“One word can change someone’s day.”
Anonymous
This past Friday morning I read a short, powerful, post, written by James Clear entitled “How to Be Thankful for Your Life by Changing Just One Word”. How powerful was it? It occupied my thoughts for the rest of the day. Such a simple idea. Why hadn’t I ever thought of or realized this? It lessens stress, provides optimism, and could even improve relationships. The reality is that by making this simple grammatical shift we can completely alter our perspective on almost everything. Further, the change enables us to not only be thankful, but to bring a more optimistic perspective to your life. Are you ready? Do you want to know what it is? Think about the following phrases:
- I have to wake early tomorrow.
- I have to take a walk before I start the day.
- I have to be in New York by 9:00 to meet with our team.
- I have to take the kids to soccer practice this afternoon.
- I have to make dinner for the family tonight.
- I have to be in bed by 10 tonight.
Let’s make that simple word change:
- I get to wake early tomorrow!
- I get to take a walk before I start the day.
- I get to be in New York by 9:00 to meet with our team.
- I get to take the kids to soccer practice this afternoon
- I get to make dinner for the family tonight
- I get to be in bed by 10 tonight.
Get it? Clear shares that it is important to remind ourselves that the things we do each day are not burdens, they are opportunities. That which we often view as work, is in reality a reward. That one word, “get”, changes everything, it provides a positive perspective and turns a problem or challenge into an opportunity.
Try it for a week! What do you have to lose except a burden or problem? By shifting from a “have to” perspective to a “get to” perspective, you can provide yourself with a mental perspective that fills your world with opportunities. Sounds like a no brainer to me!
Embrace the “Get ” ?