Here is your permission: a pep talk from a life transformation coach

I have become something of a professional permission-giver.

Sometimes there is a lot of deep work that needs to be done to break through blocks and dissolve limiting beliefs.

But sometimes you just need that validation that yes, you’re not crazy, you’re not delusional, and your intuition is correct.

In these cases it is my job is to facilitate that embodied knowing – feeling it in your body that, “Yes, this is the right thing for me to do.”

So let’s get right to it – here is your permission.

Yes, to do THAT.

Go. Start. The decision is not blocking you anymore. Maybe you don’t believe it yet, but it’s true.

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I wrote a book and it fucking sucks

I remember back 10 or 11 or 12 years ago, I was out shooting an interview. I used to get hired to go out and shoot interviews for the special features of old movies being re-released on Blu-ray. One time I got to interview John Turturro about his role in Barton Fink. One time I got to interview Howard Shore about doing the soundtrack for The Exorcist 3 or some shit.

On that day I was out in New Jersey interviewing the writer of a moderately successful horror movie from the 80s.

When I did these interviews the producer would send me an address and list of questions/topics to cover. Sometimes I would do a little research on the movie… sometimes I went in blind. I’m good at improvising.

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Fire the Cannonball

Two pirates are standing by a cannon inside a pirate ship. One of them is peering out of a porthole while the other loads the cannon.

The pirate peering out shouts, “Look lively, ‘ere she comes! Bri’ish Navy scum! We’ll give ‘em what fer!”

“Ready to fire, matey! On yer mark!” shouts the other pirate, pushing the cannon into position and holding the smoldering match cord ready.

The first pirate pauses and strokes his chin. “I’m just not sure if it’s the right time though – economically ya know? What’s the cost of cannonballs these days? Iron prices are up… it can’t be cheap… and what if we run out of cannonballs and then the perfect shot lines up? That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

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The Woman With Flowers Growing in Her Purse

Do you know the woman with flowers growing in her purse?

Yes, ever since she was a little girl she has always carried her purse with her.

From time to time she peeks in to see the flowers growing inside.

That’s right, flowers. Growing. Inside. Small and stunted from being cramped inside, but they have just enough dirt and air to survive.

How long has it been since these flowers began to grow? She can’t remember now.

But she knows that she has to keep them safe. Inside. Hidden.

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My Clown Weekend

“Okay, who wants to get angry? Come into the center,” says Chris, our clown instructor.

There are about 20 of us in a circle in the small theater. A middle-aged insurance broker named Wendy walks into the center.

She gets into a wide squat stance and starts screaming, “This is your head! Boom! Boom! Boom!” she brings her arms down forcefully from overhead over and over again. “Boom! Boom! Booooooooommmmm! I am crushing your fucking heaaaaaaaaaad!”

After a couple minutes her face is red and she is out of breath, and she leaves the circle. We all applaud, and the next person enters the circle.

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I sold my soul for $100 and a slice of pepperoni pizza

If you saw some of yourself in my story, remember that there are seasons to this shit. You may still be in the germination phase. In sustainable farming practices, there are entire seasons where a “cover crop” is planted – not so that it can be harvested, but purely so it can cover the field, protect the soil from erosion, and then die and replenish the soil for future seasons. Your current stage of life might be a cover crop, with the purpose of returning nutrients to the soil for whatever amazing things will grow next.

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An Ode to Slow Growth

I generally avoid guarantees, but in this case I GUARANTEE that if you find something that really lights you up and you do the work for long enough – not just thinking about the work, talking about the work, or looking for shortcuts to get around the work – SOMETHING will happen. It may not be what you expected, but it will be something. New people, connections, opportunities, and situations will appear. They will reflect the quality of the work you have put in. And then you can celebrate and do more work.

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Dying for an Audience

Oh, how I wish you could have seen Creativius! But first you would have heard the sound of his lute, like a choir of angels singing together in harmony, echoing through the trees. Then you would have seen him coming around the bend, his long hair rippling in the breeze, and he would have laughed and played you exactly the melody you needed to hear in that very moment.

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The Door(s)

I have been thinking a lot about doors lately.

Not the classic rock band The Doors – quick, don’t think about Jim Morrison singing, “C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon now TOUCH me babe!”

You thought about Jim Morrison, didn’t you? Or maybe you don’t know who Jim Morrison is. Don’t google him or the song Touch Me until you’re done reading this, okay?

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