For years, motivational gurus have promoted the concept of positive self-talk, having a positive attitude, and how it makes a difference in our perspective, productivity, and quality of life. Rarely are we told how to go about doing this on a regular basis. There are all kinds of techniques and exercises that can work, but they have to be personalized and meaningful to each of us. We have to believe it or at least behave as if we do.
One of the houses we lived in when I was growing up had a bay window in the dining room with a window seat. That part of the house faced east. One of the things I really enjoyed doing was to get up very early, before the sun came up, get a glass of juice and curl up in a corner of the window seat and watch the sky change.
Between darkness and dawn there was a brief time of splendor. Dark silhouettes of tree branches with incredible colors behind them. Peach, sapphire, crimson streaks, dark indigo overhead and to the north, then as the sunrise itself approached they would all fade into daylight.
This surrealistic light show didn't last too long, but it was enough to get my day off to a positive start.
Even though it was forgotten during the course of the day and its activities, the quiet beauty, peacefulness, and anticipation of that short time reached out to me to return to it each morning.
Not all of us have the chance to sit and watch the sunrise. And for some of us it isn't meaningful. What is important is to find something that is meaningful, personal, and uplifting to start our day.
Whatever we do, our minds are most impressionable when we first awaken. What we do with that brief time between sleep and being fully awake, between darkness and daylight sets the tone for our entire day and how we approach it. We can turn it into a brief time of splendor in which we reconnect with our true selves. Then it becomes easier to view each day as a new opportunity filled with limitless possibilities for great things.
Have a Great Day and be good to yourself. You deserve it!