Change Your Outlook With This Simple Fix

Words have power.

We understand this when we’re talking to others.

(For the most part…except on social media…when someone disagrees with us…about politics…or anything else.)

But too often we forget this when we’re talking to ourselves.

While it’s awful to excoriate yourself for forgetting to turn off the light or to set the DVR for “The Bachelorette,” there’s an equally detrimental habit you could be engaging in without being aware of it.

If you’re like I am, you go through your daily routine, eyeing your to-do list, thinking, “I have to do this,” and, “I have to do that.”

Sounds innocent enough, right?

It can be.

But it also can paint the prism through which you see the world with negativity.

When you HAVE to do something, there’s an implication of necessity. You can feel the weight of the word just from saying/thinking it.

You’re not doing anything out of desire, but out of demand, making your life seem as if it’s dictated by puppet masters, both real and imagined.

Whatever’s happening is not up to you.

And if you’re not careful, even the things that offer excitement and satisfaction take on a shade of dread.

But what if instead of saying, “I have to,” you started saying, “I get to”?

When you GET to do something, your free will is restored.

Suddenly, you’re pulling your own strings. You’re choosing to do what you want — even when it’s something you don’t necessarily want to do.

No longer are you faced with a slog of chores that must be completed and endured, but a buffet of opportunities to be experienced and explored.

That’s the type of not-so-subtle shift this subtle shift can make.

Because as powerful as words can be, when used to your advantage, they can be just as empowering.

*****

This originally appeared on 100 Naked Words.