“How you start your day is how you live your day. How you live your day is how you live your life.”-Louise Hay
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Perhaps you hit snooze. Or scroll on your phone, searching social media or the latest news updates. Maybe your simple words on waking are, “Meh. Another day.”
There is power in developing a daily discipline practice, and this begins with making our mornings intentional. Louise Hay’s words quoted above have truth to them, but so often we forget this. We know that we want to have an intentional year with the goals we set in January, but so often we forget that we can be intentional with each day.
In preparing how to start this practice, think of what the day is asking of you. Although life may sometimes appear to be very Groundhog Day (particularly during this pandemic), there is variety to what the day calls for. Therefore, our intentions may be different each day and for each person. If we have to lead a meeting or upload a podcast we have been working on, the intention for the day may be “wisdom.” If it’s a total day off of work or job hunting, our intention for the day may be “relaxed” or “peaceful. If you are having a date with your partner indoors or even connecting with old friends over zoom for a monthly catchup the word may be “present.”
This small additional practice in choosing a one word intention for each morning encourages us to live into that mantra. We are reminded for our attention to live into our intention. At the end of the day, note how you were true to that intention. This is a practice we must nurture, so if it is difficult in the beginning, don’t give up. There is always tomorrow.
For a short meditation on this topic, check out my Make Your Morning Intentional meditation available for free on the Insight Timer app or from this link below: