We often think we need confidence before we can act, to speak up, to take a risk, to try something new. But what if it’s not confidence we’re lacking. What if it’s permission? This week, I look at how we’ve been conditioned to seek permission from others, but how real change happens when we stop waiting for approval, and start giving ourselves permission to begin. I also delve into the quiet but powerful role of willingness, the force that precedes courage. Willingness is what nudges us forward when confidence hasn’t yet arrived. I also explore what it means to move from inner waiting to inner agency and how small acts of bravery can stretch our comfort zones and shift our lives.