It’s the sum value of each of our days that determines the quality of our lives. This means that, if we reach the end of each day relaxed, positive, happy, and healthy, then we are guaranteed that our overall life experience will be one that we are grateful for having lived! And it all begins with how we start the day. Because every day can be a new beginning…..
Many thoughts around a morning routine start with and focus on physical actions… drink a glass of water, hot or cold- with lemon or not, brush your teeth, stretch, make a list of things to do, shower, what to eat for breakfast… etc. Having a healthy morning routine in itself is a good thing and is to be encouraged.
A routine helps to set us up for a successful day by establishing the tone or mood of how we will think, and therefore, feel.
However, it is our mental attitude that has the greatest impact on how our days will progress and ultimately turn out. This is because what we think about has a direct impact on all the actions we take and, more importantly, HOW WE WILL FEEL AS WE ARE DOING THESE ACTIONS. And this is soooo important because there is nothing more important than the way we are feeling as a determinating factor of the quality of our lives.
So, if your current morning routines are stressful, uneasy, rushed, or in any way unsettling to you physically, mentally, or emotionally, then it would be a really good idea to intentionally work on changing them. If we can begin each morning positive, relaxed, and optimistic, then we are much more likely to have a great day.
“Our outlook on life is a kind of paintbrush and with it, we paint our world. It can be bright and filled with hope and satisfaction or it can be dark and gloomy. The world we experience is a reflection of our attitude.” Earl Nightingale
Some people seem to be naturally ‘dark and gloomy.’ They wake up this way, and then their whole day, day after day, is just a mish-mash of disappointments and let-downs. People who live like this are generally waiting for ‘someone else’ or ‘some other circumstance’ to occur before they will allow themselves to feel good.
But what happens if that other person or preferred circumstance doesn’t occur? Will these people continue to live their days in hope waiting for the perfect relationship, the promotion, the winning lottery ticket, etc. and all the time remain ‘dark and gloomy?’ This doesn’t sound like a very fun way to be.
I get it…. been there and done that as well. We all get out of the wrong side of the bed on occasion, but really, is that a good excuse to let it ruin our whole day, and the next, and the next……
“Put in motion the right cause and the right effect will take care of itself.” Earl Nightingale
To me, this means that if we can begin our day in a positive and optimistic way, this attitude will conspire with us to
ensure the rest of our day has a high probability of being great!So instead of beginning our day with a neutral or negative mindset and then reacting to whatever confronts us, it is to our benefit to plan to, or expect to, have a great day where everything is always falling into place for us and working out for us in the best possible way.
And to make this happen, we need to consciously focus ourselves (thoughts and feelings) on the way we want to be feeling throughout the day. And it all begins with what we are thinking when we wake up every day because we are in charge of our lives ONLY TO THE DEGREE THAT WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR THOUGHTS…… so we need to consciously decide what we are thinking about as much as possible every moment of every day.
“The human mind is much like a farmer’s land. The land gives the farmer a choice. He may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care what is planted. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision. The mind, like the land, will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant.” Earl Nightingale.
By nature, we are optimistic beings and dream of bigger and better things. Most of us like to dream of more, not less. And it is when we have goals and dreams that we are fully engaged in the pursuit of that we are at our best and are the happiest. Can you remember the last time you imagined having one of your goals or dreams come true? I bet it put a smile on your face and made you feel really good 🙂
This is the attitude we need to adopt from the moment we wake up each morning so that we can enter our days feeling ‘on top of things.’ Smiling and feeling appreciation for what we already have, and for the goals and dreams, we are working towards, strengthen these neural pathways in our brains.
And where we place our attention, according to The Law of Attraction, is what we are now creating for our future selves.
We also immediately benefit when we are appreciative and grateful as our brains will secrete ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which is nature’s way of lifting our moods and relaxing our bodies and minds to give us an overall sense of wellbeing.
So how do we feel good when we wake up……. Not by turning on the news, social media, worrying about unpaid bills, continuing the disagreement with our partner from the night before, etc…….. All these things add unnecessary stress to our waking impressionable minds. And you can be sure that WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR MINDS IS WHAT IS GOING TO COME OUT OF YOUR MINDS LATER ON.
So if you begin your morning by checking the news to see what current disaster has befallen the world, checking social media to see who’s said and done whatever, checking work emails to get on top of it, etc…..
….. YOU ARE CREATING A REACTIVE MINDSET, WHERE YOUR INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, CREATIVE, AND WONDERFUL MIND IS TUNING INTO PROBLEMS…… PROBLEMS THAT YOU THEN THINK YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT!
