HAPPY 2022!

Merry Christmas

Here’s to a Christmas tale! A couple of boys – aged 7 and 9, like most others their age did not like waking up early for school. Their parents had tried everything but it was so difficult to get them out of bed. It was Christmas and Mr. & Mrs. Smith were packing gifts early in the morning, certain that these boys would be fast asleep. At 5.00 am the boys were up with excitement, secretly watching their gifts being packed, knowing full well that it was a surprise and they had to keep it down… these were the very same boys who wouldn’t wake up at even 8.00 am for a 9.30 class at school. Mr. Smith turned to make sure there was no one around and encountered their smiling faces, beaming in excitement. He gestured to Mrs. Smith and everyone burst out laughing. There were hugs, gifts were exchanged followed by Christmas wishes, love and laughter.

What is there to take away from this tale?

Early rises

Waking up early is a desire that many of us hold but find it difficult to do. There are just a few people who are disciplined or habituated to waking up at 6.00 am, hence without an effort. But what about the others? What is the motive to wake up early? For all those others who find it a mammoth task to wake up early are a different breed altogether when it come to an early morning trek, a drive to the outskirts or meeting friends for an early morning run. Just like the boys who were up early on Christmas. So, it isn’t the inability to wake up early really but the lack of motive. School or work are probably not things we look forward to every morning. Therefore, we end up awake at a time when there is no choice but to wake up and drag ourselves to the workplace/class.

Santa comes along with his giftbag

This is an experience from 2003. I remember waking up at 5.00 am every single morning for three years straight.

When I look back and rummage for the gift of motive, I realize that I looked forward to the day. I looked forward to waking up, getting ready and boarding the 6.00 am bus that would take me on an hour-long drive to college. I looked forward to the bus ride where I could day dream on just about anything I wanted. I looked forward to reaching college and spending time with people my age that I call friends even today while learning lessons on concepts I had not even known existed. I could do this morning after morning because the experience was one that I enjoyed. I also know that the very same experience was boring and unattractive to most. It wasn’t motivation enough for them to wake up early. We need to understand that one of the most important gifts we can give ourselves is to find that motive as it can be different for different people, and then cultivate that motive like you would grow a sapling into a tree, nurturing it day after day with water, sunlight and care.

Find it in the stockings...

Should waking up early be fun? Associating waking up to get to school or our work is probably not motive enough. I see getting past our daily routine and discovering ‘what will give us joy’ each morning is the only way for us to devour the benefits of an early rise. It is not just about the activity that will give us the ‘so called joy’ but the thoughts that will as well. Fundamentally, we are beings that live in hope. And hope is in the future. Our hopeful thoughts about the future can be one of the biggest motivators for an early morning rise.

The road we are walking on right now... where does it actually lead? What is our biggest dream? Can we trip and dream about that on waking up? What is one of the biggest events this year that you are looking forward to? Can you think about that on waking up? Do you have a big project that you want to achieve excellence with at work? Is that something you’d like to think about? Is there a relationship you want to work on? Would you like to think of how you can bring nurture, love and positivity in that relationship? Our brains are full of energy on waking up as we are well rested. We need to give it the right ‘food for thought’.

Most of the times, we don’t wake up early because we may not be comfortable with our morning thoughts. It may not be hopeful but instead getting us down. Once we transform our way of thinking, early rises could be a pleasure.

Special treats this festive season!

If you are the outdoor kind like I am, let’s really figure out what will give us absolute joy.

A walk before dawn and discovering where the sun rises, an early morning coffee with a friend, a drive to another part of the city or an early drive to the countryside, traveling miles to find your favorite breakfast at the other end of town. These beautiful experiences are waiting for your company. Let’s find time to make the most of these experiences. Actually, you wouldn’t need to find time… time is right there in front of you waiting to be seized, waiting to meet you at 6.00 am (or earlier).

New year resolution

Instead of just making a resolution and seeing it fizzle out in a couple of weeks, let’s go deep into reflection, finding the meaning behind our actions. Let’s look at what is behind the scenes. When we do that, chances that we stick with the decisions we take get better.

2022 is the year that is waiting to be seized. You can do so much and achieve so much. Waking up early can just create a substantial space in the morning that creates even more space in the day. Space for your morning dairy, space for your unexpressed dreams, space for a hopeful future and a fulfilling present.

Happy 2022!