It’s so hard to arise and shine

By Mike in Featured

September 25, 2013

Photo: Zugr via Unsplash

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
~ Isaiah 60:1

We’ve come to those glorious days of Fall when the days are warm but the nights and mornings are delightfully chilly. On mornings like these it becomes increasingly difficult to crawl out from under those warm and oh, so cozy, covers.

I’ve been trying to get up between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. since our time at the beach in August. Most mornings I’ll make it by a little before 6:00 which gives me time to read a little, maybe check email and head to the YMCA. But it’s getting harder.

Funny, or at least I thought it was, that two articles I read yesterday talked about getting out of bed to get things done.

At Fast Company, Drake Baer noted that “the most successful people do an annoyingly large number of things before breakfast.”

I’m not sure my tasks rise to the level of annoying, but I do try to read Scripture and pray, then check email and Facebook and occassionally write before I head to the gym. I’ll have 24 ounces of water and two cups of coffee down before I heat up my breakfast which I’ll consume by checking the work email. (I’d check my work email from home except I’m still trying to activate the app on my iPhone to allow me to do so. But that’s another story).

Baer quotes a sleep specialist from Psychology Today who gives a list of why it may be hard to get up in the morning. Top of the list, and most likely my own reason (except for those warm and oh, so cozy, covers) is insufficient sleep.

Most adults need seven to eight hours sleep. I’m hovering between six and seven. Although I have been known to survive a regular job, a writing career and rehearsals or performances in a show with five to six hours sleep. But on those days I generally didn’t make it to the YMCA.

Jeff Goins, a writer who has inspired me to admit that, yes I am a writer (darn it!) says every morning he hears that voice.

Jeff writes, “Every morning, I hear it. That soft but persistent whisper, telling me to give up before I begin. It says I’m not good enough. It tells me that another hour in bed won’t hurt a bit.”

I’ve heard that voice. You probably have too.

But Jeff points out that the way to combat this voice is just to be disciplined to get up and do something that matters.

Sometimes the biggest step is just showing up, or in this case, getting up.

Let’s face it, we don’t read biographies of great people, great thinkers, great preachers, writers, etc. who claim that their success came from sleeping in.

While my writing, art, and acting are my passions, I currently face the challenge of having to address some or all of those, as well as the YMCA, before going to my day job.

Don’t get me wrong, the day job is good. It helps pay the bills. It provides security and a means for me to be able to do the writing, art, and acting. But I think we all know where I’d rather be.

I have a friend who posts wonderful inspirational thoughts each morning on Facebook. She’s a teacher who gets up at 4:00 a.m. to pray, to work out and to prepare for her day. She’s doing great things by the words she posts.

Another friend is a food blogger and fellow writer. She’s also up at the crack of dawn or before writing, planning and offering stories of family life.

So, here I am, finishing up this article before heading to swim. The clock is ticking and I see I need to wrap things up.

Have I done something great? Doubtful. But I’ve done something productive and I’ll be in better shape to face the day.

And, while I’m facing it, I’ll try not to daydream about those oh, so cozy, covers.

It’s so hard to arise and shine

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