Permission granted...

But not by me...

You don't need my permission (who on earth would I think I am to say otherwise?). You also don't need anyone else's permission.

But I'll offer it anyway... permission granted.

Permission to do what?

Ah, now there's the question. How about permission to be selfish?

For most of us, the word selfish sits rather uncomfortably. Our news feeds are full of international selfishness right now and that's not a label we want to co-opt for ourselves.

But there is another kind of selfish to consider. The one that provides the deeply honest answers to the first of my two favourite questions:

1. What is it you really want (I mean REALLY want)?

2. Why is that so important to you that you're prepared to take brave action in order to make it happen?

   
   

("Not those again, Mark... you're repeating yourself!") Yes I am... and I'm not going to stop when it comes to those two.

The honest reply to question one IS selfish. It's meant to be.

It's the single most important thing in your life because building a bigger business, being a better partner, parent, sibling etc...whatever your answer to the question is, making it happen begins with you 'selfishly' choosing to become the best you can be.

That is how you can truly serve others

That is how your 'rising tide' can 'lift all the ships' around you. And taking brave action... that's permission. That's you believing you deserve the answer to question one.

Permission granted

You won't truly give yourself permission until you deeply believe that you deserve that first answer.

Permission is not mine to give. The conversation around what's stopping you from 'permitting yourself'?

That I can do.