One of the most important A-HA! moments I’ve had on this journey was the day I realized I had been going about the business of getting healthy all wrong. Until then, I had been focusing on all the things I “had to do” in order to make the necessary changes in my life. I “had to” be better about tracking in my food journal, “ I “had to” figure out a way to get in more exercise, I “had to” find more healthy recipes to make for dinner. There were so many things I had to do that I couldn’t look on these tasks as fun, creative endeavors, but as bothersome burdensome chores and obstacles to be overcome.
But then my health coach challenged me to look at my TO DO list with a fresh perspective. Instead of my “have to” mentality, what would happen if I looked at the challenges I faced with a “get to” point of view?
This morning I “get to” shop for healthy foods at two different grocery stores for my family? Tomorrow I “get to” attend a new exercise class and find out if I like it. Tonight I “get to” try a new recipe and see if I can convince my kids to love quinoa (alas, I still fail at this one).
My shift to this perspective took all that I was dreading about making changes in my life and helped me to see them as opportunities for me to be creative and innovative. I could look at obstacles as something to try and try again at getting over. If my first attempt didn’t work, there was nothing to be upset about it, I “got to” try again! If the kids didn’t like this quinoa recipe, I get to make another next week that might convince them (please let me know if you’ve succeeded in this endeavor, I do believe in miracles!)
The “get to” mentality requires me to practice a spirit of gratitude for being exactly in the place where I am. When I say “I get to,” I acknowledge I didn’t arrive here by accident and I won’t get to the next place by accident either, but by practice, creativity and fortitude. You know, as they say, poco a poco.
