So, you have this nagging dream to see the world. To travel. To feel alive. To meet new people. To be someone new, in a new place.

But, there’s a catch. You haven’t been able to do it yet. Perhaps you’re afraid, perhaps you have excuses, perhaps you’re worried you’ll let someone down or your relationship may end if you leave, or maybe these 7 Fears are Stopping you from traveling.

Sometimes, in order to make changes or take action we feel like we need permission. Permission from someone, anyone. We need to hear, do it. You can do it. It’s okay. Go for it.

When we don’t hear these words from family or friends, or to the contrary, our dreams are met by resistance, discouraging words, threats, hostility, or feigned support, it is easy to doubt or discount our dream–or the possibility that it could ever be successful.

Give Yourself Permission to Travel

This is your life. The time has come to make it yours. This means letting go of anyone’s expectations for your life, except your own. Anyone can include a spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, parent, best friend, child, neighbor, etc. … anyone.

The time has arrived for you to give yourself permission to travel. To follow your dreams, wherever they may take you.

Giving yourself permission to follow your dreams means accepting change. Change doesn’t always feel good initially, but it inevitably brings forth new opportunities. It means accepting that you may initially feel uncomfortable and alone, before you feel comfortable. It means accepting the good and the bad. While this certainly can sound scary, if you flip the view for a moment, you can see, it’s actually quite exciting–and liberating to shed other’s expectations and be free to be you.

You Deserve to Feel Happy

You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be doing things with your life that bring you satisfaction and put a smile on your face. You can begin to cultivate a life of happiness by making changes that bring you closer to your dreams. So, for example, if you wish to take a weekend trip out of town but your spouse or significant other refuses to go with you, you may need to give yourself permission to do it anyway. The consequences of doing something for you may seem discouraging or cause you to reconsider what you want to do, but that is probably all the more reason why it is important that you stay true to what your heart is calling you to do or experience.

How Do You Start to Give Yourself Permission to Be Happy and to Do What You Dream About Doing?

Start now. Start small or start big, by making changes. Tell yourself, I give myself permission to…. [fill in your own blank here]. I give myself permission to follow my dream of travel, and to come up with a way to make it happen.

Start to do things to love yourself. To accept yourself. Start saying yes to the things you want. Start saying no to the things you don’t want–or to the things you don’t want to do. Start listening to your inner voice, your intuition. Start being kind to yourself. Listen to your inner dialogue. Start replacing negative thoughts or words with kind, accepting messages.

Give yourself permission to dream. To travel. Even if it means going solo.