Good morning, Beautiful.

It's that time again. What's that? Yes. It's ridiculously early my time... but... I had permission to get out of bed and work on what makes my heart happiest, Our beloved Oula. I gave that permission to myself because Oula is on my heart and mind.

Permission.

Today is the 1st of September. No. I don't quite know how that happened but it keeps happening! All of a sudden, it's a new day, a new week, a new month... we all see it happening but it's still surprising, don't you think?

Let me wax philosophic for a moment. No surprise there, right? It's where I naturally go... will you come with me for a moment? It's time for a new affirmation and this one is definitely worth sitting IN for the next three months and then some. At least, I feel that personally. So I am sharing in hopes of connecting with you as well... in this idea... this thought for each of us in our own ways.

Remember the 'Permission to Play' affirmation that was part of Oula years ago?

What a powerful affirmation. At least for me it is. I love it!

But I wanted to expand on it because we should have permission in all of our many capacities: love, speech, movement.

For anyone who knows what it is to make yourself small or to feel small or worse, to have been made small, this may resonate. It might feel good to say this affirmation out loud in the mirror. Please do! It should feel like the breaking of chains.

Know that despite the bravado of how this might sound out loud, this is a gentle affirmation. It's one that is love-gazed. Permission is recognizing who we ARE and allowing that person to BE. Know that I am saying this from a neuro-normative, hetero, white, cis-gendered person. I am acknowledging my privilege and also clarifying the intention in saying it's gentle.

For so many it can be a heavy process to FEEL that permission exists... to exist. And permission to be happy can feel farther away.

Permission is to be granted internally. This is a personal process. Much like Oula. It's a community space in which we acknowledge our humanity together. We commonly share space and ideas. We individually work through our own experiences. When we contemplate this affirmation, it may help to lean into our values:

Safe, supported, empowered, connected, and carefree.

This affirmation is yours to embrace, contemplate, or leave be. You get to 'I Have Permission' open-ended and fill in the rest. Please feel free to share your experience(s) here and help us each to connect to one another and to ourselves.

Sending love,
Xo-Heather