Life is a blessing. It's so true, it's become cliché. We know it's a blessing. We don't need anyone to tell us again.
What if we started acting like it? What if we were enthusiastic every time the sun dawned and we were alive to experience it? What if we took a few minutes to marvel at the rhythmic rise and fall of our chest with every life-giving breath? What if we started thanking God for our to-do lists instead of bemoaning them?
Michael Hyatt, former CEO at Thomas Nelson Publishing House, and a leadership guru, suggests we stop saying "I have to..." and instead say, "I get to...", You can read his entire blog post about it here. It's a positive shift in attitude.
Check it out: I don't have to do the laundry today, I get to, because I'm blessed with a family to care for. I don't have to teach a Sunday school class, I get to, because sharing what matters deeply to me with people I care about gives my life purpose. I don't have to go to work today, I get to, because it provides for my family's wants and needs.
Wow! What a difference one word can make in the way I view my life. That tiny change helps me start acting like my life is a blessing. And magically, when I start acting like it, it starts feeling like it.
So my challenge to you (and myself) is to change "have to" to "get to" and see what happens. It's the beginning of living a life of gratitude, which is a beautiful neighborhood in which to live.
What other small changes have helped you acknowledge the amazing gift of life? Share them in the comments.
Linda
That's similar to what I just read in a book I edited: We don't have to read the Bible; we get to!
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