Yesterday a friend reminded me of something she had read in AWAKENING JOY. The next time we find ourselves thinking or speaking of something we have to do, we can make one simple change and substitute the word “get” for the word “have” and observe what happens. It was a timely reminder.  The past week had been filled with things I “had” to do and I found my resentment increasing. “When,” I asked myself plaintively, “was I ever going to get time for myself and what I wanted to do?”

     So, I immediately tried out the suggestion and I was surprised to find that it made a huge difference.  “I have to stop by the grocery store on my way home,” became, instead, “I get to stop by the grocery store on the way home.”  A whole new perspective opened for me, one that included gratitude that there was a grocery store to be stopped by and that I was physically and mentally able to make the stop. I have tried it out on several things since then and what I find is that this simple substitution broadens my perspective, deepens my awareness and transforms  irritation and resentment into gratitude .  And I didn’t even have to go to a mountaintop in Tibet to come to this awakening.