My friend, Sohayl, is the father of three boys. He, his wife and three boys had been at the same gym for several hours; after two boys played, the family ate dinner in their car and were waiting for a late night game. “I suppose you have to come back here tomorrow for more play off games,” I offered. He smiled his wonderful smile, “We GET to come back! We have to die and pay taxes, everything else, we GET TO DO!”
I’m sure you know how your energy level changes when you feel you “have to” do something. Just switching two words can change your attitude, thus the outcome of your choices.
I “get to” do housework? Hum…ah….well I do have a house to take care of, a place of warmth and safety. I am healthy so I can clean it up, straighten things out. So, maybe I can buy that I get to do housework. Everything is a choice; in this case it is about using words that decrease our victim thinking. It’s worth a try…..something you get to do if you choose to do so!
We make it more challenging by saying, “I have to be nice to his wife, and I don’t like her.” Instead, “I get to choose to be kind to his wife because being kind to everyone makes me a more loving person.”
We all have an emotional reaction to words, so it important to choose them wisely. Today, I get to teach that, and it brings me joy!
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Scott A. McDaniel photo
