What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
A good morning does not need to be spectacular; it simply needs to begin with what gives life order, attention, and energy.
My day starts early, usually a couple of hours before sunrise. I begin by feeding the animals. We have a young dog and an elderly cat, and both are ready for breakfast before anything else happens.
I then have a simple breakfast of rolled oats, homemade muesli and seasonal fruit. After that, I write for an hour or so. This blog is written during that time each day. Sometimes I have looked at the prompt the night before and have a few thoughts in mind. Other days I come to it cold and write whatever first comes to mind.
The writing is variable. Some days I am happy with it. Other days I am not. But I write as a discipline more than anything else. I find it helpful to reflect on a prompt I did not choose. It often makes me think more carefully, and from time to time it helps me make significant decisions. I post what I write in case it is useful to someone else as well.
When the writing is done, I take the dog for a walk through the university. Some mornings we see no one. Other mornings she plays with other dogs that she knows from years of walking the same paths.
It is a good way to start the day. None of it is dramatic: feed the animals, eat breakfast, write, walk. But repeated over time, these small habits shape my life. They help begin the day with some order, energy and clarity
The Afterword 
Leave a comment