Originally posted on Facebook HERE
I’m almost always up early – between 4 and 5am most days I guess. Today is no exception. Even though we’re basically up early every day – my wife Laurie not quite as early as me on most days – we don’t usually schedule many early morning appointments at all. We both have our way to start the day that is sort of a morning ritual. And I know for myself, mornings are one of my favorite times of the day. It’s quiet. I can write and read in peace before getting into what is almost always a hectic day ahead. I can plan the day, think about it, organize what is and isn’t important to get done… and just get my thoughts together on everything. I can think about how I’m feeling physically and emotionally. What’s working, what isn’t? What could I change to make me feel better, from a physical or emotional standpoint? It’s the best time of day to reflect for me. And I take that time basically every day. One of us walks Gizmo every day. Through all the seasons Wisconsin has, he gets a daily walk – the only time he refuses is in bitter cold or rain. We have many different paths we can take when we walk him. Walks are just great for the soul, you know? Especially with a dog. Dogs are also good for the soul. Journaling has become such a big part of every day, I can’t even imagine starting a day without it. Reading, too. Physically, I try to do yoga and run every day. But there are times I back off and give my body some space, and there’s times I just say screw it and go off the rails entirely for a while, which, for me is like – having a bowl of ice cream or something like that. And I can feel when I need to focus more on one thing or another – like strength training, which I tend to neglect these days. Or portion control, which can also be an issue for me. The more time you take for daily reflection, the more in tune you’ll be with where you’re at mentally and physically, and the more you’ll be able to notice small changes in your attitude and body, so when you see and/or feel you need to make a change you’ll catch it before it becomes a huge issue. Make your soul happy today. Take some time to reflect. Maybe while you walk your dog 🙂
