I do it every night. Not because it affects my night, but because it affects my next morning. (I hope I’m using affect & effect right. If not, KBird will undoubtedly correct me.) Oh, I forget sometimes, or I just can’t manage to make myself spend that 90 seconds late on a Saturday night occassionally, but I sure want to do it every day.
Actual photo of me in the am. Plus, Goofy is the bomb diggity.
I set my coffee maker. Clean it out from that day, prep it for the next morning’s brew, and put the timer on. When I know that coffee is ready and waiting for me when I wake up, I am exactly 78% more likely to not mind getting out of bed. It’s scientific fact.
I’ve written a few times (for you, it probably feels ad naseum, for me, it feels like it’s barely been brought up) about my running. When I don’t get my daily run in, my wife doesn’t really want me around. I’m sort of wacky-hyper-abrasive-irritated. I’ve got all that pent-up energy – I haven’t worked through things how I do every since day – I haven’t pushed myself to exhaustion – I haven’t stimulated myself.
What I imagine the view from my front window looks like. I have a good imagination.
There’s something else I do every single day – and without it, the day is all off. I start out each day by giving it to God. Ok, I get my coffee first. And then I sit on the couch next to my front window with my prayer book and just “be” for a bit. Then I tear into Morning Prayer – allowing my focus to be on giving the day to Christ.
I know, I know. It all sounds so cliche. But here’s the thing – just because it’s cliche doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Just because we hear it all the time doesn’t mean that we don’t need to hear it once more to take it to heart. Just because we know it doesn’t mean we’re putting that knowledge into action.
So stop putting it off. Stop saying that you’ll start tomorrow, or next Monday or after school ends or starts or after exams or after this or that is done. Start your day off in the way that matters the most – the way that can impact your day and your heart and your life like nothing else can.
Tomorrow morning, get up and give the day to Christ. Do it again the next day. And the day after that. You’ll be shocked at what Christ can do through you when you truly open your heart & your day up to Him.
The Catholic Realist 