7am my alarm goes off. I hit snooze and and take 1 minute to check my email while my brain wakes up. I have laid my workout clothes out so I can literally just step into them when I stand up. The night before, I have packed my bag with work clothes for the day. I attempt to wrangle my hair into some sort of presentable fashion, throw on my shoes and a warmer layer and head downstairs. I steer clear of caffeine as I get tons of energy from eating real food (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc). I usually cut up an apple, throw some raw almonds and a Lara bar in a container, grab my water and put it all in my Jeep. I run back inside to make sure the dog gets a chance to do his business, get him some food and water an
d head out the door. I jump into my car, put it in reverse and back out of my garage, closing the garage door behind me. This entire process takes roughly 8 minutes…and I have become very aware that if it happens any other way, it’s not happening at all. It sounds strict and regimented but how many excuses do you have for not going to the gym in the morning? I have them too.
So I usually have Sirius XM Coffee House on the radio that slowly eases me into the day. I drive down my road, head on US-23 north and I am off. On the highway, the speed of my Jeep picks up as well as the pace of life. I get off just a few exits from where I got on, take a right and it is the most magnificent part of the morning…the SUNRISE!!! I am new to this working-out-in-the-morning thing (I don’t go into work until 10am so it just makes good sense, however it took me 7 solid years to figure it out)…so I am new to meeting the sunrise on a regular basis. I began my working-out-in-the-morning adventure at the end of spring and its as already light by my 7am alarm. Because I would prefer to be outside for workouts (when it is warm enough outside that is where you will find me) it has only been about 3 weeks since I started back at the gym and hence driving this route.
After that right turn, my path to the gym takes me directly towards the sunrise for half a mile, a jaunt north for 1 mile and then about 5 miles into the sunrise…it has become a really special part of the day. It seems as though I have only gone to the gym on mornings without rain. There has always been a few clouds in the sky, but I am grateful for those clouds because it gives shape, texture and dimension to this beautiful canvas spread out in front of me. I love the first sun rays for their reddish-pinkish tones. It illuminates the sky in a very soft and friendly way. In the past few weeks the trees that line my route are also beautiful as they approach peak color season. And as you can see from the picture, whatever is happening in the sky, is also reflected off the hood of my Jeep.
The other beautiful part of this time of the morning is knowing that there is an entire day ahead and though I have to fit within parameters with time, scheduling and obligations (like work), I get to choose what kind of day I want to have. I get to pick the message I want to send to the world that day. I get to choose who I am going to hang out with, what I am going to eat, how I am going to approach people and what kind of attitude I am going to meet the day with. Imagine being greeted by a beautiful sunrise that seems to be inviting me to have a great day, then going to move my body (which includes swimming and you all know how I feel about swimming I LOVE SWIMMING ) getting ready for work interacting with other people and heading in to serve “The Exceptional Chiropractic Experience” at the Cafe of LIFE. I will argue with you until I am blue in the face…life doesn’t get better than that.
I am blessed beyond measure and if you are reading this, I count you as one of my blessings. I am grateful for everything that is this life and it brings me so much joy to share with people. I hear from so many of my readers in private messages over email, Facebook, text message and in person…however I want to encourage you to take one simple action step here…I want to know how you start your days? How do you ensure you are off on the best foot to maximize the potential of your day? How do you begin? Share in the comments below…you never know how far reaching your words will travel. Maybe you will inspire others with your morning ritual. Or maybe you are like me and really enjoy catching the sunrise.