“Your need for validation will keep you invisible in this world.” —Jim Carrey

What if everything you thought you needed—success, approval, attention—was just a distraction from the truth?

In this soul-baring chapter of Permission to Be Powerful, Anton Volney peels back the layers of a life built on the need for external validation. From craving applause in relationships and career to realizing that no amount of attention could fill the hole inside, this memoir is a radical, raw journey into the roots of self-worth.

This isn’t another self-help book filled with positive affirmations.
It’s a reckoning.

Anton takes you inside the messy, private war most of us wage silently: the war to feel enough. With storytelling that blends personal confession, spiritual insight, and psychological depth, he offers a searing critique of how society conditions us to seek validation—and what it takes to break free.

You’ll discover:

• Why success and admiration never actually fix the feeling of “not enough”

• The root cause behind people-pleasing and performance addiction

• How childhood wounds keep us chasing mirrors that never reflect the truth

• The brutal moment Anton stopped chasing—and started choosing himself

Whether you're a recovering perfectionist, an approval-seeker, or someone secretly wondering if you’re ever truly seen, The Trap of External Validation is a must-read awakening.

Because true freedom comes the moment you stop asking the world for permission—and start living from your own unshakable center.