In 2021, I took a massive leap of faith unlike any other I'd ever even entertained before. I started working with a career coach.
My coach, Honey Larochelle:
The old me would have thought having a career coach was frivolous, but that old me was also content about complaining about my life and my progress in it all from the view of my couch for the last 15 years. What did that "old me" know, anyway?
One of the first things my coach began to point out to me was my use of the words "have to" and "need to". I'd noticed that she seemed to say "I get to" a lot, but I didn't realize I'd have to necessarily adopt that same habit or that I was even capable of being that present in my speech. I'm proud to say that 6 months later, I am now officially a "get to" girl!
I say it all the time now, and I even notice when someone else says those drowning phrases, "I have to go do laundry...", "I need to rehearse this routine", etc. Those phrases just sound heavy to me now! And of course they would, they're intended to compliment our complaints, our woes, our disdain. But "I get to"... now that's some powerful shit.
I get to wake up at 5:00AM. I get to wash the clothes in my own washer and dryer that I have inside my beautiful new apartment. I get to pay rent because I get to create streams of income doing what I love!
I was discussing this concept with a native Spanish speaker recently and learned that the translation of "get to" is literally "la oportunidad" or "the opportunity". How fucking sweet is that? By saying "I get to", you're saying you have the opportunity to do something. We always have the choice, but is your choice rooted in empowerment or dread?
I choose power.