An Apple A Day...

Here are twenty things I give myself permission for:
1. I give myself permission to rest.
2. I give myself permission to laugh.
3. I give myself permission to play.
4. I give myself permission to make mistakes.
5. I give myself permission to say "no" to demands on my time that are simply draining.
6. I give myself permission to say "yes" to what I want.
7. I give myself permission to fulfill lifelong dreams.
8. I give myself permission to ask for what I want.
9. I give myself permission to be who I am.
10. I give myself permission to try again.
11. I give myself permission to have fun.
12. I give myself permission to design my own life.
13. I give myself permission to ignore naysayers.
14. I give myself permission to stay focused on what's important to me.
15. I give myself permission to be whatever body shape I like.
16. I give myself permission to be imperfect.
17. I give myself permission to ask for help.
18. I give myself permission to stop caring what others think of me.
19. I give myself permission to write a lousy first draft.
20. I give myself permission to create.

The photo above was taken by photographer Kat Hardin, who I mentioned on Monday. The best thing about a truly great photographer is capturing the moment, and the feeling within the moment. It took me years to give myself permission...
I kept asking everyone else for it.
And in the meantime I was forgetting to ask the one person who I have to live with for years to come and take care of... and that is myself. When I gave myself permission, I gave myself permission to let go.