I Choose to, or, I Choose not to.

For those of you tuning in late, today is day 2 of my ten day challenge of conscious consecutive practice and today I am practicing being careful with the words I use. I believe many of us self sabotage without realizing it by using words that take our control away from us. Words that have become habitual make us victims instead of empowering us. As a friend once said, “we often don’t understand the power of small words used over and over”.

The words I am targeting today are “I have to” and “I can’t”. How many times a day have you said, “I have to go to work” or “I have to go somewhere”? How many times a day have you said, “I can’t eat this” or I can’t do that”? I’ve probably said those words a thousand times over my lifetime and I realize they just aren’t true. These words have become embedded deeply in my mind and it is a routine I must consciously break.

I don’t have to go to work and I can eat whatever I choose to. Clearly I understand there are consequences to my actions, such as I may get fired if I miss work, or gain weight if I eat a whole pizza, but the truth still remains, they are my choice. Staying mindful of that fact is the point of this exercise.

Therefore, today I will be vigilant with the words I choose. Anytime I say “I have to” or “I can’t” I will immediately correct myself and say “I choose to” or “I choose not to”. It’s as simple as that.

Saying “I choose to”, or “I choose not to”, puts me in control of my life, and that’s exactly where I choose to be.

Thanks for allowing me to be your wingman today.
In Appreciation,
Michael