Things to Remember About Life

I'm not sure where this is from (besides my MIL's fridge), but I copied it and tacked it up on my refrigerator, too, for a healthy & daily reminder. Thought I'd share! :)

The most destructive behavior .................................................................................................. Worry

The greatest Joy ........................................................................................................................ Giving

The greatest loss .................................................................................................... Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work ............................................................................................. Helping others

The ugliest personality trait ................................................................................................ Selfishness

The most endangered species .................................................................................. Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource ............................................................................................... Our youth

The greatest "shot in the arm" ..................................................................................... Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome ................................................................................................ Fear

The most effective sleeping pill .................................................................................... Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease........................................................................................... Excuses

The most powerful force in life ................................................................................................... Love

The most dangerous pariah ................................................................................................. A gossiper

The world's most incredible computer .................................................................................. The brain

The worst thing to be without ..................................................................................................... Hope

The deadliest weapon ......................................................................................................... The tongue

The two most power-filled words ............................................................................................ "I Can"

The greatest asset ......................................................................................................................... Faith

The most worthless emotion .................................................................................................. Self-pity

The most beautiful attire ......................................................................................................... SMILE!

The most prized possession .................................................................................................... Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication ......................................................................... Prayer

The most contagious spirit ................................................................................................. Enthusiasm

Am I turning into a Morning Person?!?!

Oh how I've never been a Morning Person. Pre-baby, I could sleep the day away. Time before 10am didn't exist in my book. Looking back, I feel bad for my parents who had to deal with me! I was like a bear who had been woken up during hibernation... you don't want to mess with that!
<--<--that was me
{sorry, mom & dad}

Now that I'm older and married with a baby? I'm still not a Morning Person. Conventionally one would assume I'm a Night Owl instead, but that's not the case either. When the clock strikes 10pm, my mind peace's out! Adios! I am mentally done for the night.

I'm utterly grateful that my little Emmy sleeps until 7:30-8 every morning. I know, I know... some of you moms are rolling your eyes at me right about now... My mornings used to consist of sleeping in until Emmy woke up (unless of course we had someplace we had to be), scrambling to brush my teeth before she starts to get impatient, sharing breakfast with her, then trying to get myself ready for the day while Emmy may or may not be willing to entertain herself. This routine left me feeling frazzled and tense.

Sooo.....

If you want things to change, do something different!

& that's exactly what I'm doing! Over the last several days, I have put my phone out of snooze-reach, forcing myself to get out of bed to turn it off {or else my husband might just kick me out of bed}. This little trick works!

As soon as my feet hit the floor, there's no turning back! I drink my hot lemon water with honey to gently wake up my organs, do a few yoga stretches with a side of prayer and gratitude, followed by either writing, or reading something inspirational. I used to turn the news on first-thing to see what's going on in the world, but realized it's just too harsh & unsettling to wake up to. Who wants to hear about the latest local drive-by shooting or fire as soon as they wake up? Not this chick.

So after a little reading or writing, I get to eat my breakfast in peace. & if you're a mom, you know how rare this is... no little one(s) shouting, "Bite! Bite! More, please! Bite!" By the time I'm done eating (which at this point, I will turn on the news to make sure the world is not ending), Emmy is either waking up or, if I'm lucky, I may have time to throw on some make-up and look presentable.

Truthfully, I've come to really enjoy the time before my daughter wakes up. It's worth sacrificing a little sleep for.  My days are smoother and easier now. I feel refreshed and ready to lead a productive day.

<--<--this is me now! ;)

As a former HitTheSnoozeButtonAtLeastThreeTimes girl, I highly recommend moving your alarm out of arm's reach.

{but that's just me... my husband won't do it...}


So what about you? Are you a morning person? What do you do to get out of bed? Have any morning rituals that make your day better?

***
Loyally,
Katie