Powerback 42: You Don't Need Approval

We often get caught between asking for opinions and seeking approval. There's something about having a really amazing idea or being excited about something and then going to someone else and having an acknowledgment from them. Right? It's kind of a mental high we get when someone says, yeah, what you just thought about is incredible. So when we're looking for opinions, a lot of times what we're really looking for is validation.

Now, that's not to be confused with a situation where you legitimately need someone else's advice; you're stuck, you're not sure what to do, you feel like you're backed into a corner and you really are just relying on someone else to help potentially open up your eyes to a situation and guide you through it. But validation — yeah — that's a real thing and I'm just as guilty as the next person because it feels good when someone else validates something important to you. And you know, sometimes that's okay.

It's okay to want someone else to feel as excited as you are or see the vision you have. But I want to encourage you to pause and ask yourself: Am I looking for validation because I need approval or permission to follow through with whatever idea it is I have?

It's all about being intentional in the questions you're asking because what happens when you are seeking approval from someone else who isn't in the same position you are? Meaning, they're not taking the same risk. They're not in the same walk of life. They're in a different industry. They're a different level of risk-taker than you are. Maybe one person is more conservative, maybe another person is more free-flowing and a free-spirit. I mean, there are just so many variables. It's hard to have people who are not in the same scenario or situation help you make decisions (especially when they may not have or understand all of the details).

This week I want you to take your power back by evaluating who it is you're going to, the types of questions you're asking them, and then breaking it down to yourself and say, am I looking for encouragement or am I looking for approval?

Sometimes when we have these big bold, audacious goals, we just want someone to say, yeah, yeah, you can do it. When really what we need to do is find the validation within ourselves. It's getting all the facts and making that educated decision yourself and then feeling 100% confident in the decision you made. You can't please everyone and not everyone is going to be a raving fan of the things you do, but it's not everyone's job to understand your life and it's not your job to allow other people to stop you from living yours.

You so got this, you don't need anyone's approval to tell you that you can. All you have to do is start by believing in yourself down to the depths of your core. Then put action behind it to back it up and make it happen.

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