yourself the permission no one else ever did.

This week, we invite you to write yourself a permission slip, just like the ones we used to bring to school—signed by someone who could excuse us from gym or give us a pass to leave early. Except now, the person signing it is you.

Maybe you need permission to:

• Stop pretending you’re okay

• Say no without explanation

• Pursue something just because you want to

• Take up more space

• Grieve something invisible

• Outgrow who you used to be

Maybe your permission slip is long overdue.

Writing one doesn’t magically make everything easy—but it does something powerful: it puts you back in your own hands.

Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

📝 Writing Prompt:

Write yourself a permission slip today. Start with:

“I give myself permission to…”

And don’t hold back. Let it be bold, emotional, truthful, or tender.

You don’t need anyone else’s signature. Just your own.

Love,

TRW <3