The “Get Tos”

It’s so easy to get caught up in the ho-hum of daily routines. When everything feels like an “I have to.” I have to change my L.O.’s diaper for the thousandth time. I have to wash the dishes. I have to work out. I have to get out of my cozy bed. I have to feed the dog. I have to drink more water. I have to do the laundry. I have to go to work. These “I have tos” barely scratch the surface of all the “I have tos” that happen in a single day.

And when approached with an “I have to” mindset, they all feel pretty heavy don’t they? They feel tiring. They conjure up negative thoughts and emotions. They are soul killers (I realize that’s a little dramatic, but you get the idea).

Enter gratitude. A frame of mind that I strongly believe gets forgotten in the daily grind. I am super guilty of this and have been making a conscious effort to dig myself out of the “I have to” mentality (which has been really getting me down lately), and start thinking with an “I get to” mindset. Because when I think of everything as an “I get to”, I find that my attitude and my mood start to flip from negative to positive. I feel a renewed sense of energy. I see the beauty in the mundane.

In fact, it’s scientifically proven that gratitude makes us healthier, happier people. So why don’t we practice gratitude more often? Because cultivating gratitude is a skill – it doesn’t come naturally to most of us. To me, it’s a no-brainer that it’s a skill worth learning and perfecting.

I’ve read in various books, blogs and articles that the best way to start practicing gratitude is to keep a journal and write down at least five things you’re grateful for each day. And it can’t be general things like, “I’m grateful for today” or “I’m grateful to be alive.” To really sink in, it has to be more specific like, “I’m grateful for the bus driver who waited another minute for me to get on” or “I’m grateful for the extra time I had to spend with my daughter before going to work.” Plus, the cool thing about keeping a journal is that you can look back on it from time to time and really see all that you have to be grateful for!

To be honest, I’m still working on starting the journal. I’ve found it easier in this season of my life to simply start by thinking in “I get tos.” I get to change Mackenzie’s diaper this morning. I get to wash the dishes. I get to work out. I get to get out of bed. I get to feed Wally. I get to drink more water. I get to do laundry. I get to go to work.

Even as I write this I find myself thinking of adding onto each “I get to” that keeps the positivity going and adds a little more perspective. Like, I get to work out because I have arms and legs that function the way they should. I get to get out of bed because I have a purpose to my day. I get to change Mackenzie’s diaper because I have the means and the time to do so. I get to stay with my mom while she’s in transitional care because she’s still alive and I have a husband who’s able to take care of our daughter while I’m away.

Interesting how that works. A little bit of gratitude goes a long way. I challenge you to start thinking in terms of “I get tos” instead of “I have tos.” It’s definitely helped me get through some tough times.