Take Control: Lesson 1

Lesson 1

The things that we say we "have to do" are actually things that we "choose to do" because we enjoy the benefits that doing them brings to our lives.

  Much of the stress we feel in our lives is self-imposed and comes from a bad verbal habit almost everyone suffers from. The phrase "I have to…" passes our lips so often that we don't realize the message it sends to our subconscious. Every time you say "I have to", your brain hears "someone else is making me". And if someone is making you do it, then clearly it must be bad and is not under your control. Sending this message to your subconscious many times a day eventually affects the way you view your role in your own life. So the first step is to break that programming.
 
You can change your subconscious programming by changing the inputs. For all the have-to's in your life, take a moment to rephrase them with "I choose" and finish the sentence by describing the benefit(s) that action brings.
 
I choose to go grocery shopping because ___________.
I choose to go to work because _______________.
I choose to go to the dentist because ______________.
I choose to walk the dogs because ______________.
 
Maybe you have examples from your own life that you want to use. Go ahead. Take the time to think about your have to's and realize that the benefits of each outweighs the cost of not doing them. Then stop telling yourself that someone else is making you do these things. The choice is yours and always has been under your control. 


Senior Head Instructor Brad Mears

Universal Kempo Karate Schools Association

at Frontier Elementary in Colorado Springs, CO

www.COSKarate.com