Innocence is born. You see the soul of God, the Universe, and Source...The All that Is. You know this, for you yourself were once that child.

A creation of innocence, purity and light... A creation of all which is good in the world.

From this, you have chosen one another, this parent, that child. Your journeys are forever intertwined, for each of you seek to know thy self by learning, experiencing, growing and evolving, from the other.

Let us recognize and realize, upfront, that each is a mirror unto the other. Look closely, carefully, thoughtfully, into one another's eyes. What do you see in the reflection of your souls?

The answer is a gift, a gift of extraordinary value, which allows us to see and experience ourselves, and our journey through life more clearly.

From the tenderness of their touch, to the newness of their smell, all of our senses are heightened. We innately know this gift is to be protected, nourished, loved and adored.

We watch in amazement at their rapid growth and development, their acceleration into life, wishing there was a way in which to freeze time, or make these moments last, just a little longer.

They are a reminder of the fragility of life and its need to be cherished. These little beings require our care, guidance, reassurance, love and comfort, just as life itself beckons the same.

They teach us patience, acceptance, joy, love and laughter. They also bring forth anger, disappointment, tears and frustration. They try our souls confines and limitlessness, by challenging us to look at every facet of life... our beliefs, hopes, dreams, desires, likes, dislikes, and yes, even our expectations.

From obedience to rebellion, despair to triumph, excellence to under achievement, abandonment to unconditional love, they are here to teach us.

The lesson however, is not in the ultimate outcome of success or failure in each moment between you, for that is but ones perspective that colors it so. Rather, it is hidden in the journey of your shared daily experiences.

That which you send out into the world, is already coming back to you.

That which you allow yourself to experience, without judgment, so shall you become or overcome.

Children are the creation of two selves, coming together to express their oneness. In that, you have chosen to see and experience every facet of your being. Reflect on your thoughts and feelings about children, parenting, your parents, your upbringing, etc. and then look at how those thoughts, feelings and beliefs manifest themselves, in yourselves and your children.

While each soul is wholly responsible unto itself, parenting acknowledges and requires a greater sense of responsibility, for the lives/souls within our care, just as with all our relationships.

It does indeed, "take a village to raise a child," and the strength of our society is measured by our evolution of higher consciousness. Is it a society that fosters, instills and elicits, the best in each child, whatever that may be, thus eliciting the same from one another?

Expression of the soul, are paramount to its journey in life, and thus our experiences and the society in which we create.

Be open to the mysteries and wonder of the unknown or unchartered. Share this openness of self and discovery with your children. Discover who each of you really are, and in so doing, who each of you may become.

Celebrate and embrace this expression of self, openly, freely. Recognizing, there are no mistakes in life, only grand opportunities to experience and recognize the best of our selves.

Know that when you look through the eyes of a child, you see your own reflection...You see that which you manifest and create.

Imagine for a moment that you are viewing a large screen TV and the program playing is the story of your life. See your life as it has unfolded to this point, taking a moment to reflect on all that is; every highlight or trauma, every choice or indecision, your career, your romantic and family life, your friendships, your health, your childhood dreams and memories, your heartbreaks, hardships and highlights.

Review and remember it all. Allow it to play out before you like a grand novel being brought to the big screen. See it, taste it, smell it, feel it. Allow it to come in through all your senses.

Good. Now stop and imagine how you would like it to be.

What would you change?

What would be different?

What would you do over if you had the chance?

Who would or would not be in your life?

Who brings you joy and laughter and pleasure?

Who takes more than they give?

Who/What fits, Who/What doesn't?

Good. Keep going, don't stop short, make a list and write everything down.

What or who would you seek out?

Where would you be living?

What would you be driving, wearing?

What events or places of learning would you be attending?

What distant places would you be exploring?

Good. Now visualize yourself living this life, this "dream" life.

Allow yourself to remember all the childhood dreams that you tucked away or buried. The ones that you told yourself were meant for another person or time, or that you gave up on and thought were never meant to be. Remember the ones that you've never let go of, that simmer just below the light of day.

