You Want What at Your Age?” — How to Stop Asking for Permission and Start Letting Life In...

Alright, let’s just go there.

You hit a certain age—let’s say somewhere between "Alexa, turn up the reading lamp" and "Why does my back hurt from sleeping?"—and suddenly, you start filtering your dreams through the judgment lens of everyone else.

You tell a friend you want to start salsa dancing, and they give you that look like you’ve just announced you're moving to a treehouse in Peru. Mention writing a book, and someone kindly reminds you that “publishing is really competitive.” You whisper about starting your own business or leaving your stable job of 23 years, and suddenly it’s all gasps, caution tape, and offers to help you “be realistic.”

But here’s the hard truth—and yes, as your coach and co-conspirator in dream resurrection, I say this with love: you’re not afraid of failure. You’re afraid of judgment.

The Invisible Cage: Other People’s Opinions

We’re not born worried about what other people think. No toddler has ever said, “Do these OshKosh overalls make my thighs look big?” But somewhere along the way—around middle school for most of us—we pick up this dangerous belief: That our worth and safety are tied to approval.