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Mental Shift to Choose Joy | Peggy Wright
“If you have to do it, decide to do it!”

I heard this quote from a speaker over 20 years ago. It stuck because it was the attitude adjustment I needed! 
I had an overactive 'should' streak in me that led me to burn out. So I made my life quiet for a few years and practiced saying 'no' to people and commitments. 

But as my health improved, I had to find rhythms of responsibility that allowed me to become a trustworthy friend, parent, homeowner and partner again. 

There are a lot of things in everyday that aren't glamorous or fun - doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, flossing teeth, making grocery lists, chopping veggies, doing the 4th dog walk of the day or going one last time to meet a need when you're already tired. 

But I have found it true that if I make the shift in my head to want to care for that need or see that sink sparkle or find the surface of my desk again - it can be incredibly satisfying! It was a small mental shift I have used repeatedly through the years that takes me from resentment to singing through the task - which made all the difference to my sense of joy and satisfaction. 

I also like to savor the moments after the task is done and reward myself with a pleasure like a snuggle, a good book, an episode from Netflix, time at the piano or a warm tea! The photo below was a family holiday! 


What mental shifts help make your tasks lighter?


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My Story - Turning Health Challenges Around

 
I was twenty-two years old and felt like 90. 

Every day I would get out of bed not knowing if I could make it to my 4th year classes. 
Some days I would shower and by the time I finished I felt dizzy, sleepy, and my muscles felt like lead. Sometimes I would be so weak that I had to crawl on all fours back to my bedroom to lay down again. I would get 12-14 hours of restless sleep that would leave me feeling like a truck hit me. I ached all over and my head felt like it would burst with the pounding pain. I was really sick - for months... and then years.    

My adult life was just beginning and I'd been handed a life sentence of chronic illness.   

I got married that fall to Lance Wright, my very supportive and understanding husband. He and I talked about taking a year off - no schedule - to allow my body to recover. I was on a downward spiral and had no answers about how to turn it around. My world shrunk - fast.  

But as my outward world shrunk, I was determined to grow my inner world through reading, prayer, and writing. I knew the diagnosis I'd been given wasn't the end of my story. I trusted that I'd find the steps needed to heal.   

One day as I was asking God to heal me, I got a picture in my mind of a drooping flower bound tightly by weeds. A flash of understanding came with it. I felt as if God was saying, "Healing will be a slow process. Trust me and I will lead you to part of the weed to loosen its hold and remove its influence." This became the perfect symbol for my wellness journey - bit by bit finding healing steps and feeling life and strength return.  

Part of my wellness picture was uncovering trauma that had taught my mind and body that I wasn't safe. So the safety of my relationship with Lance was the starting point for the hard work of healing. When I would get discouraged about how little I could accomplish each day, Lance would remind me that my full-time job in this season was to heal. After a digging deep process, digestive cleansing, and dietary changes over eight years, I started to gain ground. 

I am 52 this year and feel better than I did in my twenties. Lance and I have raised three young men together and I spent 17 years as a homeschool Mom. I have become passionate about helping people discern steps to get unstuck to move toward health. It feels redemptive to use the years of research and experimenting to shorten the road for others looking for a path forward. Enjoy perusing my blog or follow @pegwright | Linktree for a way to connect. I'd love to pull up a chair at our table and share with you the small steps that are opening doors of possibility for life-giving change.  Let's Thrive - together! 

For a full version of my exploration and self-discovery, read my book 'Opening to Grace' found on Amazon or fromWestbow Press.



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