Getting out of bed in the morning has always been a challenge for me. I've just never been a morning person. It's interesting though that whenever you have something important going on you can get up at 4am and feel totally refreshed. One of the things that really makes my day when I feel like crawling back under the covers is the smile on Rachel's face when she wakes up. I don't know how I conceived a morning person but she has those great days when she smiles and kisses me and says "it's time to get up mommy. I will help you" then she dramatically pulls my arm and urges me out of bed.
Kids are traditionally a source of joy and happiness. It is what drives us to have families. But even those without little ones can find those moments of inspiration that really get you going each day.
One of the great things about living in Idaho is the weather. Well some might not see it as great but there is something calming and peacful about a morning sprinkle of snow or the sound of a light spring rain. The kind that when you step outside you breathe in with your whole body because its more than just the smell, its a whole body sensation. And of course that first sunrise when spring is finally starting to seem like a reality instead of just some far off dream. I love the feeling of warm sun on my face and even though I wince, I also kind of like that bright ray that gets you right in the eye through the blinds.
I've always tried to show my gratitude for those small wonders. My heart swells at the knowledge that I am able to see the beauty around me and start out each day, my way.
Who doesn't love a snow day? That has been a treasure since childhood. I could get up at 6am and be completely dressed and headed out the door and get that call! It's almost like Christmas day. You feel a little like a kid who just got away with something. You race yourself back in bed, jump under the covers and cuddle up to a good book or let your head fall back onto the pillow for the most blissful hours of sleep. My favorite is making a big breakfast and just being completely lazy in my PJs.
So I was thinking, how can I capture the wonderful feelings of those little moments of happiness and apply them to my everyday. How do I change my experience so that I can feel just as refreshed at 630am on a regular day as I do at 4am on a special day? People have said for years that we choose to be happy. We choose whether to wake up refreshed and ready to face the day or to slowly peel ourselves off the bed and slomp through the room making our way to the bathroom much like we were stuck in a swamp.
So I did a little exercise, thanks to one of my teachers, about goal setting and visualizing. It was basically the equivalent of finding your happy thought. Now at first, I believed the average person would choose their kid as their happy thought, right? Well while I have 2 and a half years of amazing glimpses of happiness by observing my daughter, I found that maybe she wasn't my initial happy thought. Wow, I must be a terrible person- I thought. But I did a little self discovery and decided my happy thought is my grandma.
My grandma passed away Sept of last year (2010) and in many wonderful ways my daughter is just like her. She loved life with such joy and gratitude. She loved people and music, dancing and sports. Rooms lit up when she walked in and she just loved everyone. Spending time in South Carolina left the best southern accent and she always knew exactly what to say. I love thinking about her dancing with Rachel to some Elvis.
So my happy thought is made up of two of the best girls I know and it nearly bring tears to my eyes. You know the kind when you feel like you've just witnessed a miracle?
So that's what I've done the past few days. And I feel like its made a significant difference in my attitude. With 150 kids in my classes the first few days of the new term at school have been exhausting. Plus with all the issues surrounding education its a little hard to go to work every day. But even with multitasking night class, State debate, nationals, europe trip, family etc. Today was actually really good. Getting up was a lot easier and using my little happy thought just put me in a better disposition. I'll probably only get 3-4 hours of sleep tonight and I'm not really that worried because I have a little faith that my new trick is going to work. I encourage you to give it a try.
Sometimes a little gratitude is all you need to change your attitude. :)
Here's hoping to a good attitude and more things to be grateful for.
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