Today I Get to...

I have always considered myself to be an optimist. I generally always think things will work out in the end (they do) and the grass is always greener on my side (unless it's winter, and then no one's grass is green). But yesterday I read an article in my Runners World (of all places) that really struck a chord with me. The author talked about how their whole life is spent speaking in "I have to" language. I have to pick up the kids from school, I have to go to work, I have to make dinner. And somehow, somewhere (details escape me) she decided to try speaking out in another language, that of "I Get To."

I followed her train of thought and really got to thinking about how I also live my life in "I Have To." Yesterday I had to go to my day job and then my evening job (which if you know me, you know I don't like) and then had to squeeze in a work out to keep up with our 90 day plan. I kept dreading every minute of it until I thought of my RW magazine. And then I read this interview with the author of book called "A Thousand Sisters." The woman was so moved by an Oprah episode on the Congo, that she quit her job, left her life (including her fiance), raised $50,000 and went to go help women there. She told the story of a woman who had her leg cut off by a militia group just for not having enough money to please them.

Then I GOT it. I sat in my reclining chair in front of my huge flat screen monitor realizing that I GOT to go to work- I am so lucky to have two jobs when most people don't even have one (granted they're both temp jobs but that's not the point). And I GOT to go home and work out after my 14+ hour work day because I have two healthy legs to get me through life. I immediately got home and put in my plyometrics workout tape and got straight to it. By the time I was done, I didn't feel tired but energized and absurdly lucky.

When I woke up this morning- extra early to take my dog on her first pre-work day walk- my first thought was simple: I got to wake up today. And now I get to walk my puppy and start my day with her.

I can't tell you that I'm having a better or worse day because of this, but you know what, I'm convinced that over time, I Get To language will do so much more for me than I Have To. This may all sound terribly cheesy, I realize, but I wanted to share the thought with anyone that would listen. It's actually harder than I thought to think of everything in terms of I Get To, but I'm certain that over time, it will be such a natural thought and my glass will be more than just half full.