“Watch your mouth.”
It’s a phrase I remember well from childhood. Whenever I got a little sassy with my parents, that was was usually their return fire.
As adults we don’t generally have anyone tell us to watch our mouths, even though we still need it.
But instead of sassing off to our parents, we are dragging ourselves down with:
I have to…
I need to…
I should…
I don’t have a choice.
Our lives are full of these phrases.
I recently talked to a client about this. Their life is full of “have to”, “need to” and “should”. I could see how it was sucking the energy out of them.
So what do we do about this?
The easiest option is to, as your parents probably advised you, watch your mouth (and your thoughts).
“I have to” or “I need to” or “I should” can become “I get to” or ”I’m going to”. It seems simplistic, I know. But try it. You’d be surprised what an impact it has.
You can also sit down and honestly evaluate what you’re saying “yes” to in your life. Say “no” to things you don’t need to or don’t want to do. Go ahead and disappoint people. You’re allowed.
Too often we do things out of a sense of obligation or a desire to look good to the outside world, even if we don’t acknowledge that’s what we’re doing.
It’s creating a whole lot of discontent, overwhelm and even burnout.
So either watch your language or start saying no more. Do it consciously for at least a month and see what a difference it makes in your life.
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Want support with this and other aspects of your life? Book a complimentary strategy call with me.
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