The adage that partners no longer make soul decisions once they are married appears to be a serious impediment in the progress of Ghanaian rapper Okyeame Kwame, as he has strongly indicated he will no longer regard his wife in his decision to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle.

Born Kwame Nsiah-Apau says he had long desired to become a vegetarian but his spouse, Annica Nsiah-Apau is becoming a stumbling block.

Kwame in a 'Sunday reflections' on Facebook disclosed that he planned giving up on meat consumption about ten years ago since it is not healthy for his physical and spiritual growth.

He said, he has occasionally discussed his intentions with his wife, but for periods, Anicca keeps giving "millions of reasons" indicating her unreadiness for the transition.

"I have been trying to become a vegetarian for about 10 years now, knowing perfectly well that meat is not very healthy for my physical and spiritual growth. Every year, I bring up the idea to my wife and she throws my ideas to the wolves. She has given a million reasons why I should defer my action till she is ready, one of such reasons being the challenge of cooking for the entire family and then having to cook mine. I sheepishly agree and wait for her permission to lead a healthy life." He said in portions of his write-up.

According to Okyeame, he feels obstructed by respecting Anicca's views on the matter and has now decided to move on without waiting for her permission to live a healthy life.

"This year, I have decided to be vegan whether she is ready or not. I have taken matters into my own hands and have decided to not let external stimuli affect the quality of my life." He wrote.

Rap Dacta, as he is nicknamed, explained that, in life, people should not hold on for external approvals from spouses, books, friends, traditions, experts and the society at large before they make impactful decisions in life.

Read his full write-up below:

Sunday Reflections: Do You Need Permission from Others?

I have been trying to become a vegetarian for about 10 years now, knowing perfectly well that meat is not very healthy for my physical and spiritual growth. Every year, I bring up the idea to my wife and she throws my ideas to the wolves. She has given a million reasons why I should defer my action till she is ready, one of such reasons being the challenge of cooking for the entire family and then having to cook mine. I sheepishly agree and wait for her permission to lead a healthy life.

This year, I have decided to be vegan whether she is ready or not. I have taken matters into my own hands and have decided to not let external stimuli affect the quality of my life.

Most of us often seek the approval of the people we love and respect before we make impactful decisions that we know are best for us. We seek permission from spouses, books, friends, traditions, experts and the society. We do this because of our anxieties. We also do so because we accept the fears of others and not make those decisions at all.

We often empower those who are outside of us to control our pleasure, pain, happiness and even joy. Many of us have been raised to think that happiness must be tied to external stimuli. So, unless members of the society approve our actions we have failed. And because we do not want to fail, we take the paths that our society has approved, and wait on them for permission to take a different path.

Along those same lines, we wait for permission to be happy. Many of us have been told to wait till we get the next car, the next girl, the next amount of money, the next job before we should be happy. We are waiting for that external stimuli.

It is unacceptable to wait for acceptance before one can accept that breathing alone is enough reason to be happy. We forget that individually we are unique and special and can function without the popular opinion. Popular opinion is not always the right opinion.

Slavery for instance was accepted by the local and international communities ,popular religious communities but it was still wrong.

Becoming a rapper, to my family, was not popular and therefore not acceptable. Marrying my wife was not a popular opinion but it was right. If I waited for permission on these two things, my life would have turned out very differently and I know I might have become a an unhappy person.

If I had listened to my society imagine, what I would have lost ?

Your whole life is happening within you and not outside of your experience, so take charge of your life and concentrate on understanding yourself and not the world. You do not need permission to live your life.

Questions

1. Do you think you can make it in life without external approval?

2. Is there any wisdom in waiting for permission from others before doing things we know are right?