"When you arise in the morning,
think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive —
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

Marcus Aurelius
 

A chaotic beginning lends itself to chaos throughout the day.

A start that is filled with news (most of which is going to be either bad or weird because that’s what gets clicked) can get me feeling bad about humanity before I’ve encountered my first human.

If I open my eyes and reach for my phone first thing and start scrolling through work emails, my stress level will rise before I get out of bed.

If I immediately check Facebook then I’m doing the inevitable comparing my life to others (they’re on vacation again?!?!), or ready to argue politics (they voted for who?).

And on and on it goes.

Instead of asking how your body feels when you first wake up, instead think about what it is you’re most looking forward to in the day ahead and try to get right out of bed.

Today, remember that how you start your day plays a big role in how it’s going to play out. Take control of those first moments of your morning. Practice some form of gratitude, do some writing in a journal, keep a motivational/positive book by your bedside and read a few pages first thing…the list of possibilities is endless and can be built around what works best for you.

Win Your Day!
Steve Gilbert

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