What is it about that delicious time of day, quiet and silent, before the world wakes up with a mad dash, so full of hope and wonder…what will this amazing pressy of a day bring today???

How do you typically like to start your day?  For some people, there is an almost poetic calm that comes from the time spent first thing…. applying this eyeshadow here…. and that blush there.  A moment to savor the daily ritual of making sure our look is right on point. Then, there are the warriors, that take advantage of that first hit of cortisol in the morning and use it to push through plateaus and bust through the lull of a day that would otherwise feel wasted by kicking it into high gear first thing.  Which one are you?

For the bulk of my life, mornings have been a bit rushed to say the least.  You know, the standard fare, consisting of a hurried attempt to throw together something resembling being put together and on time.  These days, however, my mornings have taken on a much more meaningful routine, where silence is actually on the agenda.  As in, I actually schedule in meaningful silence.  Now, the younger version of me would NOT have been able to sit through this silence, even if it was only for 5 minutes.  Younger, teenage me would have reasoned, ‘this is no way to waste away a life!’

Lately though, I am really learning to treasure that splendid time of the day, those precious few moments just before the sun comes up, when everything is quiet, and my mind and body actually feel excitement – and joy and creativity.  I never used to notice this point in my mind and body as I woke up until recently.

Do you remember the feeling you would have as a kid, you know – like when you were going to Disneyland and you were so excited you couldn’t sleep the night before?  I learned recently that we all have a glimmer of that every day, when we first start to slip into consciousness, before our mind starts filing through the to-do lists and social media and your family’s demands, and…..the list goes on.

Lately, my biggest goal has been to extend that window as long as I can, to see what sort of creativity I can drum up, and what sort of ideas can push my goals and dreams further.  As part of the training I am currently in, the book, My Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod has been required reading, and wow does it make a difference. I was very skeptical at first…..silence? Really?  It can’t make that big of a difference.  And then it did. All of a sudden, I could slow down my heart rate, I could lovingly control and push the internal dialogue that had always been racing before.  I could allow myself to feel present, and actually quiet the mind enough to feel…just FEEL… and be. And you know what? All the good stuff started coming in….gratitude, joy, excitement, and the creativity started to flow…and that was only the first item on the list in My Miracle Morning.

In My Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod suggests a method of starting the day in a way that puts you in the driver’s seat, and in so doing, changing the direction of your life into one that resonates with your long term goals.  It can be completed in as little as 6 minutes, or take up to 2 hours. The gist of it is that you spend time before responding to the various demands of the day, to clear your head, and choose how you will direct your energy for the day.  It consists of 6 steps that is described by the acronym: S.A.V.E.R.S…

1. Silence
2. Affirmations
3. Visualizations
4. Exercise
5. Reading
6. Scribing (or journaling)

I am still working on getting this habit dialed in, and sometimes I only do one or two items.  However, even in the past few months, without committing to it 100%, I have noticed a huge difference, in the way I interact with people, the way I feel, and most importantly, the way I show up for those I love.  If success is on your radar – it might be something to look into. It seems that all the “successful’ heavy hitters have a morning routine that is dialed in like clockwork, and even if it only helps calm the mind a bit, I think it’s totally worth the little bit of effort it takes to get up a touch earlier and tell the world around us to wait, just a moment while we collect ourselves. After all, there is wisdom in self care, and when we take that time, the result is that our value, our power, and our confidence stand a bit taller, we are less shaken by the drama around us, and that old fashioned value, composure starts to show it’s elegant head. And just like that, we can make the world a better place!

Did you know this is part of my wellness program? In it we learn all sorts of cool stuff to get our healthy on! If you think you’d like to approach your health and wellness from a different angle, please click below to schedule a virtual coffee date to see if we might be a good match! Have a beautiful day!