Being awake to greet the sun and welcome the beginning of a new day

I can admit that I am not a morning person, but due to my work schedule for the last two decades I am forced to get up before 6:30am for work every morning during the week. On average I will log 4-5 hours of sleep a night. The lack of sleep is due to the fact that I will hit the bed around midnight and spend hours slowing down my mind and thoughts. You would think that a “morning person” or someone that gets up before 7:00am each morning would go to sleep earlier, but like I mentioned I am not a morning person.

After years of getting up this early it is funny how your mind and body will naturally wake up without the use of an alarm clock. Even though I have a few mornings where I could use the extra hours of sleep, I find getting up in the morning does have its benefits. The most important one that I enjoy the most is being awake to greet the sun and welcome the beginning of a new day.

Like most people, I have my good and bad days, but each day starts the same. Waking up… The following are things and thoughts I find great about being awake for the new day.

·         It’s quite. There is a certain calmness that surrounds you that you do not have at any part of the day. The house is quite, the wife and kids are still sleeping and you are alone with your thoughts.

 

·         I am able to work on my ninja skills. I have found that I have mastered the art of being stealth in the morning, from rolling out of bed, walking around in the dark. Most of it started when my son was a baby and a very light sleeper. Any sound would wake him. Presently, you would not be able wake him up with a jackhammer and marching band in his room. Old habits tend to stick and besides who doesn’t like pretending they are a ninja…

 

·         Avoiding the morning madness. I suffer from anxiety mostly around chaotic scenarios. The morning offers me a retrieve from the general craziness. I deal with fewer cars on my commute to work and I am able to enjoy the ride to work.

 

·         I found that I am more productive in the morning than the afternoon. Getting to work early allows me to able to complete some work hours before the other employees get into work and I get derailed with emails, request and issues.

 

·         Waking up early allows you to reconnect with nature. The birds chirp a little different, the air is crisper and smells cleaner. The grass, trees and plants all have a different appearance, something you can only appreciate in the morning.

 

·         The best and favorite part of the morning is the color of the sky. Most people are accustomed to fading light of reds, oranges and purple sky’s during a sunset. Although sunsets are great, they are nothing like a sunrise. To watch the sky light up is something truly amazing and rarely seen by many.

 

I recently wrote something for my kids, sort of a life lesson guide to read as they grow older. One of the points I made was to “make the effort to watch a sunrise and sunset as often as you can. To watch a new day come to life and pass is a reminder that no day should be wasted”

I hope everyone can take something away from this and experience your own greeting of a new day. Feel free to leave a comment and picture of your own sunrise.