Stop Waiting for Permission
I used to live for approval. Most people do.
You delay a dream, hesitate on a decision, or shrink an idea—not because you don’t believe in it, but because someone else doesn’t.
I’ve seen it too many times. A person has something they want to build, do, or become… but they wait. They ask for advice, then stay stuck when the answer isn’t permission.
“You just do you. I’ma do me.” I hated that line when I first heard it. It felt selfish. But I misunderstood what it really meant.
Doing you isn’t rebellion. It’s alignment.
It means taking action on what you believe, guided by faith and principle—not by fear or pressure.
That idea matters if you’re trying to break through criticism to pursue your passions.
Because for most people, the reason they’re not making moves isn’t a lack of knowledge or resources. It’s the weight of other people’s voices. They’ve got rental property spreadsheets open, a contractor on standby, maybe even a motivated seller in reach—but they’re paralyzed by someone else’s doubt.
I’ve had folks come to me with their next step mapped out and say, “Should I do it?” They want certainty. What I give them is perspective: “If it were me…” But here’s what I can’t tell them—how much hustle they have in the tank.
I can’t measure your faith. I can’t define your fire.
That’s why my answer ends with the same phrase every time: “Shoot your shot.”
You’ll hear why I once hated that song lyric—and what made me rethink it years later.
I’ll walk you through what it means to take advice without handing over your agency. You’ll learn how to filter feedback, how to act without asking, and how to know when a voice belongs in your head or just your notebook.
There’s also structure. Doing “you” doesn’t mean chaos. We’ll cover what it means to act on purpose while staying grounded in your values.
This is the same conviction that drives me to help people invest in rental real estate. Because I know what it feels like to have a dream you can’t let go of. And I know what happens when you finally move on it.
Before we go any further, ask yourself:
- What decision have you delayed because someone else might disapprove?
- Whose opinion do you fear more than your own regret?
- What’s the one thing you know you’re supposed to be doing right now?
- What if you just did it?
Let’s talk about what happens when you stop waiting for permission… and start moving anyway.
The Song I Hated... Then Understood
Back in 2009, a song hit the airwaves that rubbed me the wrong way. You might remember it. “You just do you. I’ma do me.” That was Rocco’s voice echoing everywhere—car stereos, parties, morning routines. I couldn’t stand it.
At the time, it felt like everything I’d been taught was being thrown out the window. I’d grown up in church, raised to think of others, to act with humility, to value community. That hook? It sounded selfish. Cold. Detached.
“I hated this song so much when it came out.”
To me, it meant: forget your neighbor, do whatever you want, serve only yourself. So I rejected it. Out loud. I even warned young people not to take it seriously. “That’s not how life works,” I’d say.
But over the years, something shifted.
I kept meeting people who had dreams in their hearts—but were frozen by outside voices. They weren’t lazy. They weren’t lost. They were stuck waiting for someone else to approve their direction. And I started to wonder: what if “doing you” didn’t mean selfishness? What if it meant faith-led alignment?
Insight: I realized most people are stalled by approval, not lack of opportunity.
Eventually, I stopped rejecting the song and started hearing it differently. “You just do you” wasn’t a license to be reckless. It was a challenge to stay focused—on your calling, your values, your path.
Here’s what I began to see:
- People dream of different lives, but shrink those dreams to fit someone else’s comfort zone
- Advice becomes control when we expect it to validate our fear
- Critics aren’t always haters—sometimes they’re just scared for you
- Purpose doesn’t ask for permission
- Faith can’t grow inside a cage of other people’s opinions
- The right decision can still be unpopular
- Approval and obedience are not the same thing
That’s when the phrase clicked: “You just do you” wasn’t about ego. It was about obedience to something higher than public opinion.
“I thought it meant you can do whatever you want. That’s not what I’m talking about.”
I still believe in service. I still believe in listening. But now, I filter all of that through a deeper question: What’s the thing you’ve been called to do? And are you willing to do it even if no one claps?
Nobody Can Measure Your Hustle
People often come to me asking what they should do. They’ll say, “Johnoson, I’ve got this opportunity… what would you do in my position?” And I’ll be honest—I always do my best to give them a thoughtful answer. But here’s the truth I always land on: “What I can’t tell that person is how much hustle they have.”
You could be sitting on a seller lead, a hard money approval, and a rental deal with numbers that work. But only you know if you’re willing to stay up late running the math again… if you’re going to drive across town tomorrow for the walk-through… if you’ve got it in you to make ten more follow-up calls this week.
That’s why I always end my advice the same way: “Shoot your shot.”
I had a guy come to me once with a seller who was ready to talk terms. He had the number. He had the motivation. But he just wanted to make sure everything was “lined up” before he made the call. I walked through the numbers with him. I even gave him a script. But I told him flat out, “You’re the only one who knows if you’re ready.” He ended up passing. Two weeks later, someone else locked it up. He told me he regretted not moving. Not because the deal was perfect—but because he realized he was waiting for something no one else could give him.
You have to run your own checks:
- Do I actually want this, or am I performing someone else’s idea of success?
- Have I done enough prep to take the next step—even if it’s not perfect?
- Am I asking for advice, or for permission?
