It’s 5am, and I am naturally awake. I am an early to bed and early to rise person. Even as a teenager I would be up hours earlier than my friends. I have always loved the early hours when the rest of the world is asleep, and the new day begins to illuminate. There is so much peace and promise in these few hours. As a child I remember the odors of the early dawn being sweet, depending on which plant was in season. Today, as I sit in Manhattan, looking out at the darkness knowing the light will radiate at any moment, I see a smattering of lights in windows of the surrounding buildings. It’s quiet even in the “city that never sleeps”. Many people relish in the nightlife, they love the vibrancy of activity and getting dressed up (or maybe it’s better to say getting “dressed-ish” because night attire is often based on the least amount of clothing for the temperature outside).
I love the dawn because it’s a daily Do Over with a clean slate. Even though we feel every day is the same as the day before, we pass by different people on the street, sit in traffic alongside someone who happened to be at that exact place where we arrived in the moment. If we slow down to absorb this fact, it makes us really appreciate the beauty of each moment because there will never be another exact moment like it.
I also love the dawn because I prefer quiet spaces over noise ,the same way I prefer to connect with people on a quieter, deeper, more authentic level. Being in a group is fun and I love seeing everyone at a celebration, but between the noise and the surface conversations I don’t leave with the same sense of fulfillment although there is a time and space for both situations. I have always been like this, and looking back, I never understood why I wasn’t as excited as my friends to go out all night long, but now it makes sense.
For parents: Your children wake up every morning with the promise of a new day. How you show up for them in the morning is what sets the tone for them throughout their day. If you are anxious to get to work and barking out instructions to get dressed fed and out the door, it will transfer to their day in school. As a conscious parent the opposite needs to happen when your child wakes up cranky. We still need to show up as the adult but instead of becoming cranky children ourselves, we must catch ourselves and think of creative ways to lure them out of bed. It will likely take them the same amount of time to finally get up, but our day at work and in school will start on a much higher level. Do you notice that on weekdays children need to be dragged out of bed, but on weekends they can be in front of the TV at 6am? And, for those with teenage girls who love the nightlife, your closet of shirts is now the dress store for their night outfits. Whether you have children or not, we are all parents! The child having a tantrum might be inside yourself. This child needs the most love and understanding of all.
I also want to reiterate that no parent can be conscious & aware 100% of the time. Aim for the B grade and give yourself the space to get a C+. It’s the F we want to avoid. Dr. Shefali taught us that being 100% conscious, makes us “un-conscious”.
As I finish up this week’s blog, the illumination of the day is starting, there is a pink hue in the air and the promise of a new day, unlike any before. It’s so beautiful!
If you find you are in a pattern of frustration or feeling stuck and would like to explore how each day is a Do Over of promise, I am here to help you change your mindset. Once you do that it’s amazing how things just start to fall into place.
~Andi
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