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I was crazy for Greek Mythology and Anancy stories growing up in Jamaica. I’ve always loved the old tales of the gods. This particular story resonated with me. Mankind was playing the fool, and the Gods wanted a place to hide our power and wisdom. It goes like this:                            

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We keep asking for permission that we never needed.

I’ve seen it in publishing, storytelling, and life: people waiting for someone to tap them on the shoulder and say, “You’re ready.”

I used to do it too. Before publishing my first novel, I wanted external confirmation—from mentors, agents, friends—that my story mattered. I didn’t fully trust that I already had what I needed. It took me years to understand this: no one can give you permission to live your truth.

“When we have begun to take charge of our lives, to own ourselves, there is no longer any need to ask permission of someone,” wrote George O’Neil.

Every time you wait for permission, you hand your power to someone else. You let them become the gatekeepers of your destiny. And the irony is—they’re often just as uncertain as you are.

Truth reveals itself through self-exploration, not validation.

The Indian Jesuit Anthony de Mello tells a story of a man who approached a spiritual master and asked to become his disciple.

“You may live with me,” the master said, “but don’t become my follower.”

“Whom then shall I follow?” the man asked.

“No one,” replied the master. “The day you follow someone, you cease to follow truth.”

This doesn’t mean we ignore guidance or wisdom. It means we don’t outsource the final say. External voices can point. They can’t decide.

Life has a habit of slipping the answers we need into unexpected moments—a line in a movie that hits different, a random conversation on the bus, a sudden gut feeling that came from nowhere. That’s not randomness. That’s your internal compass breaking through the noise.

But you’ll miss it if you’re constantly looking outward.

Self-trust isn’t loud. It’s tuned in.

Trusting yourself isn’t about arrogance. It’s about tuning the radio dial to your own frequency. You’ll overshoot sometimes. Undershoot others. But eventually, you find the signal.

I’ve made creative decisions that went against the grain—choosing to write unapologetically Black speculative fiction in a market that didn’t always “get it.” I had people tell me to tone it down, write something “more commercial.” But my gut was clear: this was my lane.

And every time I leaned into that inner knowing instead of seeking permission, doors opened in unexpected ways. Not overnight. But consistently.

Noise drowns inner wisdom.

We live in an age of constant alerts, breaking news, and performance culture. Everyone’s broadcasting. Few are listening.

The inner voice doesn’t shout. It whispers. It speaks in intuition, restlessness, and strange clarity. It shows up in the quiet moments you’re tempted to fill with distraction.

When you declutter your mind—by silencing the constant chase for external approval—you give that inner wisdom a chance to speak.

The answers have always been yours.

Your greatest teacher lives within you. Books, mentors, and teachings are maps, not destinations. If you keep asking others to chart your course, you’ll end up walking someone else’s path.

Start by trusting the subtle nudges. Sit in the silence long enough to hear your own counsel. Take responsibility for your missteps and your wins. Life’s answers are rarely handed down—they’re uncovered within.

Stop seeking permission to be who you already are; the truth has been inside you all along.

Peace, love and power.

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Newsletter By a Black Speculative Fiction Author, Living, Not Just Dreaming.