Get to vs. Have to

The only constant is change, the saying goes. I believe that to be mostly true, except when it comes to prerogative. Sometimes it is our own constant perspective of life that keeps us on a repetitive cycle. It is a fact of neuroscience or, more specifically, neuroplasticity, that toxic thinking literally shapes the way your brain functions. So writes Dr. Caroline Leaf in Who Switched Off My Brain? In other words, the more negatively you think, the more negatively you will continue to think.

So how does this relate to Get To vs. Have To? When we are preparing to do a task — any task — we say, “I have to do laundry,” “I have to pick up the kids,” and “I have to get pre-approved for financing to buy this house.” Those are common, mundane phrases, right? Now watch this: “I get to do laundry,” “I get to pick up the kids,” and “I get to be pre-approved to purchase this house.” Can you see the slight change from a negative connotation to a positive? To elaborate a little more, if I have to do laundry, it is drudgery. I’ll find a ton of other things to do instead and moan and groan as I am switching out loads and folding mounds of clothes. However, if I get to do laundry, I appreciate more that I actually have clothes to wash, that my family is well clothed, and that I have a job that allows the purchase of those clothes. Now, doing laundry is a celebration of some of the great things I have done in my life.

Sometimes in the constant dogma and routine of life, we can get sucked into a negative black hole. Even though that is perfectly normal, staying there is a choice you make. Learn to enjoy the ebb and flow of life. Roll with the punches. Celebrate the little things like getting to do laundry and getting to pick up the kids at school. Place yourself on a positive pathway so that when the big changes in life come along, like buying a new home, you relish the opportunity to experience the constant of change.

Have a great week! And, as always … Dream big. Choose Local.

~Jessica