Who's stopping you?

Seriously. Think about it.

Who is actually preventing you from doing the thing you say you want to do?

Your boss? Your spouse? Your circumstances? The economy? The algorithm?

Here's the truth nobody wants to hear:

Nobody's stopping you. You're stopping you.

And you're waiting for permission that's never coming.

The world has conditioned men to ask permission. To wait for approval. To check if it's okay before they act.

Check with who? Get approval from who?

The culture? The culture wants you neutered. Quiet. Comfortable. Consuming.

The media? The media profits from your insecurity.

Society? Society has no idea what you're capable of and doesn't care.

You're waiting for a green light from people who benefit from you staying stopped.

Every single person who's built something that matters had people telling them no.

They had circumstances that "made it impossible."
They had responsibilities that "prevented" them.
They had timing that "wasn't right."

The difference? They didn't wait for permission. They took it.

They decided their calling was more important than other people's comfort.

They decided their purpose outweighed their fear.

They decided to act whether anyone approved or not.

You don't get permission to do things that matter.

You just do them.

And then people either get on board or get out of the way.

Stop waiting for someone to tell you it's okay to become who you were made to be.

It's okay. I'm telling you right now.

Now stop waiting for me to tell you, too.

The only permission you need is the permission you give yourself.

Take it.

Done negotiating.

-Joel