In the middle of a busy afternoon, we're looking for ways to feel more centered. By the end of the day, all we want is to unwind, quiet our minds, and finally exhale.
I think something worth considering is that other magical part of the day.
Every morning, we're given a gift. We wake up with a fresh opportunity to experience a few moments of peace before the world starts making demands of us.
And what do so many of us do?
We reach for our phones.
Before our feet even hit the floor, we're taking in the news, other people's opinions, images, headlines, messages, and the collective energy of just about everywhere else on the planet.
We're absorbing everyone else's thoughts before we've had a chance to connect with our own.
Think about that for a moment.
For many of us, there's a beautiful window between waking and beginning the day. Our bodies are still relaxed. Our minds haven't yet filled with the day's responsibilities. There's a softness there. A little breathing room.
And we have an opportunity to do something with it.
We can ground ourselves. Take a few conscious breaths. Notice how we feel. Stretch. Step outside or near a window. Set an intention. Decide what kind of energy we want to bring into the day.
We can begin by connecting with ourselves rather than immediately disconnecting from ourselves.
And no, I'm not suggesting everyone has the luxury of spending an hour in meditation before breakfast. Some people have children to get moving, jobs to get to, and responsibilities that start the minute their eyes open.
I get it.
But what about the first two minutes?
What about the time it takes to reach for your phone? What if you used those moments differently?
Because how we begin our day can influence far more than our mood. It can affect our stress response, our nervous system, our attention, and the way we move through everything that follows.
We spend so much time trying to regulate our nervous systems while simultaneously feeding them information, stimulation, and energy that keeps us in a state of reactivity.
At some point, we have to look at our own participation in that cycle.
Are we actually creating space for peace? Or are we inviting in the very chaos we're spending the rest of the day trying to escape?
I'm not suggesting we ignore the world. I'm saying maybe we stop making it the first thing we experience every single morning.
Let yourself belong to yourself before you give your attention away.
The way you choose to start your day matters.
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So here's a question I’d like you to ask yourself:
Are you here on this planet, in this life, just to get through it? Or are you here to enjoy it and be grateful?
Because those are two very different ways of living.
And perhaps that experience begins much earlier in your day than you think.
With gratitude and joy,
Jennifer