January 29 I think there is choice possible to us at any moment, as long as we live . . . There is a choice, and the rest falls away. —Muriel Rukeyser Liberating Ourselves from Our “Shoulds” Do you have a long list of things you should do, or that you have to do? Do you ever catch yourself saying, “I have to go to work,” or “I have to go home to let the dog out,” or “I have to go home and make dinner for the family”? Every time you tell yourself that you have to do something, you disconnect yourself from the needs you’re trying to meet, and you diminish the joy in your life. Try to translate your “shoulds” and “have tos” into the need you are trying to meet. Translating “I have to go to work” into “I’m going to work because I value the income it provides my family” is more empowering. Similarly, “I’m going home to let the dog out because I want her to be comfortable” or “I’m going to go home to make a nice dinner for my family because I really want them to eat healthy” can bring ...