Remember them all... Write them down.

What do they feel like?

Have you ever spoken of them?

Shared them with anyone?

Now simply ask your inner self, who and/or what keeps me from manifesting my deepest dreams and desires. Who and/or what holds them hostage? Who and/or what prevents them from being my reality?

Listen carefully to your inner guide for the answers.

At this point, I'm fairly certain, some of you are already ahead of me in your head, making a long list of all the reasons why they are not meant to be. I call this the "blame list" and it goes something like this: "There's not enough time in the day, as I am a full-time mother/father, housewife/husband, or I/we work full-time and our children demand all of the remainder of our time or money. So and so won't allow it, or if only I had "X", and the list goes on.

So, there is no new car or house, no grand vacations or travels to distant lands and cultures, no diploma, degree or learned trade, no experiencing life's wonders and creations, no working for yourself or new business venture, no painting, photographing or filmmaking, no dreaming, because that takes time, money and effort, and who has time for all of those luxuries, those frivolous things? How would you begin to make that happen? How irresponsible to even suggest such things! You have to earn a living, pay the bills, feed myself and my family, make a living...live!

And yet here is where we all stop "living." Every choice and decision that goes against your deepest dreams and desires denies not only you, but everyone you come in contact with, the joy and happiness of your inner light and brilliance... your truest calling.

We have traded in pursuit and achievement for excuse and limitation. We have labeled dreams and desires, wishful fantasy and irresponsible behavior. We have confused "existing" with "living."

This is not to say that our lives are devoid of these characteristics, actions or achievements, it is merely to point out, that they are more often than not, chosen last, if chosen at all.

This is the journey not taken.

Every soul is born with their own, innate dreams and desires. They are gifts from the Universe cloaked in the greatness of challenge and achievement. They are benchmarks on our journey called life. They are our individual and collectively shared experiences, and we are keen to re-member them. To know and believe, that the journey matters, far more than the destination.

Every soul is a being of free will and expression. That is the point of life... to experience life. Thus, "living." It is not to simply exist, by watching the days, months and years pass by, only to look back and see all that we dreamt, but did not live, achieve, conquer, share and experience.

The richness in life comes by listening to our inner guide and willfully choosing to face our perceived fears and limitations. This is the intersection where existence meets living. This is where our souls evolve and excel or where they idle in existence and self-torment.

Do you remember when you may have quit a job because of a less than good boss or work environment or when you ended a negative relationship, or just felt it was time to move on? Do you remember the feelings of fear and uncertainty, possibly anger, resentment, and powerlessness? And then you did something that changed everything... for the better. You listened to your inner guide, faced the unknown, and chose to "live".

Do you remember that overwhelming sense of joy, elation and freedom, mixed with what I call "fading fear"? Pure, unadulterated euphoria: a gift from the Universe for having chosen to "live"... to "listen.".

Now, the Universe knows that this euphoric feeling is short lived, as what comes shortly after it is the reality and responsibility of having chosen to live.

Feelings of fear, regret, anxiety, lack, etc., come rushing in and over you. Their purpose is to remind you of your choice, to test your resolve, and to grant you safe passage should you continue on your journey of self-evolution and discovery. For here is precisely the moment where you are able to double-down on having chosen to live.

Don't retreat into an abyss of despair, want, and limitation. Rise to the occasion of your inner most dreams and desires: your new reality. Listen and tune into your inner guide and simply place, faith in that which you may not know the outcome, yet you "know" is true and right for "you."

Earlier in this discussion, you began a long list of reasons why your dreams and desires were not possible. Yet the simple truth of the matter is there is only one reason they do not come to be. Our selves.

Everywhere you go, you bring to your self, that which you are thinking and feeling, and thus creating. You alone are in the driver's seat of your life and its experiences. No other person, place or thing has that power or ability. Each of us is the sole arbitrator and navigator of the choices we make in this lifetime.

Choose to live your dreams.

