Here’s what I think about mornings!

Most days I wake up with sleep still lingering in my eyes, and my body feeling heavy from the trip back from dreamland and into reality. But I also wake up being grateful for the fact that I get another day. I’m usually excited about what’s to come.

It took me a lot of years to realize that every morning is a new beginning. And every day is an opportunity for anything to happen.

On the days that I have to leave early for work, it makes me extra happy to see the sun come through my window to greet me. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t love to stay in bed for a few more hours, but when I actually do get up, it’s rare that I do so without a hint of a smile on my face, even though it is a sleepy one.

On the weekends, I love waking up to the sound of rain. Knowing that I have nowhere to rush off to. I can turn up the music, dance around in my pj’s and just enjoy the moment. Or, I can crawl out of bed, get comfy with a book on my couch and just stay there. Sometimes I even go so far that I get out of bed to make my morning coffee, just to bring it back into bed and stay there for as long as I feel like it. Because even though I love new experiences and adventures, I also love to spend a day doing absolutely nothing remotely productive at times. Well, except for reading of course. And that in itself is kind of like going on an adventure. So maybe they’re not so far apart after all.

During the summer I like to bring my morning coffee outside, together with some fresh fruit, and just sit and listen to the birds. It’s a wonderful thing to just enjoy the morning as a new beginning to what is yet unknown.

I like to think about what I am grateful for in the morning. If I have the time, I will write down five things that I am grateful for in my journal. If I’ve snoozed for too long, I try to make a mental list instead.

Those are most of my days. But there are other days. Other mornings. Once in a while, I will wake up and feel overwhelmed by the world. On those days the morning does not feel like an exciting start to a new adventure. On those days it feels like the morning is a heavy demon that sits on my chest and refuses to move. I can ask it nicely, scream at it, fight it, but it just won’t budge. It will stay put, looking down at me and start whispering all the things I don’t want to hear.

Those days are hard. Getting out of bed is a challenge on days like that.

Whether you’ve experienced the same thing or not, I just want you to know that it’s okay to have tough mornings as well as the good ones. Life is hard. It’s challenging and it will test us. Not every morning can be filled with singing birds and gratitude lists. Some mornings will suck, and that’s okay. Don’t let it get to you. Don’t let the bad days define you.

But I’m also here to remind you to be extra mindful of both the good and the bad mornings. Take notice of your feelings, and of what is going on in your life. Listen to your body, and to your inner voice.

Cherish the good morning! Learn from the bad ones ❤️

Magical Mornings ● POEM

There are mornings that are different

They feel like magic 

In the way that they resemble

No other mornings 

In the way that the coffee

Tastes a little bit more

But mostly in the way that they feel

Like the beginning 

Of something new

☼

©Christina de Vries

 

I was thinking about routines…

Right around the transition into 2016, I watched a video that gave some tips and tricks on how to become a morning person. I’ve never been a morning person. It’s not that I’m grumpy or angry in the morning, I’m generally a happy camper most of the time. It’s more that I struggle to actually get up.

I’ve thought about mornings and early birds from time to time, with envy, but I never even considered making an effort to become one myself. Until now.

I’ve decided that 2016 will be the year when I get down to business, for real. The year where I do everything in my power to pursue my dream of a published novel. I’m tired of looking at my dream from afar. I’ve been slacking off and making excuses, and it’s not okey! So, I’ve rolled up my sleeves and I’ve started the year with a change of routines.

Instead of just writing whenever that creative flows comes rushing, I’ve set myself a goal: To write a minimum of a thousand words a day. I need more consistency in my writing, and this is a great way to start.

I’m working on becoming a more productive morning person. And here are some of the changes and routines I’ve added to my mornings:

• I’ve changed my alarm to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off”, to start the day with a happy wake up call.
• After waking up, I take a couple of minutes to read the latest news on my phone.
• When I get myself all pretty, I listen to music that I love, or an audiobook.
• When I’m satisfied with my paint job, I make myself some breakfast and a cup of warm lemon water with honey. The writing machine needs fuel!
• I start my morning office with writing in my gratitude journal. Start it all with a smile and sense of bliss.
• Then I sit down and I write. I have about an hour to do so before I have to get to work, and I’m amazed at how creative and efficient I can be. Who knew mornings could be so much fun?

I’m hoping to really get this routine on from now on, and when I do, my first draft could be done a lot quicker than what I first anticipated. Can’t complain about that!

While we’re on the topics of routines, I just want to mention a few other things that I’m being consistent with these days to make the most of every single one.

• I listen to a lot of motivational speeches. I find that they really do get me motivated and pumped up about what’s to come.
• I meditate. Not for long periods of time, but it really helps me calm down and let go if I have trouble sleeping.
• I’m working hard on getting more organised. Anything to avoid stress and unnecessary dilemmas that could’ve been easily avoided.

 

Small changes, that in a very short amount of time has made a big difference.

It was time for a change and I’m so glad I made it! Now I just have to stick to it, and listen to what my Mac background image tells me:

“Stop messing around and finish your novel!”

Wish me luck!

Perfect Sunday Morning

Luxury is an ancient notion.  There was once a Chinese mandarin who had himself wakened three times every morning simply for the pleasure of being told it was not yet time to get up. 

~Argosy

I find most Sundays to be perfect. No rush, no pressure and no alarm clock. I can sleep in and I don’t have to feel bad about it. Today I slept like a baby until 10 am and when I got up to make my morning coffee I saw that it was a perfect spring day outside my window. Having that to be the best thing in the morning after waking up besides the love of my life I thought was as perfect as it could get, but then I got a text. Three of my best girlfriends are in town and wants to meet up for coffee! This day just keeps getting better and better!

So here I sit in my tiny home office with my fresh brewed cup of coffee and a smile on my face and a thought hit me;

What if every morning could be as full of joy and smiles as this one is.

Even though I am an optimist I do realize that this wish has no possibility of come true. Every day is different and even though I wake up most days with a smile, I know that there will be sad mornings, angry mornings and sick mornings. The way of life that is. We have to feel some of the bad to really be able to appreciate the good. Our smiles and joys wouldn’t be as valuable if we had them all the time.

But the thing that I’ve promised myself on this lovely spring morning is that I will try to be more optimistic than I already am, every morning. I will say to myself that the day will be wonderful! I will make the most out of it! I will tell the people that I love how much I care and I will take care of them and myself.

I’ll end my late spring morning pep talk with a song that means a lot to me. Enjoy and have an amazing Sunday!