How I Decided to Stop Asking For Permission

I am a dreamer, I strive to be the best I can be and I am always trying to find ways to improve myself and the world around me. I believe I have the potential to change the world with the gifts I have been blessed with. I didn't always believe this, and I didn't always act in line with my truest potential. I've always felt that I've been held back, whether by circumstance or by those I felt were superior to me in some way.

I found that when I had an original idea or had an opportunity to shine, I was terrified to act without first seeking someone else's approval. I couldn't seem to tap into the potential that teachers, coaches, and friends said that they saw within me. Sometimes I would even talk myself out of doing something, and never even consult another person. I would convince myself that the thing was wrong, stupid, or simply too idealistic to ever be tangible.

I was always asking for permission to be myself.

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A few days ago, I was sitting in my room, listening to Jhené Aiko's latest album Chilombo, and enjoying some yogurt before I had to attend my online class. The 4th song, titled "Speak" began to play. In the song, Aiko sings about authenticity and the freedom that comes with being true to one's self. Towards the beginning of the song, she sings:

"Look how the sun

Rises without our asking

Shining with so much passion

Light just for us to bask in

Love shouldn't be for our keeping

I'll celebrate my freedom

I'm gon' speak up"

After hearing this verse, it hit me:

I needed to follow the Sun's example.

Stick with me here, I promise it'll make sense by the end. You see, the Sun rises day after day. It shines bright, and nobody can tell the Sun otherwise. The Sun doesn't ask the stars and moon if it can rise every morning. It shines its light, through rain and snow, even if it must do so behind the clouds in the sky. We need it, and so it rises every day for us to bathe in its glow, regardless of the circumstances. It never asks for permission to be itself.

So I've decided to follow the Sun. I've decided that I can't live my life at the mercy of the opinions of others. I've chosen to remain true to who I am, regardless of the circumstance. Because I believe that, much like the Sun, there are people out there that can't reach their potential until I do so myself.

Motivational speaker Eric Thomas once said that being successful is never convenient. Becoming the best version of yourself will indeed bring resistance and disapproval from all over. Similarly, I say that being yourself is never wrong. Believe in your potential, as much as you believe that the Sun will rise tomorrow. Don't ask for permission to be yourself, because just like the Sun in the sky, you have a light that the world needs. The world needs you, and so you must rise. And if you start to doubt yourself, if the clouds are in your way, look to the sky and Follow The Sun.

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I’m DJ Ford. I love using my art to creatively inspire others. I truly believe in the potential of people and hope that my work opens both your heart and mind. Feel free to check out some of my other work by clicking on my profile! Thanks for reading!