Growth Begins When You Stop Waiting for Permission

This quote has been on my mind lately. It’s simple, but it carries so much truth.

We often talk about time as something that happens to us, something we’re trying to manage, maximize, or catch up to. But when I read this quote, it hits me in a different way. It’s a reminder that, while we can’t control how quickly time moves, we do have control over how we move through it.

Owning Your Path

Throughout my career, I’ve learned that no one else gets to decide the direction of your life or your career. You do.

There isn’t a single path that fits everyone. The most meaningful growth usually comes from moments when you step forward before you feel completely ready. Some of my biggest turning points came when I said yes to something that scared me a little — new roles, new countries, new challenges — and trusted that I would learn what I needed along the way.

In those moments, I wasn’t fearless. Far from it. I was often questioning if I was qualified, if I was doing the right thing, or if I’d taken on too much. But each decision taught me something important: waiting for certainty often means missing your moment. Growth rarely announces itself in advance.

The Power of Raising Your Hand

Early in my career, I noticed that the people who seemed to grow the fastest weren’t necessarily the ones who had everything figured out. They were the ones who raised their hand.

They volunteered for projects that stretched them. They stepped into opportunities that others hesitated to take. They said “I’ll try,” even when they didn’t have all the answers.

That realization changed everything for me. I started raising my hand more — sometimes for opportunities that others passed on, sometimes for ones that felt far outside my comfort zone. Not every move was perfect. Some were messy. Some were humbling. But every single one taught me something valuable.

And looking back now, I can see that those moments of uncertainty became the turning points that shaped my career.

Growth Lives on the Other Side of Uncertainty

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we need a perfect plan before we take a step forward. But the truth is, no plan survives contact with real life.

Sometimes you take a leap and land exactly where you hoped. Other times you end up somewhere unexpected but you learn, adapt, and grow in ways you couldn’t have imagined.

Every time I took a risk or made a pivot, I learned something that carried me forward. I learned resilience when things didn’t go according to plan. I learned humility when I had to ask for help. I learned confidence when I realized that I could figure things out as I went.

Those lessons are what shaped not just my career, but my mindset.

Time Moves Quickly, But Direction Is Yours to Choose

Time really does fly. One day you’re saying “someday,” and before you know it, that someday has come and gone. But the good news is the powerful truth in this quote, is that you get to decide how you use your time. You get to choose when to take the leap, when to speak up, when to try something new.

You don’t have to have all the answers before you start. You just need the courage to start.

Reflect and Reconnect With Your Own Journey

As you think about where you are in your own life and career, take a moment to pause and reflect.

Ask yourself:

• Am I leading my career, or letting it lead me?

• Where might I take a step forward, even if I don’t feel completely ready?

• What would it look like to pursue something that truly excites and challenges me?
  

It’s so easy to get caught up in the pace of daily life that we forget we have agency. You don’t have to wait for someone to hand you a map. You can create your own.

Keep Moving Forward

Time will keep moving whether we’re ready or not. The question is: how do you want to spend it?

Keep learning. Keep raising your hand. Keep moving forward, even when the next step isn’t clear. Because that’s where growth happens — not in the certainty, but in the courage to try.

Time flies, but you are in control of how you spend it. And that’s the most empowering truth of all.