Good Morning, Bad Morning, It's My Decision

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I woke up one morning earlier this week not feeling so hot. I felt a little tired, a little bored with life, a little uninspired. There were lots of things that needed to be accomplished and even things I could look forward to didn't sound all that exciting to me. It had all the makings of a lame morning, which of course would evolve into a lame day and that could easily evolve into a full blown lame week.

It's so easy to get going down this path. But then I decided to start the day off with a cup of tea. That might feel really good to my stomach which was starting to hurt. Then I decided to do a bit of journaling. I find that is my best therapy and I always seem to be able to work out the bugs in my head when I start putting everything down on paper. It helps clear out my head but also helps me see my path and where I can course correct. Invariably I end up giving myself a pep talk and feeling more excited about life. And that is exactly what happened.

Then I remembered that I am trying to meditate every day. I have a specific meditation I am working on and have a good 20-minute recorded meditation that I like to use. So I did that. By now I was really feeling things turn around. I started thinking about how much power I have to determine how my mood will be and how my day will go. A few simple tasks and I was feeling vastly different than I had just an hour earlier.

I started organizing my day in my mind, prioritizing my tasks and giving myself the grace to know I would do everything I could and then I needed to be kind to myself and just keep trying every day. I promised myself I would take a walk, outside in the sunshine. It's amazing what a little Vitamin D and fresh air will do for the body and soul. I enjoyed walking through my neighborhood seeing the houses that I love, that inspire me and checking out the next construction that is constantly happening in this area.

I was amazed at what a little time for myself did for me first thing in the morning and the power it had to shape my entire day. Is this a new lesson for me? Heavens no! (See list of links below, I say, laughing). But I am realizing more and more that life is really just filled with a repetitious series of lessons we have to learn over and over again. That morning was a great reminder for me that I have all the power to guide how I feel and approach my day.

Here are links to a couple of other posts about Morning Rituals.

An Hour A Day Just For You

Waking Up To Simple Pleasures

Make The Day Yours

Do you have a morning ritual you enjoy? Do you feel a difference when you guide your morning, rather than get up and run into the day? I'd love to hear your take on mornings and moods. Hope your next morning is a beautiful, peaceful one!