"I Could" vs "I Should"

Small tidbit from one of the email newsletters I subscribe to, and SO worth sharing.... a good reminder about perspective and the power of being able to choose for yourself!

In my experience, there’s nothing like “I should …” to bring a heaviness to life. In fact, when I think I should, must or have to do anything, it’s a no win situation. If I do whatever it is, I feel resentful and burdened. If I don’t do it, I feel guilty. Recently, I learned of an easy but powerful tool for dealing with this trap.When I catch myself thinking that I should do or be something, I replace ‘should’ with ‘could.’“I should clean the house” becomes “I could clean the house.” There’s new freedom of choice in this expression. I can then ask, “Do I want to?” There are two answers:“No” – I’m consciously choosing not to clean the house now.“Yes” – I know I’ll feel better when the house looks better, so I’m consciously choosing to do this for both the house and myself.Whatever my decision, of course, I will have to live with the consequences. But the key here lies in claiming my power to choose. With awareness, I can consciously choose my course of action rather than stay trapped in old autopilot patterns that keep me feeling victimized. It’s empowering!