Give Yourself Permission

Many people are familiar with the children's game "Mother May I?" in which one player is picked to be the "mother" while the other players play the part of the "children." Each child takes a turn asking the mother for permission to perform some move, such as, "Mother may I jump up and down?" or "Mother may I stand on one foot?" The mother can then choose to grant the child permission to do the move or not. And if the child forgets to ask for permission with the words "Mother may I," they are eliminated from the game.

As an adult, you probably aren't playing "Mother may I?" the game, but you still might be sitting around, waiting for other people in your life to grant you permission to make your next move, Dr. Robin says. But she says you don't have to ask anyone for permission as an adult to follow your passions, make your own decisions and live the life you want to live.

Make your own rules and grant yourself the freedom to do whatever it is you want to do, she says. "Give yourself the gift of being your own mother and saying yes to your own will, yes to you own wishes, yes to your own longings," Dr. Robin says. "Then, follow that path."