The Art of Permission

Welcome to another installment of The Art of … where today’s word picture of human nature is: Permission.

Every now and then I have the privilege of handing a coaching client the gift of this freeing word.

Never premeditated, there simply are times while listening to someone it becomes apparent that the art of permission sits like an unused key in the midst of their situation. That’s when I hand them ‘the gift’.

Permission is a living word. I’ve witnessed more than a few times the art of permission unlock a password-protected heart or long-held way of thinking. It has eased open the door to a deep sigh of relief, this being given permission to give oneself permission.

What is it about the art of permission that packs so much weight? There’s a clue in the definition¹:

The right or ability to do something that is given by someone
who has the power to decide if it will be allowed or permitted;
to enable or grant something

My role as a coach is to help with the last sentence of that description – to enable or grant something. What I help enable or grant is the first part of the definition of permission.

In the case of the art of permission, to be told there are times you have the right, the ability and the power to decide if you will allow or permit something is at times nothing short of a game-changer.

It is amazing how the simplest of statements can resonate within a client’s heart and mind. It is rewarding to witness the relief when one grants themselves permission to get out of their own way.

There are myriad reasons as to why the art of permission is

• not often practiced
• practiced with cast-off restraint
• not believed that it is even an option
• closely tied to one’s belief system and view of God, and more

For the purpose of this post I’m choosing to practice the art of permission by not launching into a book 🙂

If the above bullet points set you thinking about how you do or don’t practice the art of permission, I invite you to think more deeply and explore more thoroughly why that is. Because the next question is:

What do you do with the gift of the art of permission once you have reached out and taken it?

I love the ‘aha!’ moments of coaching and I love the ‘ahhh…’ moments equally as much.

If you desire to live life forward but feel stuck and in need of some ‘ahhh…’, I encourage you to get out of your own way and contact me. It may well be time for you to learn a new art! The art of permission.

~ Nancy

The Art of … word pictures of human nature

¹Merriam-Webster online Dictionary │ Photo credit: Kozzi images 26319548