Don’t do this!!!!!!! Why would you choose to start the beginning of a brand new day in a reactive way to what has already happened…… If you do this, according to The Law of Attraction, YOU ARE JUST SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR MORE OF THE SAME CONTENT IN YOUR OWN LIFE NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE……… DON’T DO IT!Going back to what Earl Nightingale said in the above quote….. ‘PUT IN MOTION THE RIGHT CAUSE AND THE RIGHT EFFECT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF’……. So, waking up and cultivating the best possible attitude for ourselves is a much better option….. After all, this is THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE we are talking about…… and it’s up to you how good you want it to be! And it all comes down to what you choose to think about on a regular basis.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
Our lives will improve to the extent that we are able to form habits that cultivate within us a state of wellness, inner peace, balance, and harmony. This means if we want to have a great life, we need to be proactive to become the conscious creator of our lives instead of someone who just mindlessly reacts to people, events, and circumstances, outside of ourselves.
In effect, we need to take control over the direction our lives are heading by choosing the direction, and then actively engaging our bodies, minds, and emotions, to make it happen the way we want it to happen. To achieve this requires that we remain mindful, or conscious of maintaining our focus in the present moment as much as possible. We then need to use this present moment, and all of the ‘present moments’ to come, in the creation of our desired future outcomes.
It is our subconscious minds that are normally controlling the content that we think about as we are waking up each morning.
And this content is based on already established habits and is therefore normally a repetition of our past thoughts or is a continuation of what we were thinking about last night when we went to bed. Both of these scenarios are a repetition of the ‘past,’ it’s OLD NEWS, and repeating the past does not help us get to where we want to go or to become who we wish to be.
We begin to become the creator of our futures only when we can focus the content of our minds on the future that we are wanting for ourselves. And the best way to do this is through repetition…. By creating new habits that will take us to where we want to go……..
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius
Repetition forms habits, and even the small things like remembering to smile when you first wake up, if repeated every morning, will become a powerful and beneficial habit that is guaranteed to return positive results.Our current habits of watching the news or checking social media upon waking are just things we repeated in the past often enough until they became things we automatically do without conscious thought. However, habits are not fixed in stone, and they can be changed, and why wouldn’t we want to change habits that do not support our wellbeing, dreams for the future, and the overall quality of our lives?
I don’t know anyone who has made a conscious choice to live a miserable life, do you? But we see miserable people all the time…. and we may even be related to them, may care about them, or have to work with them. And doesn’t it just suck our energy away when we are around them? Maybe even we have a little of those qualities in us!
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Buddha
So, the tone of our days is often determined by how we feel when we have finished our morning routines. We then step out into a world that is either ‘bright and filled with hope and satisfaction or it can be dark and gloomy’….. (and I’m not talking about the weather conditions here, it all comes down to our attitude and how we are feeling.)
Our tone will determine what thoughts we continue to think, which determines how we feel and how we act and react to the people, events, and circumstances happening around us. And these factors combined contribute to the results (rewards or punishments) that we receive as the conditions of our lives.
Are you currently happy with the substance of your lives? Or do you think that a ‘happier and healthier’ outlook on life would return better results for you?Even if we are living great lives, we are still humans, and as such we are always seeking growth and development. Our potential can never be reached because when we achieve one goal, there is always another, and another, and another….. and this is what is so great about being alive on this beautiful planet in these beautiful bodies at this time……. There is always more and better stuff to experience on this never-ending journey of life!
But for now: What can we do to make our tomorrow better than today?
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Anne Frank
- A good night’s sleep is essential to give our bodies and minds the rest they need so that they can function optimally, with ease, and clarity. It really helps us set up for a great day if we wake up refreshed, energized, and at ease.
- Upon waking, become aware of our breathing and naturally guide ourselves to breathe slowly and deeply. This will help us to further relax our body and mind.
- Smile, and give thanks for the new beginnings that this new day offers. It is filled with opportunities that, if we remain focused, can take us step by step into the awesome future we desire to be living.
- Learn, through repetition, to focus on the good things in our lives so that through The Law of Attraction we will be sure to attract more to be grateful for.
- Visualize positive outcomes for the coming day’s events….. the meeting was a success, my co-workers were fun to be around, the bills are paid, the kids are happy and healthy…….
- Watch or listen to something inspirational, something that makes us FEEL really, really, good, and then share this feeling with everyone we come across throughout the day.
- Imagine, with all our senses (sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell) what our desired future is like if we are living it right now! The more we can make it ‘real’ in our minds, without contradiction, the quicker we will be actually living our dream lives.
“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
I have a phrase that I repeat to myself often throughout every day whenever I catch my mind wandering in a direction that is not directly beneficial for my desired future outcomes…..
I am so grateful that I am healthy, wealthy, happy, and wise, and that things are always working out for me…. Hence the name of my website 🙂
You may like to try this phrase for yourself, or choose one that better suits you. I would love to know what catch-phrases you currently use or have thought up to help you stay focused on your own success, health, and wellbeing. Please share them with our fellow readers below in the comments.
