Have To or Want To

Continuously caught up in the ‘shoulds’ and ‘have tos’ of life, running from morning to night and rarely taking any time to recharge your batteries or even tune into yourself? Constant levels of stress unquestionably contribute to physical, mental and emotional issues. Along with feeling resentful, frustrated, exhausted and unfulfilled, physical illness or injury can occur as bodies can only be pushed so far and hard before they let us know in no uncertain terms that we need to take a break!

In my work I see that endless stress can literally result in many issues including broken bones, injured knees and dislocated shoulders, back strain, sprained ankles, accidents and, in cases where the persistent stress has been ignored too long, even serious illness or disease. I’m told that the joy has gone out of life and there’s a sense of just going through the motions. If this is true for you, let me ask you this: When is the last time you did something because you wanted to?

Shifting from a pattern of thoughts and beliefs of ‘I have to’ and changing them to ‘I want to’ is incredibly powerful. Thinking and believing that you have to do something gives your power away to others. Thinking, believing and feeling that you want to do something puts the power back in your hands. Tuning into your body as your have to-want to barometer will help you recognize where your biggest stresses lie. Notice how your body feels when you have the thought of ‘I have to,’ and then shift that thought to ‘I want to.’ There is an immediate shift to feeling in control and of even looking forward to the matter at hand, and your blood pressure and adrenals stabilize, calming your entire body. Practicing this on a regular basis will bring about better health and wellbeing on every level and bring joy back into your life!

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photo: unsplash-Jason Leung