Permission Slip Denied

When I was a kid, everything required a slip of paper.

Want to go on the field trip? Slip.
Want to skip gym because you “forgot” your shoes? Slip.
Want to watch a PG-13 movie at school? Slip.

I had a backpack full of wadded-up papers with my parents’ signatures on them. And the funny part is, even when I had the slip, I was still terrified the teacher would look at it and say, “Hmm, no… denied.” Like somehow my mom’s scribble wasn’t official enough.

Fast forward a couple decades, and I realized I was still living like that kid. Only now, the slips weren’t for field trips—they were for my own life. I acted like I needed permission to quit a job I hated. Permission to follow a gut instinct that didn’t make logical sense. Permission to finally speak up and tell the truth instead of nodding along to keep the peace.

I was waiting for someone - anyone - to hand me a form and say, “Alright, Daniel, you are officially cleared to live your life. Sign here. Return it tomorrow.”

But that person never showed up. And after a while, it hit me: no one is coming. No one has the authority to greenlight my existence.

Here’s the kicker: we keep waiting anyway. We look to bosses to tell us it’s okay to leave. We look to parents to validate choices we’ve already made. We look to friends or even strangers on the internet for approval before posting something honest. And deep down, we hope someone “out there” will confirm what we already know “in here.”

The problem? That’s backwards. The only signature that counts is the one already etched inside us.

That voice you keep hearing, the one you ignore because it feels too bold, too scary, too different, that’s not just your “inner voice.” That’s God. Not some faraway God who needs to be found in a church basement or on top of a mountain. God isn’t separate. God is the spark in you.

And the wild thing? That spark doesn’t hand out slips. It doesn’t deal in red tape. It doesn’t need approval. It just knows. It’s the original authority.

I once had a job where I’d get physically nauseous driving into the parking lot. My gut screamed at me daily, “This isn’t it.” But I kept showing up because I was waiting for permission. Maybe from my boss, maybe from society, maybe from some invisible judge. I thought someone had to say, “Daniel, it’s okay to walk away now.”

But the truth is, I already knew. God in me already knew. The only thing missing was me signing off on my own life.

So here’s my official notice to you: you’re excused. You don’t need another slip. You don’t need your parents, your boss, your partner, or the universe to rubber-stamp your choices. The form is already filled out. The signature’s already there. The spark of God in you has already said yes.

The only question left is whether you’ll believe it.