Permission

Squeezing juice out of a rainbow

When Debbie was a little girl she was trained to always ask for permission before she engaged in any activity that was not routine. If she wanted to go outside and play in the yard she first had to ask permission. If she wanted to watch TV she first had to ask for permission to turn it on. If she wanted to wear her favorite special dress she first had to ask her mother for permission. If she wanted to have a friend over she first had to secure permission.

She lived in a very orderly house with a well defined hierarchy. Being the youngest one in the house Debbie’s position in the hierarchy was at the very bottom and it remained so until she left home for college. Actually, it remained so even after that, in fact in her mind she was always at the bottom of any hierarchy she found herself in even into her thirties. She never felt that she had permission to do any of the things she wanted to do.

Often there was no one around to grant her permission so she never started anything and therefore never accomplished anything. If she tried to do anything without permission from someone she was filled with guilt and that guilt not only felt awful but it sabotaged anything that she tried to do.

In her thirties, Debbie was depressed, unfulfilled, lonely, unsuccessful, and she felt oppressed.

What she did not realize is that she had the ability to give herself permission. She had been conditioned to always seek permission from outside of herself. It never occurred to her that she had this incredible power.

Then one day a genie showed up in her apartment. After getting out of bed Debbie went into her kitchen to make coffee and was startled to see him sitting at her kitchen table.

“Who are you?”

“Good morning. I am a genie. My name is Sam.”

“A genie? Do I get three wishes?”

“No, I’m not that kind of genie — not yet. I’m just a genie apprentice actually. I won’t get my gift giving abilities until I graduate. Meanwhile I’m learning how to help people make their wishes come true by themselves.”

Debbie ran her hand through her hair then scratched her chin to make sure she was not dreaming. She had been reading a lot of self-help books and articles lately and was getting nowhere. Maybe this genie could help, “So I see you got through my locked apartment door.”

“Actually I came in through the bathroom window which you left slightly open. It’s easy to get in homes with chimneys or ventilation ducts. Doors are rather difficult for me.”

“Your genie clothes sure are colorful; even more so than my pajamas.”

“Yes, but I don’t have little bunny rabbits on my clothes,” Sam looked down at her feet, “And I don’t have bunny rabbit slippers.”

Debbie looked down at her feet then at his feet, “Well, I wish I had genie shoes that curl up like that.”

“Yes, well they’re not as comfortable as you might think.”

Debbie slowly began moving towards the coffee maker on the kitchen counter, “Would you like some coffee, Sam?”

“Oh, no thank you. I never drink it. Besides, I have my rainbow juice with me,” he held up a glass container filled with a very colorful liquid.”

“Rainbow juice?”

“Yes, it’s a liquid that is squeezed out of a rainbow. That’s why it is so colorful. It’s very tasty and very healthy, too. Would you like to try some?”

“Maybe after I get some coffee in me. After my first cup then I’ll know for sure if I am really awake.” Debbie turned on the coffee maker then came back and sat at the kitchen table with Sam, “So why am I sitting in my home talking to a genie?”

“Ah, down to business. Well, the gossip around genie college is that you’re not very happy so I’m here to help you out.”

“Really.”

“Indeed. You see, the reason you’re not happy is because you haven’t given yourself permission to be happy. You never give yourself permission to do anything.”

“What? That’s crazy. Hey, I just gave myself permission to go get my coffee started despite the fact that there’s a stranger in my home.”

“Did you? Did you really give yourself permission?”

“Uh… well… I didn’t actually say it. It was sort of implied.”

“And there’s the problem! You don’t have to give yourself permission when it comes to perfunctory tasks such as making coffee but when it comes to important things you need to verbally give yourself permission. How often do you give yourself permission to be happy or successful or abundant?”

“Well, I want to be happy and successful and abundant. Isn’t that enough? My desires are obvious. Isn’t verbalizing them just redundant?”

“That’s where the mojo is. Verbalizing those desires, you give yourself permission to make them happen; you set the energy into motion.”

“Just a sec…” Debbie went to pour herself a cup of coffee and quickly returned to the table, “Okay, I don’t understand the importance of the words.”

“It’s not the words so much as the energy behind the words. By saying the words you are giving yourself permission to do things. You are telling your brain and your body what you want. If you don’t tell them what you want they will just keep going through old patterns that they have learned throughout your life. And in your case that means not doing anything without permission. Your brain and body are waiting for permission — as they were taught — before they proceed with action. You are the one who has to give them permission and you have to do it a lot before they get out of their old ruts.”

Debbie sipped her coffee.

Sam sipped his rainbow juice, “Okay, this is what I want you to do. You can say it mentally or aloud. Words spoken aloud have a little more power than silent words but they all have power. Every morning when you wake up, clear your mind and say, ‘I give myself permission to be happy.’ Say it forcefully three times. Take a deep breath then say it three more times, then three more times. Do this every morning and every evening before you go to sleep. And say it once every so often as you go about your day.”

“And just saying it will make me happy?”

“Saying it will give you permission to be happy. Once you have permission then you will find yourself drawn to situations that make you happy and you will feel free to be happy and not feel guilty for being happy without permission.”

Debbie’s coffee cup froze midway between the table and her mouth. It was like a switch was flipped in her mind.

“Try it. That’s all I’m asking. Do it every day for a month then think and feel how much happier you are. If you’re happier keep doing it. It takes a long time to reprogram our brains and bodies.”

Debbie finished her cup of coffee and stood up to get a refill.

“Wait. Before you fill that up why don’t you try some rainbow juice?”

Debbie held out her cup and Sam filled it halfway with rainbow juice.

Taking a sip, tingles started flowing throughout her body. Debbie had never experienced anything like it. She drank the rest of it and quickly her entire body was tingling and she was overcome with joy. She sat back down and Sam poured more rainbow juice into her cup.

“Liquid squeezed out of a rainbow?”

“Yup,” Sam laughed. “I bet you’ll never look at rainbows the same… Anyway, now here’s the next important thing I’ve gotta tell you. There is another set of words that I also want you to say every day just like the words giving yourself permission to be happy. Do it just like how I told you to say those word, but change the words to, ‘I give myself permission to manifest anything I want.’”

“Seriously?”

“Very seriously! Humans are extremely powerful divine beings who can manifest anything. They usually don’t do it because they don’t know they are extremely powerful divine beings who can manifest anything. No one ever told them that. Their parents never told them that, the schools never did, the TV never did, their friends never did, and religions and governments certainly never told them that. And the very few people who have been told that don’t believe it so therefore never give themselves permission to believe that. Say that until you mean it and believe it and then you’ll find yourself thinking about all the things you want to manifest and that is when you learn what it is that you truly want. And then you’ll give yourself permission to manifest it.”

Sam filled Debbie’s cup with more rainbow juice. Screwing the top back on his rainbow juice bottle, he looked at his watch then stood up, “Sorry to help and run but there is a man with lack issues over on 23rd Street and I’ve got to get over there in time for him to get up. It was so nice to meet you. Keep saying those two sentences okay? Uh… listen, do you mind if I leave out your front door?”

Debbie stood, “Sure. Uh… thank you so much for the visit. I’ll give myself permission to take your advice.”

They both giggled then Debbie let him out her front door. She watched him walk down the street then closed the door and went back to the kitchen table. Taking a sip of rainbow juice she was filled with joy.

Then she slapped the palm of her hand to her forehead as she realized that she had forgotten to ask Sam how one goes about squeezing juice out of a rainbow.

Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved. This is a work of fiction.

Speaking of morning routines…