Nobody is coming to give you permission. You’re allowed to sign your own slip.

Permission is something people wait for from others who are not thinking about them. No teacher, parent or manager is going to hand over a signed note saying you may now begin writing, applying, building or asking. They are busy, and most of them assume you would have started already if you wanted to.

Take the thing you have been waiting to be chosen for and enter it yourself. Submit, apply, post, sign up, email the person directly. The worst version is a no from someone who was never coming to find you.