HAFTA!

HAFTA!

I woke up this morning already overwhelmed.

Before my eyes opened I was overwhelmed.

Before my feet even hit the floor I was overwhelmed. 

      “There is so much I HAFTA do!”

My mind was already talking to me before I had time to shuffle to the coffee maker. 

I HAFTA do laundry.

I HAFTA write a blog.

I HAFTA create my notes for a presentation next week.

I HAFTA hunt and gather, (my term for my not-so-favorite job of grocery shopping).

I HAFTA, I HAFTA, I HAFTA!   The list went on and on.

Feeling a bit less than enthusiastic to do any of it, suddenly the bubble over my head filled with…

“I don’t HAFTA do anything!”  I really don’t!

I decided that word should be banished from my vocabulary.  I also decided to evict the words must, should, required, and for the bonus – I threw in gotta and oughtta!

The reality is what in life do we really HAFTA do?

I had clean clothes to wear today so I didn’t HAFTA do laundry.

I wonder if I skipped a blog one week if anyone would actually notice and send me a ‘where is it’ message.

I know I could stand up and give my presentation next week without any notes.

And, I wouldn’t starve if I didn’t hunt and gather today.

Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to feel like we are obligated to do…do…DO?

I realize we all have responsibilities in life and I am not saying we drop all common sense.  I am saying we might be happier and healthier if we added common sense to our HAFTA list.

Once we get through the one or two things that are the necessary responsibilities and look further down the list, what if we measured them by whether they feed our soul or drain our energy.  Whether they add joy or create chaos.  Whether they lift our spirit or burden our soul.

What if we threw away our HAFTA lists and we began labeling tasks with the expressions of : like to; love to; want to; desire; crave; and even optional?

I realized that by taking away the forced implication of feeling like I “HAFTA” complete certain tasks and changing the mindset to a joyful desire of accomplishment that is totally optional, the overwhelm I felt went away.

Once my second cup of coffee set in I realized I like the tumbling hum of the dryer as it calms me to a place of feeling nestled and at home

I love to write—that is why I am either writing or thinking about writing all the time.

Sharing my message with people is my mission and making notes helps me feel prepared to give all I can to the people who come to hear me speak.

And after eating half of a very over ripe banana with my coffee, the vision of crackly fresh apples, baking banana bread and craving the smell of a simmering pot of vegetable soup made even the hunting and gathering outing seem desirable. 

When I released the HAFTA pressure from my mind and turned most of my day into optional thinking I still accomplished just as much…and enjoyed the process!

Now with the smells of bread and soup swirling through my heart and home and my writing almost complete, I feel joyful, my soul has been fed and my spirit lifted to a higher space than when I woke this morning. 

I don’t HAFTA feel overwhelmed.

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
 “Change your mindset from a must do list to a want to list  - then feel the stress and pressure in your life lighten.” 
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YOUR TURN... 
My intent in sharing this with you is to help you differentiate between what is a must and what isn't and to change the mind set of what you 'hafta' do into something you love to do.
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at: [email protected]. 
                         Thank you!  
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