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Permission To Be Yourself
Judi Talesnick

Being a grownup means never having to ask for permission to do exactly as you please. Dream on, you say? Well, Judi Talesnick thinks it’s time to banish the "shoulds" from our lives -- chances are we didn’t create them and probably don’t remember who did -- find out what we really want, and do it. The Permission Slip Book, which she co-authored with Bob Coffey, is a funny, whimsical and sometimes quite serious collection of permission slips that covers just about every life circumstance two veteran personal coaches could think of. Organized four to a page, perforated, ready to be removed and posted somewhere prominent, or bestowed upon spouse, friend, colleague, each slip gives its bearer permission to do something they might be putting off, or have rejected as too outrageous, silly, risky. The slips direct the bearer to suspend judgement, guilt, regret and take action. There are even blank slips to encourage users to create their own. "Best used within 5 days. Expiration date 3003" is stamped on the reverse of each slip. Here’s a small, select sample:

Permission to wear your pajamas all day
Permission to be lost and ask for directions
Permission to drink milk from the container
Permission to not explain yourself to anyone
Permission to sit for 10 minutes and do nothing
Permission to do less than is humanly possible
Permission to say no

The prototype for the book was a cure for teenage blues, a sheet of paper with the word "permission" repeated on it in different fonts, Judi’s gift to her then 13-year-old daughter, Tasha. Pretty soon, Judi was designing and giving away permissions slips to her clients and friends. The range of human wishes included in the book draws on Judi’s experience in business -- she is a mathematician and former systems programmer -- as a mother and grandmother, as a personal coach and tele-class leader, and her own struggle with MS, which effectively ended her career with AT&T in 1993. The book was also inspired by her specialty: getting clients to lighten up and have fun, and a natural extension of her newsletter and talks.

It was partner, Bob Coffey, who first saw the broader potential for permission slips. "We now have a series of permission slip books in the works: the Permission Slip Book, P.S for Teens, P.S. for Teachers, P.S. for Women, P.S. for Guys, P.S. for Kids and P.S. for Seniors. Coming soon: P.S. for couples, P.S. for singles, P.S.for gays and lesbians, P.S. for business, P.S. for step-families and P.S. for the challenged," Judi says. If you’re inspired to contribute, you can reach Judi Talesnick at judi@coachinghearttoheart.com or Bob Coffey at RJCcoach@aol.com

"The first time I heard Judi mention the concept of "permission slips"...I knew this was a tool I wanted in my bag of tricks...as a coach, I can think of countless times when my clients wanted to hear me say that it was okay for them to do what their hearts were telling them was "right." Best of all, giving permission is often the catalyst for risk-taking and growth," says Patrice T. Mettauer, Ph.D., in an endorsement of the book.

Getting Started

Visit www.specialmessages4U.com for Permission Slips on line.

To order The Permission Slip Book, make check payable to The Center for Enhanced Achievement and mail to: Bob Coffey, 11 Huckins Drive, Newmarket, NJ 03857. Cost: $19.95 plus shipping/handling of $4.95 per copy.

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