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- FRIDAY: THE REFLECTION
You didn't just withdraw permission—you claimed authority.
On Sunday, you were still waiting.
Today, you're building.
Look at what shifted this week. You stopped asking if it was okay to take up space in your own life. You stopped seeking approval for decisions you're perfectly capable of making.
You started acting like someone who belongs exactly where they are.
That's not a small change. That's an identity shift.
Prompt for ownership: What would the old you need permission to do—that this version of you did anyway this week?
Maybe you spoke up without rehearsing what you'd say first. Maybe you made a decision without consulting three different people. Maybe you started something before you felt "ready."
Whatever it was, you proved something important:
You don't need to ask. You just need to move.
The old story: "I should probably check with someone first."
The new reality: "I trust myself to figure this out."
The old pattern: Hesitation, research, overthinking, asking for input.
The new baseline: Decision, action, course-correction if needed.
This isn't progress anymore. It's who you are.
You're not becoming someone who acts with authority. You already are someone who acts with authority. You're just finally acting like it.
Identity lock-in: You don't need permission to live boldly in your own life. You need to stop requiring it from yourself.
The permission you were waiting for? You just gave it to yourself.
And look what happened. You didn't fall apart. You didn't fail catastrophically. You didn't discover you were unqualified for your own life.
You discovered you were ready all along.
WORK WITH STEPHEN Ready to join 500+ people who stopped asking permission and started taking action? Join our private Facebook community - "The 5 Minute Tribe" - where we share wins, bold moves, and strategies that don't fit in the newsletter.
You have everything you need. You just need to use it.
P.S. My son asked me why I run so much now. I told him: "Because I finally gave myself permission to be the dad you deserve." What would your future self thank you for starting today?