You Don’t Need Permission for Excellence

Why would you need anyone's permission to excel? Who has the right to determine your greatness?

Parents certainly have an influence. Have your parents ever told you that you're not good enough? Have they told you that you need a "fall-back" plan or that you didn't have the talent to make it? Have they reminded you that nobody else in the family ever succeeded at what you're dreaming of?

Teachers have a part. You may not be making the grades. You might not be going to the "right school." You may choose a major only to be told that nobody makes a decent living with that degree.

Coaches can do some damage too. How do you feel when you're riding the bench? What does it feel like when a coach tells you that you're simply not good enough to start or that you lack the natural abilities of the star athletes?

What about your boss? Have you ever been passed up for a raise or reprimanded for a mistake? Have you ever been held back due to office politics or had someone else take credit for your idea?

Sometimes people try to hold you back out of jealously, politics, selfishness or ignorance. Others hold you back because they're dictators, not leaders. Sometimes they're protecting their own turf and you pose a threat.

Sometimes people try to hold you back because they genuinely care about you. They might not want to see you get hurt or fail. They may really be acting with best intentions and your best interests at heart.

Sometimes the people holding you back are right! They may be experts in the adventure you've chosen and might know you simply don't have what it takes. They might honestly recognize that your talents are better suited to a different endeavor.

You don't need anyone's permission to excel. You do need talent and ability. You need desire, perseverance, courage and audacity.

I make two promises to my martial arts students. These are the only promises I'll make. I promise anyone willing to do what it takes to earn a black belt that:

• You'll be able to do anything you want with your life; within the scope of your talents and abilities.
  
• You'll learn how to recognize and cultivate your unique talents and abilities.
  

My students don't need my permission to earn a black belt. When I award a black belt I'm offering recognition and certification for their accomplishment; I'm giving them credentials. They need to grant themselves permission to be excellent. What I'm giving them is an opportunity and a platform to discover their excellence. If I'm the Wizard, I'm only giving the Scarecrow his diploma. Just like the Wizard I might have provided the challenge but he had the brains to succeed all along!

When it comes to excellence the only time you'll need someone else's permission or approval is when you ask for it…Don't!

Be realistic. Expert opinions and experience should be part of formulating your best expression of your talents and abilities, but then you've got to make your own decision. When someone with reasonable abilities fails, it's not usually due to a lack of talent. Michael Jordan was kicked off his high school basketball team; he had the talent he just hadn't done the work he needed to do to become great yet!

You should pay attention to the effect your actions will have on others. If your plans are genuinely selfish and might harm you or the people around you, you shouldn't need to ask anyone's permission. You should know enough to deny yourself.

Ask someone else for permission and there is always a chance it might not be granted. From someone else's perspective you may not be talented, deserving or good enough. They may not want you to excel.

Don't ask for permission. Take a rational look at your talents and abilities, factor in your passion and when you decide on a course of action go for it!

Ultimately, the only permission you need to achieve greatness is your own.

 

Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker, media personality and author of Think Like a Black Belt and Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Visit JimBouchard.org!