When I think of the activities that fill my days, I tend to think in terms of “have to” versus “want to”. Sometimes I go down the hole of negative thinking, with the perception that my life is filled with obligations instead of choice. That tends to make me grumpy. Who among us enjoys the feeling that life is filled with obligations? I bristle when people opine regarding how I MUST do this or that. NO! I don’t HAVE to do anything (and neither do you).
You don’t HAVE to live up to your “full potential”.
You don’t HAVE to follow the guidance you receive from Spirit.
You don’t HAVE to do anything.
I think the real enjoyment in life comes from melding our “have tos” with our “want tos”. For example, instead of feeling obligated to visit a friend or family member, either “want to” or don’t do it.
That’s why I tend to get really cranky about people who (in my opinion) lie to me (and themselves) by saying, “I’d like to, but….” No! If whatever was a priority, you’d make it happen.
There are some people in this world who truly don’t have a choice, but most people reading this blog absolutely have a choice regarding how their time is spent. Most of us don’t HAVE to do anything. We choose to do a lot of activities we don’t necessarily enjoy, but that’s a different discussion.
Many times for me, it’s about reminding myself that I DO have a choice. Remarkably, my shift in perspective often translates to me doing many of the same activities, but my enjoyment of those activities is dramatically increased when I feel I am able to focus on the “want tos” in my daily life.
How are you spending your days? Fulfilling a list of obligations or accomplishing blissful choices?
