How One Little Word Can Change Your Day

word_compDo you ever find yourself looking at your “to-do” list for the day and breathe a heavy sigh due to the enormity of it? I think we all do at times. Most everyone is busy busy busy with the pile of things we need to do. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed.

I look at my list and say to myself, “I have to go get an oil change”, or “I have to go walk the dog”, or “I have to work on this article”. The “have to”‘s just seem to pile up.

And then I remember…

You’ve heard the saying, “With great privilege comes great responsibility.” We’re so busy with all the things that we need to attend to because we are so incredibly blessed with material wealth and opportunity. We may sometimes catch ourselves envying the proverbial Jones because they have a nicer house or yard or car, but compared to rest of the world, we all live like royalty.

So, yes, because we have so much, we all wind up with a lot on our plate and we can get exasperated at the things we have to do. But we can reframe this mindset by changing one single word. Instead of saying “I have to do something”, try replacing the word “have” with the word “get“.  For example, in place of saying “I have to empty the dishwasher”, I can say “I get to empty the dishwasher”. Replacing that one word reminds me of how blessed I am. It reorients my mindset to one of gratitude.

I can grumble about having to empty the dishwasher, but then I remember that having a dishwasher saves me from having to do dishes by hand. Even if I had to do dishes by hand, the fact that I have hot running water coming into my home puts me into an elite class by the majority of the world’s standards. The fact that I live in a house with a kitchen with modern conveniences or that I live in a house built to “code” out of durable materials instead of cobbled together cardboard and corrugated metal leaves me no quarter for complaint.

Perhaps you don’t have a dishwasher, but you get the idea. If you’re reading this article, you at least have access to electricity and a computer and internet. Luxuries.

So, go ahead and change your day. Think about the things you get to do and be grateful.

(Graphic courtesy of drbillmoore.com)

Comment on Facebook!

Not on Facebook? Leave a comment here: