This week it was an enormous pleasure to meet the King of Permission in person, better known as Carl Richards, who has recently moved to London.
A few years ago Carl, through one of his alter egos, “The Sketch Guy” (his NY Times column for a decade and more), he wrote a column called: “Hesitant to Make That Big Life Change? Permission Granted”. In that column he arrived at this thought:
Perhaps it doesn’t matter where the permission comes from. Maybe we’re all secretly dying for anyone (or coin) to just come along and say, “Go for it. You make that change.” Well, you know what? I hereby proclaim myself the president of permission granting. And by all of the power vested in me, I grant everyone who reads this column the permission to do that thing. Whatever it is, you now have permission to do it.
Carl is, therefore, the King of Permission.
Sometimes we are looking to make major changes, other times simply micro-changes. Inspired partly by Carl, I have decided that, henceforth, I will take at least one four hour chunk of time every other working week to be without any electronic devices entirely. What I do with that time will vary, it may be to read, to walk, to simply be quiet and be with my thoughts. It is a micro change that feels quite major to me.
What change can you give yourself permission for?
Oh, and in advance, as a self-appointed delegate (hey, I gave myself permission!) of the King of Permission… permission granted!