- What’s the cost of not acting on this opportunity?
- Do I believe in the deal—or am I still trying to believe in myself?
- What’s one move I can make today, no matter how small?
People love the “if it were me” response. It’s safe. It puts the burden on someone else. But I always bring it back to their fire. Their willingness. Their follow-through.
Because at the end of the day, “I always tell them, shoot your shot.”
Nobody else can do that for you.
Words That Build or Block
Most of the time, advice doesn’t come at you as an attack. It shows up quiet, gentle, and logical. A friend’s concern. A parent’s caution. A co-worker’s “realism.” But if you’re not careful, you’ll absorb every one of those words like a rule—and start shrinking your moves to fit their fears.
I remember talking with a woman who had a great off-market deal. Seller was open, she had financing, and the comps made sense. But her brother told her, “That neighborhood’s too risky. I wouldn’t do it.” Suddenly she froze. She stopped returning calls, stopped following up. When I asked what happened, she said, “I just don’t know anymore.” What changed? Not the numbers. Not the property. Just one voice.
That moment stuck with me. Not because she lost the deal. But because it proved something I already knew:
Other people’s words are not the same thing as your truth.
You’ve got to separate guidance from permission. One informs. The other controls. “Other people’s words should add to your knowledge.” They should never override your own conviction.
Here’s how I check whether a voice belongs in the driver’s seat:
- Is this person experienced in what I’m trying to do?
- Are they speaking from fear, or from wisdom?
- Did I ask for insight—or am I just reacting to their opinion?
- Is this feedback actionable, or is it vague and emotional?
- Do I feel more grounded after hearing it—or more afraid?
Criticism isn’t always wrong. But you have to process it, not obey it.
Because when someone’s words become your reason for standing still, you’ve handed over more than perspective—you’ve handed over the wheel.
“Doing You” Requires Structure
- Would this decision hold up if no one applauded me for it?
- Am I honoring my faith, or feeding my pride?
- Have I run the numbers, prayed on it, and still feel clear?
- Does this step create stability, not chaos, for my family?
- Can I look my mentors in the eye and explain this move?
That Thing You Can’t Let Go
For me, it’s helping people invest in rental real estate. That’s my “me.” I don’t do it for applause or clicks. I do it because I’ve seen what happens when someone takes ownership of their finances, their mindset, and their future. I’ve watched families move from instability to peace because one person decided to take action.
“You will not satisfy that urge in your heart until you go after it.”
I remember a young teacher who came to me, overwhelmed with student loans and stuck in survival mode. She had a lead on a duplex but kept talking herself out of it. “It’s probably not the right time,” she said. “What if I mess it up?” I asked her, “Is this idea keeping you up at night?” She nodded. I said, “Then you already know. You just need to move.” She bought the duplex. A year later, she had tenants, cash flow, and options.
You might not be called to real estate. That’s fine. But if something keeps pulling at you, pay attention.
Here’s what I’ve learned about purpose:
- It doesn’t disappear just because you ignore it.
- Fear often sounds like logic to keep you still.
- People will doubt it because they didn’t hear what you heard.
- You don’t need every step—just the next one.
- Movement builds clarity. Waiting builds excuses.
Don’t wait for perfect timing or fear to vanish.
That urge in your heart won’t fade.
It will only burn louder until you act on it.
Grab the Map
You don’t need more approval. You need more alignment. That’s the real truth behind “you just do you.” I used to hate that phrase because I misunderstood it. Now, I see it as a permission slip I never needed.
Doing you—on purpose—means honoring what’s been placed on your heart, not shrinking it to fit someone else’s fear. It means taking action guided by faith, grounded in principle, and carried out with discipline.
We talked earlier about people waiting for permission. Waiting doesn’t bring clarity—movement does. Like I said, “You will not satisfy that urge in your heart until you go after it.” That fire won’t cool. That idea won’t vanish. You can bury it under fear, but it will keep breathing.
In Section 4, I laid out the checks I use before I act. Not to hesitate, but to stay anchored. You need both: permission to move and discipline to move wisely.
If you remember one thing, remember this: Your dream doesn’t require applause. It requires action.
So here’s what I want you to do next: take one step today toward the thing that won’t leave you alone. Not a brainstorm. Not a what-if. A real move.
Run the numbers. Make the call. Schedule the walkthrough. Submit the offer.
Just do something that puts motion to the mission.
Grab the map. You know where to go.
About Johnoson Crutchfield
Johnoson Crutchfield is a real estate investor and educator who helps people move from uncertainty to execution through rental real estate. He works with individuals who have the drive but feel stuck between “I want to invest” and getting a deal under contract.
As the host of the Grab the Map podcast, Johnoson offers clear, principle-based guidance rooted in faith and action. His teaching focuses on practical systems—like underwriting, consistent follow-up, and smart deal structures—that help aspiring investors close real deals, not just study them.
Johnoson’s path is shaped by his belief that “doing you” means acting in alignment with purpose and values. He speaks from experience, having helped people build stability and legacy by taking the first step toward ownership.
His work centers on service, clarity, and responsible wealth-building—offering a way forward that balances hustle with wisdom.
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