Three little words have made all the difference.

I. Get. To.

I live in a perpetual cycle of what feel like chaos. Self inflicted mind you. I bite off more than I can chew nearly every day. I go a thousand miles per minute and race from task to task. Today is no different. As soon as I have started one task another has pulled me in a different direction.

My list is long and my focus is short. I have so many things that matter to me and they all seem to conflict when it come to priority and time. I would truly love added hours in a day, the ability to not sleep, the ability to clone myself yet still experience it all, but those wishes are not reality. Reality is; we all have conflicting priorities in life and we all have to manage what comes first and what takes a back seat. And here’s where life gets tricky. When the things pile up high, those things that feel like opportunities suddenly become responsibilities or burdens. And if I’m not careful my mental focus changes from I get to, to I have to.

The trouble with I have to is that our choices suddenly become our curses. Our joy becomes our stress. Our blessings become our burdens.

It’s taken nearly all 37 years of my life to really let this sink in, the moment my have to’s turn into get to’s, life becomes more beautiful.

I get to workout today because my body is able to. That sounds so much better than I have to find time today to fit my darn workout in.

The simple language adjustment creates joy, gratitude, opportunity and frankly sounds so much more worthy of my time and effort. The only change in the two sentences is perspective. Simple and honest perspective. For the most part I have always been a “glass half full” kind of gal. In fact I have always seen life through rose colored glasses that allow me to experience the joy and beauty in the mundane. Simply changing my perspective from I have to to I get to creates peace, calm and motivation.

Self talk and communication in general have so much power. So much power over our emotional state and our abilities. Subconscious power over deep seeded beliefs about ourselves, out abilities and the general trajectory of our life in general. It is my goal and part of my journey to change the way I speak; inwardly just as much as outwardly. Starting with I get to over I have to.

I get to wake early and help get my Doodle get ready for school daily.
I get to wait in the parent pick-up line for 30 minutes in order to be the first face my girl see daily after school.
I get to grocery shop for nourishing and delicious food and ingredients for our family.
I get to do laundry that clothe my family with a fresh clean scent and allow them to know they are nurtured and loved.
I get to pay bills that seem far too many, far too large and far too often because our life is blessed with so much success and opportunity.
I get to workout to strengthen my body physically and mentally and show my girls that self care is not only ok, it is welcome and enjoyable.
I get to tidy our messy house because the people in it feel so save and loved to be who they are that their beautiful chaos spills everywhere.
I get to manage doctors appointments and schedules and household chaos because I have a beautiful family and life that is full of all the things.

I get to live this beautifully wonderful, chaotic, challenging life because it is mine. All of the trials and tribulations will come to pass. I will survive the little stressors that pile up and on the other side of that, life will be even more beautiful. Today’s stress is tomorrow’s beauty. Today’s hurt, anger or fear is tomorrow’s strength.

It’s all about perspective. Let’s all work to change our perspectives, life will become far more beautiful, I promise.