When someone says “I get to”, they’re not just being positive. They’re making a decision about perspective. They’re choosing gratitude over drama, possibility over pressure and presence over panic.
South Africa (23 January 2026) – Yesterday, while cycling, off-road, somewhere knee-deep in the hoopla, I got a frantic voice note from my assistant.
A really popular podcast (in the USA) claimed to have invented “I get to”.
She was fuming. And you don’t want to make Tay Tay cross.
You know I do Keynotes. Or you may know that. And even though my talks have evolved in the last decade, they still stay true to what Good Things Guy is… at it’s core. I don’t profess to be a thought leader on anything. And I don’t give my opinion on things. I also don’t like being labelled a “motivational speaker”, although I pretty much fall into that space.
I guess “storyteller” is more my jam.
I tell my story about how my entire life changed in an instant and how I have gone on to create South Africa’s top good news site, reaching over 35 million South Africans each month. But that’s just 5 minutes of a talk. It’s always different from there because I then share stories and interviews that we have published, sometimes more focused on business, or a very specific type of corporate. Or sometimes more nuanced, and just about hope in our country. It depends on what the client is looking for.
I usually end my talk with one slide on happiness.
And it’s one of the most important slides. I understand that my outlook on life is not everybody’s. I am an incredibly positive guy. My happiness is at a level that could be classified as a chemical imbalance. It should be studied. Without giving too much away, because I like to be booked for talks… I speak about gratitude… and the “I get to” concept.
I added this to my talks around 2020. I guess, because we were all going through so much. The whole world needed a different perspective. Also, I kept getting DMs asking me, “How the hell do I stay so happy?”
So I added it in.
I write about it often too. In fact, a post from 2022 actually went viral. It was this picture. And an explanation of what “I get to” is.
This is what I said:
I wake up every single day at 5am… sometimes even earlier, and I get to sit at my desk in my office with this little sidekick (the other pups are usually still in bed). I read, and I write, and I edit, and I plan, and I get to do the things that fill my cup. I publish articles, and work on interviews and keynotes and prepare for radio and TV spots.
I get to do what I absolutely love.
I’ve said this before, but those 3 words are possibly the most important when you think about the day, week, month or year ahead.
When you say “I get to” instead of “I have to”, your entire world will change.
While “getting to take out the rubbish bin” may not seem glamorous, there are other moments that this little trick will turn into a world of possibility… and more importantly, gratitude. “I get to search and write good news for people around the world, who continue to support my little publication”, “I get to phone my mom, most probably 3 or 4 times today… how lucky am I?”, “I get to work on 3 presentations that will turn into new business”, “I get to see my friends later and spend quality time with the people I love”.
We often dress our opportunities up as stress, but they are, in fact, blessings.
Saying” I get to” instead of “I have to” helps you remember that these are opportunities you would miss if they were gone. It’s a simple change that can remind you to be thankful and happy for the things you normally take for granted.
But did I invent it? Am I the Mel Robbins of “I get to”?
Not even close.
I love the fact that Tay believes in me so much. But this concept has been around for forever. Popularised by people like Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk and Drew Barrymore in the 90s, the “I get to” concept can be traced back to Covey’s 1980 concepts, Considering Proactive vs. Reactive Language, and I am sure if I dug deeper, I could find many iterations of this idea from way before then.
I watched that podcast this morning and giggled. Like, these young ladies were so confident that they had just created something that has pretty much been around since forever. It reminded me of that scene in “The Devil Wears Prada”…
Podcaster: “I invented the saying ‘I get to’.”
Miranda Priestly: “You invented it. You think those words just came out of nowhere?
You wake up and you choose ‘I have to’ because it makes you sound busy. Burdened. Important. Like life is happening to you. But what you don’t understand is this: “I get to” isn’t a cute phrase. It’s not a trend. It’s a language that came from people who lost things. People who learnt the hard way what it means to still be here… still be able… still have the chance. And it filtered down. From the moments that break you, to the moments that rebuild you, until it landed in your mouth like you discovered it.
So no. You didn’t invent it. You’re just saying the words that were selected for you… from a long line of people before you. Like taking words from a pile of stuff.”
Tayla’s voicenote sparked something in me.
Last year, I started writing a book… and not the “Only Good Things” book. That series will continue till the cows come home. Book number 3 is available right now. You can buy a copy right now with free delivery anywhere in South Africa.
But last year, I penned over 15,000 words. The start of a book called “I Get To”.
Here is an excerpt from the Foreword:
“Apparently many people who are considered “successful” by society’s standards, people who have achieved their “true north”, are actually deeply unhappy. They’ve reached the goal, climbed the mountain, done the thing… and yet, they feel empty.
You see, many of us are living an “Instagram-filtered” life. From the outside looking in, everything seems perfect. The success. Those incredible highlights. All the moments carefully curated for the world to see. But behind the scenes, the struggle, the loneliness and the lack of fulfilment can be very real.
We’ve become experts at looking happy rather than being happy. And so I set out on a journey to cultivate the exact opposite. A “how-to” guide on happiness.
But Brenty, what does that even mean? And how does “I Get To” fit in?
I’ve been in the good news (read happiness) space for over a decade. I deal in hope. And I have learnt many lessons along the way.
The most powerful one is that gratitude equals happiness.
Or at least, it can create it. The concept of shifting your internal narrative from “I have to” to “I get to” is a complete game-changer.”
I think it’s time to reignite that project, to get back into writing that book, and so, today, I have given myself a deadline.
“I get to” write a book. And you’ll (hopefully) get to buy it really soon (if you want to, no pressure).
If you’ve made it this far, then I want to leave you with this, in the most Good Things Guy way possible:
You get to do all the things… even the stuff that feels like admin, pressure or chaos. So often, the things we complain about are actually proof of a life that’s still full… full of opportunity, love, purpose, movement and moments that matter.
So when the day feels heavy, try the shift. It won’t magically make things perfect but it will remind you that you’re still here.
You are still here. And you get to.
by 