Thumbnail: One Word Power Shift
Hi guys! Welcome to Episode 662 of the Wildly Successful Lifestyle. I’m Heidi and I’m so glad you’re here with me today. You are here I think, because you want to be the best version of you and my hope is that these next few minutes remind you that that is totally possible and also has so much to do with how you show up and that has a lot to do with how you talk to yourself. I talk about that a lot, being kind to yourself, but there’s something even more subtle we do that quietly drains us, I know because I do it and so it’s something I’ve been working on.
It’s this tiny shift in the words we use — swapping “I have to” for “I get to.” It sounds almost too simple, right? But once you start noticing it, you realize how much power those three little words carry.
Our words aren’t just words — they shape how we experience life. They’re like little seeds we plant in our minds every single day.
I noticed one day that I had this low level anxiety that I couldn’t quite place and then I remembered “oh I have to go that appointment today”. And guess what? That wasn’t like the dentist, it was actually a client appt that I was excited about, but the way I was framing it to myself made it seem like it was going to be hard or no fun because I was saying to myself “well I have to do this today”. I realized that I do that a lot. “I have to do my run” or “I have to record my podcast today”, once I said “I have to take the boys for a walk”. Each time I said it, I could feel my energy drop just a little. I felt my shoulders tense up, my mood felt heavier, like everything was this big obligation weighing on me. Even the simple things started to feel like a chore I was being forced to do.
And the weird thing is, None of these were things I was dreading. It really was about the way I was framing it in my head.
And right then it hit me. Maybe I’m creating anxiety by the way I’m talking to myself about it. What If I just changed that? What if I changed it from “I Have to” to “I get to”? Just three words. So I tried it out loud: “I get to walk the boys.” And something shifted right away. It felt lighter. It felt like a choice instead of a chore. I get to move my body. I get to spend this time outside with them. I get to be here for it. The same walk, but my whole energy around it changed.
That little moment made me start paying attention to how often I was using “I have to” in my head and out loud. With my coffee in the morning, I would think “I still have to meditate.” With answering messages for the podcast “I have to get back to everyone.” Even with making dinner or running errands. Every “I have to” was quietly training me to feel like life was happening to me instead of something I was choosing.
But when I flip it to “I get to,” it reminds me that these are privileges. I get to sit down with my coffee and review what went well and plan a day that feels good and meditate. I get to build a business I love and connect with all of you. I get to take care of my family and walk the boys. I get to move my body and feel strong. It’s the same tasks, but the energy around them completely changes. It turns obligation into gratitude. It turns pressure into presence.
The idea here is that this small shift builds real momentum over time. It’s not about ignoring the hard parts of life — it’s about choosing gratitude in the middle of them. And that gratitude starts to compound. You show up more fully for the people you love, you feel more present in your own life, and you end the day feeling like you actually lived it instead of just survived it.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson talks about this exact shift in such a powerful way. He says instead of thinking “I gotta go to work” or “I gotta go train,” he reframes it as “I get to go to work… I get to pay that bill… I get to go to the gym.” He realized that everything he “had” to do was actually stuff he was blessed to get to do. That mindset completely changed how he showed up in his life.
I’ve been practicing this for a while now, and I can honestly say it’s one of the quietest but most powerful mindset shifts I’ve ever made. Some days are still heavy, but I meet every day with a little more lightness and a lot less resistance. I feel more like the author of my day instead of someone just checking boxes.
So here’s your gentle challenge for this week if you want to try it with me: start noticing when you say “I have to” — out loud or in your head. Pick just one thing each day and flip it to “I get to.” It could be something small like “I get to fold the laundry” or “I get to answer these messages” or even “I get to sit down and meditate.” Say it out loud if you can. Notice how it feels in your body and how the rest of your day flows a little differently.
Sometimes the smallest word changes create the biggest shifts in how we experience our lives.
I love you guys so, I’ll talk to you in a few days!
