This is what happens when you exchange ‘I have to’ for ‘I get to’

A few years ago Sam and I heard ourselves say ‘We can’t do (fill in the blank) because we ‘have to’ go to Hawaii. Pretty much immediately we realized the absurdity of that statement. Yes, we were going to Hawaii, but no, it wasn’t something we were forced to do. Answering that question with an ‘I have to’ did not made any sense. It belittled our work and all our efforts to make that wonderful trip a reality. Since then, we have been modifying our languaging to express gratitude towards the things that we get to do.

After more than 2 years working on this language modification, I realized that every time I exchanged an ‘I have to’ for an ‘I get to’ in normal everyday life, I was allowing myself to express gratitude and appreciation towards the things that I have.

‘I get to’ do dishes.
‘I get to’ wash clothes.
‘I get to’ clean the bathroom.

This simple expression allows me to say, yes! Where it would seem like ‘I have to’ do some sort of work, it’s because I have these things that ‘I get to’ use them, to clean them, to store them, to organize them. I am blessed to have them!

We have applied this language modification to objects as well as people.

‘I get to’ see my parents.
‘I get to’ watch my nephew and nieces.
‘I get to’ go grocery shopping.
‘I get to’ go hiking with my friends.
‘I get to’ practice handstands.
‘I get to’ train at 5 am.
‘I get to’ leave early to work.
‘I get to’ answer 100 emails.
‘I get to’ edit images.

This seemingly simple exchange has allowed me to modify how I perceive my daily existence. Has allowed me to express gratefulness and gratitude towards everyone and everything in my life. What if you, too, switched I have to for I get to? Dive into the process and develop a permanent state of gratefulness.

Try it, and let me know how it goes!