How more often then not that we drift uneasy into our night’s sleep with way too many thoughts running through our minds. We play over encounters from the day and the little (or big) dramas. We put more things on the next day’s “to-do” list that we did not get done. We think about times past, what we missed, wish we did or where we would like to be. And we put ourselves fully in yesterday or the next day thinking about what we have to do or sometimes dreading some where we have to be. First of all—not a good way to fall into sleep, but more so this sets us up so that within the first few seconds of our mornings our minds kick into high gear carrying over the thoughts from the night before, and we may actually start to fear the day.

You know that feeling—you wake up and your body feels a bit heavy, your head is fuzzy and you push yourself to get yourself in motion. Within the first very few precious moments of your new day, you have lost the joy of jumping into the day. You pre-loaded the day with expectations, doubt, uncertainty and fear.

This is really no way to start each new day, and we need to flip this mindset.  Think how amazing it is to wake up and feel excited about the day ahead and being in a state of mind where you embrace and look forward to the new experiences that await you.  Think how empowering it is to step into your day with confidence and strength. Think about how gratifying it is to be in the actual moments of your day.

Overall our lives in this physical dimension are a collection or succession of continuous single, unique days. The lives we chose to live in this dimension are determined by how we choose to spend each day. 

With many things going on in life it can be challenging to feel charged for the day ahead—but the more I practice getting in this mind set that the more I realize it is about intention and putting in some effort. It’s not always easy to keep the loud noise from vibrating in my head, to turn down the volume and clear my mind. It takes practice to ease into your evening or night, to quiet yourself, as well as to stop your mind from going into overdrive within the first few minutes after you wake up. Deep conscious breathing and still or active meditation does help.

I think sometimes of the times in my life where days came and went and I was functioning in an over scripted routine—letting worry, frustration, anxiety and fear drive me–where I was rushing just to sit in traffic. Rushing to get the morning work out in. Running from meeting to meeting. Eating lunch at my desk for weeks if not months on end. Rushing to be places as if it would be the end of the world if I was late a few minutes.

Jumping ahead in my thoughts so much that I was not really listening and hearing people. This current physical life is a bit too short to be going through each of my new days like this. So—I stopped. Over the past few years I have worked to change by mindset—and focus on each day as a gift and to embrace my days for the potential they hold. I have made the decision not to start each day from a point of fear, worry or expectation.

Do I always get it “right.” Well, of course not. But in being fortunate to get another day, I hit the reset button. And I have to say over a few years, I have made lasting changes for the better—and I don’t lose sight that I will make the most of each day in the context of that day—rain or shine, crazy busy or slow, red lights and green lights and everything in between.