{"id":3049,"date":"2017-06-25T11:54:46","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T18:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wesleyschan.com\/blog\/?p=3049"},"modified":"2017-06-25T11:54:46","modified_gmt":"2017-06-25T18:54:46","slug":"looking-for-permission-from-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wesleyschan.com\/blog\/looking-for-permission-from-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"looking for permission from the world"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Somewhere down a side street in San Francisco, outside a bar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taking life advice from random signposts in the city isn’t the most refined approach to decision-making. But I feel stuck and lost, and will look for any excuse to keep going. You may as well stamp eat-pray-love on my forehead.<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

In her New York Times Modern Love<\/em>\u00a0piece,\u00a0“Looking for Signs That It’s Meant to Be”<\/a>, Liz Falletta writes:<\/p>\n

“Like many people, I tend to write a story in my head about the future of any relationship before it has even begun, which means I\u2019m constantly looking for signs that it\u2019s either meant to be or not. If you\u2019re unsure about a relationship, or unsure about the trajectory of your life in general, you\u2019re more likely to grasp unusual coincidences or circumstances and give them greater weight than they otherwise deserve<\/strong>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think Falletta is right. Would I give as much weight to this sign if I were already doing epic shit <\/em>and happy with the direction my life is going? Probably not. But I’m a sucker for encouraging words, and I found the sign compelling enough to step through a side street and take a picture.<\/p>\n

At best, it’s dorky. At worst, it’s procrastination or self-delusion. Searching for signs (real or imagined) as a way to gauge my progress is an indulgence when I’m scared and uncertain of the world. I’ve done the same by waiting for the\u00a0approval of mom and dad, friends, and mentors before making big life decisions. In Toy Story,\u00a0<\/em>Woody does the same with his Magic 8-Ball.<\/p>\n