Shared with love and respect for all souls playing this great game of life,
Andrew
Another great article that we have benefited from. We got new ideas of how to stay positive and not negative so our day will be better and not hectic.
The way we think might reflect the way we act towards others and being not team players or interact.
We have an agenda and ROUTINE in the morning so our day is filled and not just sitting there thinking bad thoughts or things from the past that bother us. Bad thoughts can pop up quickly.
This is great for individuals that want their day to be filled with activities instead of worrying about the world or even your past.
Another thing about drama on the T.V and even on social media we do not acknowledge at all as you said., do not turn on the T.V at all. It makes you mad, sad, angry, or even hurt.
Stay away from the negativity and stay in your own lane, our own lane.
Thanks again for another wonderful article that will help lots of people.
Cheers,
Mathew&Deloris
I think most people benefit by having some routine in their lives. It gives some stability and helps to make sense of our days.
Routines focused towards our goals can also help us achieve them much quicker because of the regular commitment to doing something towards them.
And as you say, when we are focused on doing something positive for our futures, we are not sitting around thinking of the past or other problems.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
I wish you well on your journey,
Andrew
Hi Andrew. Really awesome post.
I love the highlighted quotes from Earl Nightingale. He must have said them more than 100 years ago, but that is just evergreen and applicable in every era. I do agree that we are the creators of our own lives and we should really take care of our decisions, our actions, and in the end our emotions. Because as you mentioned, the feelings are making our lives, not the intelligence, actually higher intelligence=oftentimes more depression. So we should really work on our feelings and the results would be smarter decisions.
Would like to ask you, what would you suggest for waking up earlier?
Hi Julius.
Many thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my article. I’m happy you liked it!
I agree that it’s often our ‘intelligence’ that causes problems in our lives. However, there is a distinction that needs to be made here.
We can talk about the inherent intelligence that can be found in all of nature, including all the cells in our bodies, our intuitions, and gut instincts, or the things we have been ‘taught’ that compel us to define things as black and white, right and wrong, good and bad, etc.
Nature’s way, or true intelligence, is all-encompassing and therefore non-exclusive. Within this intelligence, everything is exactly as it should be according to the natural laws of the universe, and there is no reason to be stressed, sick, or unhappy with any aspects of life.
Man’s way, through judgement, separation, and exclusion, tells us that when someone is doing something that ‘we’ don’t agree with, or something is happening in a way that we don’t like, then we will cause ourselves stress. We just need to look at the recent US presidential elections to see this in action. When Trump was in, his supporters were happy and the others were not. Now that Biden is in, the roles have reversed. Both sides consider that they are justified in their respective positions because of the beliefs and ideas they have…. both sides consider they are ‘intelligent’ and have the ‘right’ outlook, and that those with opposing views are ‘wrong.’ I really need to ask, how is this intelligent or even rational?
I am in complete agreement with you that the best option is to pay attention to our feelings and then we would all arrive at better conclusions that lead to better decisions 🙂
What would I recommend for waking up earlier??????
Two options: A better quality of sleep, or going to sleep earlier.
Are you waking up refreshed and looking forward to the coming day or are you waking up lacking energy and enthusiasm?
Good quality sleep is very important as it impacts our ability to function optimally through the day.
Like everything else in our lives, our sleep patterns and quality are based on our habits. To change your sleep, you will need to identify and change the habits you have that are not giving you the desired results.
Let me know if this helps you, or if you want some more information.
I wish you well my friend,
Have a great day,
Andrew
Hi Andrew, I read an interesting newspaper article years ago (not right after waking up, don’t worry 🙂 ). It was about a suburban area near Amsterdam where a higher percentage of the inhabitants than usual practiced meditation and mindfulness. As it turned out, there were fewer burglaries and break-ins in that area than in the rest of the town.
I thought it was amazing that their attitude not only helped themselves but somehow also had a positive influence on the wrong-doers. Nice story, don’t you think?
Both my morning and evening routines consist of several elements, so reading your tips, I am on the right track. 🙂 I am glad I found a new app for my guided meditations. After 3 years of Calm and a year of Balance, I wanted new guided meditations. I found them in Insight Timer.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Hannie. For me, I consider that less crime in an area where lots of people practice conscious awareness as normal, or the only possible outcome.
I say this because the basis of all physical life is energy. And our energy is connected to and influencing all other energy at all times.
We all know this because we are constantly being affected by things that we are not physically connected to….. our moods, feelings, thoughts, and subsequent actions are constantly being influenced by the things we have just seen and heard as well as by what we feel when we enter into different environments and interact with different people.
