How do you start your mornings?
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The first thing I always do is make my bed. I could be half asleep and will still go through the motions of tidying up my space. It’s nice to get out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, to find smooth, clean sheets shimmering in the sunlight. I listened to “Make Your Bed” on Audible last week (review coming soon!) by @Williams.mcraven and he only reinforced my beliefs. Two points for me, before 8AM. 🙌🏼
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I used to then go downstairs, make a cup of coffee, and take it to go. It became a lifestyle habit, to leisurely sip my caffeinated brew while on the road. But I will admit, mornings seemed so uneventful, rushed. It felt like I was waking up to go to work, to go home and go to sleep, to then repeat. Everything before and after the workday would feel like an uninspired blur, and the daily i95 traffic only angered me, reinforced that everyone else was doing the same darn thing.
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I then started drinking my coffee at home. Bought some beautiful mugs like this one, slowly brewed my coffee upon coming downstairs... and I’d sit. Not check emails, not scroll through Slack, but watch the birds at my kitchen table. Write a poem or an entry in my gratitude journal. Form my intentions for the day. Read. For 20 whole minutes, I relax in silence and enjoy the weight of a beautiful cup in my hand, hazelnut aromas swirling underneath my nose.
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And you know what? The simple edit to my morning became so much more meaningful. I didn’t feel like I was on the hamster wheel, but could press pause to enjoy one of my favorite simple pleasures. I felt in control. The grind waited for me each day. And no matter how terrible or how great a day could be, I’d always have a made bed waiting for me at home, and a memory of my morning in my heart, sweet and simple and soothing to the soul.
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Drinking out of this mug now makes me smile. I’ve never paid $40 for a cup and saucer before but it was something I had to have, a staple for these morning rituals. I waited until Christmas gift cards came around and splurged on Amazon, and I must say, my coffee has never tasted so lovely.🙂
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Tell me, friends, what are some of your morning rituals?
