Alternate Perceptions Magazine, September 2025
What Do You Get To Do Today?
By Stan Prachniak
Each day, you have the opportunity to take control of the things you can and let the rest go. When you wake up each morning, you set the pace for the day. Either you get out of bed when your alarm goes off or you don’t—you control your action (or inaction). You can choose to lie in bed dwelling on how tired you feel, or you can get out of bed, get your blood pumping, and seize the day. You can choose to dread the events of the coming day or you can accept them for what they are, deal with them, and move on with your life.
Many people go through life feeling discouraged by the things they “have to do” each day rather than feeling encouraged that they “get to do” those things. For example, it isn’t uncommon for employees to dislike their jobs. In some cases, there is a general feeling that they are stuck at a job that they “have to” do. While it is true that in order to take care of basic needs in life you need money—which means you have to work—you have the power to choose how you perceive your job. Choosing to approach each work day with an attitude of what your employment provides for you can be a way to feel appreciative. You can take time to identify certain things that each paycheck earned allows you to do in other areas of your life. If you have a hard time identifying things that your job helps provide for you, then you might want to explore what you can do about it.
Remember, you control what you do in any given situation. If you feel that your job is not good for you, you can decide to make a change. Let me be very clear here that I do not mean that you should quit your job immediately because you don’t like it. You should employ careful consideration and weigh the pros and cons of your current situation before making a decision. Even after you have decided that it is in your best interest to leave your job, you must form a plan to do so. It is not smart to leave a job before knowing what you will do next. You have to explore your options and confirm that your decision to leave makes sense. There might be some sacrifices that you will need to make in order to change jobs, and only you can decide if you are willing to make them. Starting a new job may mean that you end up with less benefits or a lower wage than you have right now. You have to determine if the sacrifices will have a positive impact on your quality of life, and if they are worth it—you are the one who has to live with this decision.
I chose the example of work because it offers a good example of a responsibility that has to be fulfilled in order to help you meet your basic needs in life. Changing your perspective from seeing tasks in your life as things that you have to do, to approaching them as things that you get to do is a way to improve your quality of life. There are many things in life that we would rather spend our time doing instead of taking care of mundane responsibilities. It’s important to understand that fulfilling life’s responsibilities is what allows us the opportunity to enjoy life’s pleasures. Always choosing to do what feels good in life has consequences. At some point responsibilities have to be fulfilled, because when they aren’t life gets even harder than it already is. It’s a good idea to take care of your basic needs and responsibilities first and then “reward” yourself with something fun or pleasurable. Freedom2Change offers a way for you to change your perspective from feelings of “have to” to feelings of “get to,” and begin appreciating what fulfilling life’s responsibilities can do for your quality of life. For more information on the Freedom2Change materials, visit www.freedom2change.org .
