Good morning.
Welcome to this moment.
This quiet space before the day begins.
As you wake,
Resist the urge to check your emails or social media or dive straight into the busyness of the day.
Instead,
Give yourself these next few minutes just for you.
If you need to check the time,
Open your eyes briefly,
Then close them again.
If an alarm has woken you up,
Turn it off.
Set your alarm so you have 10 minutes to centre yourself before jumping into the day.
In ancient times,
Life moved much more slowly.
There was no urgent need to know everything happening in the world at every moment,
Unless of course you were a military strategist.
There was no way to instantly learn what was going on with strangers or even with friends who weren't nearby.
If we had farms,
We simply knew what needed to be done each day.
We tended to the animals or the crops and we were present with our work.
If we wanted or needed to reach out to someone,
We wrote letters.
Surprisingly,
That was still the case just 30 years ago.
But now everything moves at an overwhelming pace.
The stress of constant information is unnecessary,
Not just in this moment,
But in life.
So for now,
Take a pause.
Reflect on what is happening around you.
Do you hear any noises in your room?
What do you know about yourself in this moment?
Where are you?
Who is your family?
Who do you love?
Who loves you?
Now notice the noises outside your room and come back to listen to the quiet inside your room.
Feel the weight of your head on the pillow.
Your shoulder resting on the bed.
Your body fully supported.
Notice what is beginning to wake up within you.
Maybe start to move a little.
Shift your hips a bit and stretch out the stiffness of the night while holding on to the peace of your rest.
Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale.
Again breathe in deeply and let it go.
Breathe in the peace and restoration of the night and let it fill you.
Now begin to move a little more.
Slowly start to surface.
Gently start thinking about your day,
Not with stress,
But with intention.
What opportunities lie ahead?
Will you spend time with your children?
Will you go to work?
Whatever your day holds,
Recognize the gift in it.
Maybe today is a day off,
A chance to rest.
A day with no obligations.
Or maybe there are people depending on you,
Asking things of you.
But even in the midst of everything,
You are still here.
You still have your own space,
Your own presence in the world.
But right now,
These 10 minutes are yours.
This is your time to reset,
To reconnect with yourself.
Let the energy of the day,
Strong,
Powerful,
Supportive and clear,
Return to you.
If you feel any stress creeping in,
The urgency to get started,
The temptation to look at your phone,
Breathe it out.
There will be time for that.
But now is not that time.
Now is the time to gather yourself.
To step into the world whole,
Strong and centered.
Now,
Let's move backwards through your day.
Instead of rushing forward,
Imagine yourself at the end of the day.
How do you feel?
Are you at peace?
Fulfilled?
Energized?
Now take a step back in your mind.
What moments brought you there?
What conversations,
Actions or choices shaped that feeling?
Now move back further,
Through the core of your day.
Think about the people you will interact with,
The tasks you will complete,
The spaces you will move through.
Now step back once more,
To the very beginning of your morning.
From this perspective,
You see your day clearly.
You see where your energy is needed and where you can create space.
Take another deep breath in and exhale.
Now set an intention.
How do you want to feel at the end of the day?
Do you want to feel accomplished?
At ease?
Grateful?
Content?
Every choice you make today will shape that outcome.
At each moment you can choose.
Now take one last deep breath in and exhale.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Stretch,
Smile and step into your day with clarity,
Presence and purpose.