No Permission Needed

Permission slips are for excursions, excuse from work and not for living your life. But society handed me multiple slips to sign away my dignity: one for being a young father, another for being a service provider, and yet another for being younger than those who demanded my silence. This year, I tore up those permission slips and legislate my own story.

I was trapped in a maze of societal expectations where every turn led to the same dead end: silence. When my baby mama’s actions wounded me, voices came murmuring, “You have a child with her” as if sharing parenthood meant surrendering my right to respect. When clients crossed lines, the age-old mantra “customers are always right” became a whip against my dignity. When older individuals trampled my boundaries, culture said, “They are adults. A child does not disrespect an adult” as if age automatically granted immunity for mistreatment.

The culture of silence wasn’t protecting relationships; it was preserving dysfunction. Each time I swallowed my voice, I wasn’t being respectful. Instead, I was disrespecting myself. The weight of unsaid words became heavier than the consequences of speaking up.

2024 became my year of unsigned permission slips. I realized:

1. Having a child with someone doesn’t grant them perpetual rights to my dignity
2. Providing service doesn’t mean serving my self-respect on a platter
3. Respect should be earned by character, not demanded by age
4. My silence wasn’t golden; it was slowly poisoning my spirit

I knew where I wanted to go in life, yet I was standing still at everyone’s red light. Waiting for validation became the heaviest anchor to my dreams. Every moment spent seeking approval was a moment stolen from my progress. While others debated my worth, opportunities were passing by.

The revolution began when I understood that,

1. My path doesn’t need a committee’s approval
2. My boundaries don’t need cultural endorsement
3. My growth doesn’t need societal permission
4. My dreams don’t need anyone’s validation

Today, I stand firmly in my truth. I am a father who demands mutual respect, a service provider who knows his worth, and a young man who understands that respect transcends age. My crown isn’t worn with permission. it’s worn with purpose.

Because in the end, the only signature I needed was my own, written boldly across my declaration of self-worth: “I hereby grant myself permission to speak up, to set boundaries, to demand respect, and to chase my dreams without waiting for the world’s approval.”

Signed,

The One Who Stopped Seeking Permission to Exist Authentically.

#CrownChronicles #Day5 #NoPermissionNeeded #BreakingTheSilence #SelfWorth