There are numerous studies that have been carried out in places including maximum-security prisons that show when yoga and meditation practices are introduced that there is a direct significant correlation to decreases in violence. I guess it can be likened to having a container of cold water and then slowly adding hot water. The effect is that the whole container will absorb the additional water and become warmer. Or the violent energy is being ‘upgraded’ to a more positive frequency.
Our environments are the same and can be considered as pockets of energy. And when new energy is introduced, it merges with the existing to create a unique and different vibration. This is why it’s always important to consider how we are feeling so that we can always be sure to impart a positive influence into any environment that we may enter into. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating….. There is nothing more important than the way we are feeling! 🙂
Have a great feeling day 🙂
Andrew
Hey, Andrew!
Thanks for sharing this awesome post. I was looking for some inspiration and I found your post and loved it. I like all those quotes from Earl Nightingale. I learned a lot about success from that guy! The mind-land analogy is one of the best things I’ve ever learned in my entire life and I practice these techniques every single day when I wake up to set the tone for my day. At first, it was hard. However, like with every other habit, it takes about a few weeks of work and effort to set them in motion and then the new habit takes over and you don’t have to think about it anymore. It works practically on autopilot.
Anyways, I found a few golden nuggets in your post here so I just wanted to reach out and say thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work with your website!
Hi Ivan.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my post.
Earl Nightingale is a very wise man! I am sure his words have had a positive influence on many, many, millions of people over the years.
Everything new is hard at first. But as you have discovered, it doesn’t take long to establish these beneficial practices as habits. Then our bodies and minds crave the habit and wonder what is going on if we miss a day or two.
So, for those readers who are unsure of their ability to create new habits, it is possible, and it’s easier than you think. And if you start now, your future self will forever be grateful for your efforts :-)….. Today is the best day to start anything new!
I wish you all the best mate,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
“Every day we are born again”, I love this quote from Buddha. This is a very inspirational article and will really help me when starting my days. Since lockdown happened, I must admit that it has been difficult to start my days on a positive note. But, I MUST try my best to if I am going to keep going with pursuing my dream. I have shared this article with a few people I work with too because they could do with this probably more than me 🙂
I have encouraged them to comment too and if they have any burning questions then they should get in touch, if that is OK with you?
Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom.
Many thanks for sharing this article with your work colleagues. I appreciate that. It’s ok if they contact me with any questions they may have. I am always happy to help in any way that I can 🙂
When you say that ‘I must try my best……’ I was reminded of Yoda, from The Star Wars movie. He said to Luke when in the lake something like, ‘there is no try, there is only do or not do!’ Trying involves effort and is resistant in nature because when we ‘try’ we do not have absolute faith in our ability to achieve the desired result.
However, if we can give up this limited way of trying to get things done, and just know that we can do it, then the process will unfold naturally all in good time. I hope that makes sense?
Having said that, I do understand that the ongoing lockdowns are very stressful for so many people for so many reasons. But know this: They will not last forever, and the time you are given is valuable… only to the extent that you are able to use it to your advantage. So I recommend just relaxing and allowing this recent drama to continue to unfold and it will eventually reach a conclusion.
We always have choices available to us, and we can get angry, frustrated, run-down, or choose to take advantage of the changed situations we currently find ourselves in. I choose to use this time to my advantage, for my personal growth and development….. What are you choosing?
Cheers mate.
All the best,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
What an inspirational post! It’s true that we should start the days mindfully and not check social media or the news right away, which will be mostly filled with negativity anyway. When I wake up in the morning, I usually have my furry, four-legged greeting company which I hug, then I get up, drink a glass of water (sometimes with lime), and make Earl Grey tea. Sometimes I take a walk to the middle of my property at its highest point and I look at the mountains in the distance which look absolutely amazing in the morning lights, drinking my tea, it always lifts my spirits. After that, I prepare breakfast, and then I feed the dogs and cats. That’s how I start my days. It’s a beautiful way to start the day.
I liked Earl Nightingale’s quote about what we plant in our brain, it’s very true.
When I feel a little down, I try to focus on what I am grateful for, and then I look at good things again, which makes me feel better. It often helps.
Hi Christine…. I’m jealous because I currently do not have any four-legged friends to hug in the mornings. The unconditional love we can receive from them is such a beautiful way to begin each day.
Sunrise, mountains, tea, and furry friends…. so awesome 🙂
I think if more people could begin each day in a similar way, we would be transformed into a more loving, tolerant, considerate, and peaceful species. It’s such a simple thing to remove some of the things that stress us out and the results are always beneficial. However, it seems society ‘loves’ to keep the pressure on so that people remain stressed, disorientated, sick, dependent, and therefore controllable.
The power is still in our hands and as individuals, we can choose how we begin and then carry on through each of our days.
I wish you many happy days to come 🙂
Andrew