Choose to share them with your family, spouse, partner, children, parents, grandchildren, friends, community and the world at large.

Choose to take the journey not taken.

Choose to live.

The Power of Permission, is the single greatest gift you will ever give yourself, for it represents freedom and the innate ability to exercise free will. It is the most liberating act any soul grants itself, as it frees ones soul to journey onward, to continually evolve.

Inherent in the meanings origin, the word "Permission," is something given to you by another. Only by someone else's approval are you granted, "Permission." Yet this 15th century old meaning deprives each soul of its universal, inherent right to self-permission.

Webster's dictionary defines the word permission as "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," with such examples as "They got permission from," and "The teacher gave me her permission" or "you have my permission."

Interestingly enough though, each example, including it's first use in the 15th century, inherently, has always been external, something granted by one of power, to another.

It begs the question, was this, a means by which to control, diminish, suffocate or suppress, the individual spirit, thus knowingly or unknowingly suppressing the collective whole?

Self-Permission (i.e. the granting of permission to your-self, by your-self,) is an inherent soul-birth right, life blessing and profound gift from the Universe.

Yet most, if not all souls, never dream of granting it to themselves, or do so in such a limited fashion, or from a place of unawareness.

We routinely deny ourselves the most fundamental right and important ability in our existence, the inherent "right" to decide for our-selves... The right and ability to, grant our-"self" permission.

We routinely look outwardly for our approvals or permissions, relying on others for our happiness and joy, direction and purpose, ideas and journeys.

Yet only by granting our-self, permission, do we truly LIVE.

This is the origin of self-expression. This is where greatness is achieved.

It is the cornerstone of freedom, liberty and all that matters. It is here at the crossroads of existence versus living, that we allow our truest identity to shine.

Here, that excitement transforms into realized joy, dreams into experienced realities, and the path on the road less taken, becomes visibly worn and traveled.

The Power of Permission is bestowed upon Self, by Self.

No external approvals, no hopeless disappointments or denials, no unjust realities or circumstances, just total and complete, self-governing, PERMISSION.

The kind of permission or freedom, that can only come from within.

The only permission, that really matters.

Of course we live in a world where external permission is not only customary, but in certain circumstances, required, lest we have chaos and pandemonium within our governance, our children, our centers of learning, our commerce, etc.

However, this type of permission has been allowed to completely subjugate or limit our inherent right and need for "self-permission."

We are routinely subjected to external permissions in our daily lives and interactions. However, the permission that matters the most, is the one we grant our-selves. It is the one we exercise and experience after all of the external permissions have been presented by others.

It is the one least utilized, yet the one most needed.

Is it not time to lift the veil on external decision-making? Irreversibly "shift the balance" and "begin anew," by recognizing the inherent Power of Permission, by exercising and embracing self-permission.

Self and self alone, grants "self" permission. By doing so, you irrevocably accept sole responsibility for your-self.

Imagine your life today, if you gave your-self permission to Do, Be, Create, Pursue, Achieve, ANYTHING, you truly desired.

Where would you be?

What would you be doing right this minute?

Whom would you be spending your life with?

What amazing adventure, task, career or purpose might you undertake?

What positive impact would this new "Self-Permission" have on you, your family, children, colleagues, community, environment... Your World?

Imagine each opportunity, each obstacle you will work through and overcome. Each gift you will give, not only to your-self, but others, by giving your "self" permission, to be truly authentic.

The self-granting of ones hidden hopes, dreams, desires or just plain life decisions, leads to a true and fulfilling life... It leads to a Life of independent self-governance, responsibility and awareness.

There are no victims in life, only co-creators and what you create is based solely upon the decisions you make... the permissions you grant yourself.

From this moment onward, embrace the rights and responsibilities of Self-Permission. Allow this change to begin from within and express itself outwardly. The kind of inner change that awakens within you untold possibilities and opportunities, yet reveals itself calmly and confidently.

The sheer power, purpose and effect this will have on your life will be limitless.

Thus begins, the journey of living your life, by

The Power of Permission.