Myrna!

Every once in a while, my wife and I have the great pleasure to “dog-sit” a dog named Myrna. I use the term “dog” here loosely as Myrna is really what seems to be a cross between a Chihuahua, a rat, and a bearded dragon. Regardless of that, she is damn cute and sweet. Myrna is in the older years of her life (I won’t tell how old…that would be rude), has had many teeth removed, may be losing some of her eye-sight, sleeps most of the day, and…well…you get the picture. All that being said, it is inspiring to us that every morning, upon waking, Myrna will alternate between racing around the bedroom and putting her front paws up on the side of our bed (which is entirely too tall for her to jump up onto) hopping in place making little growly, squeaky sounds.

EVERY. MORNING.

Her excitement is contagious! We get involved and talk to her in complete sentences about how exciting it is to get out of bed and be ready for the day as if she can understand us…we’re not alone in this, right? It’s possible that I might even have been known to race around the room with her once or twice.

Reflection time…

So, Myrna and I wonder…how do you feel upon waking? Are you the type that hits the snooze button several times, dreading the moment when you actually MUST get out of bed? OR, are you a Myrna? Maybe you fall somewhere in-between? Take a few moments now and think about it (I’ll wait). I’m guessing that, if you are like most people, you have days that look like all three options…I know I do. Now, take another moment or two and think about the days when you wake-up and jump out of bed without hitting the snooze button. What is it about those days that make you want to get up right away and ‘seize the day’ as it were? Is there something special planned? Is it only on the weekend? Maybe it has something to do with how many hours of sleep you are achieving?

Whatever it is, try to isolate those few things and incorporate them into your schedule regularly. Can you develop a better sleep routine (get suggestions in my snoozer of a post here)? Can you structure your mornings in such a way that you give yourself some extra time to enjoy your breakfast slowly or with your significant other? Maybe, the answer lies in what you tell yourself upon waking…try using positive affirmations (1-3 every day is sufficient) – find a list and how to use them here.

Let me know in the comments below what you think your best wake-up strategies can be moving forward…I look forward to hearing from you…who knows, it might just be what propels me out of bed!

As always, Take Care of YourSELF,

Edward