Every once in a while, I find myself about to slip back into an old habit, such as heading straight to social media first thing in the morning, after I pick up my phone to turn off my alarm. Rather than beat myself up, I simply catch myself, put my phone down, and say my morning mantra. Same with seeing myself in the bathroom mirror each morning – the old habit is to look over my face and body, accounting for any new wrinkles, muscle striations, sunburns, or love handles. The simple act of looking at myself in the eyes and smiling reminds me that I’m so much more than what my body or face looks like that day. And giving myself a high-five serves as a reminder that me and myself are on the same team, that my mind can help my body do spectacular things. (Plus, the high-five to myself feels so silly that my smile turns into a laugh sometimes – another great reminder, to not take life too seriously.)
Morning Stats
Yang/firing up:
high-five in the mirror
stood on one leg, to activate glutes
cold shower
45 minutes on a spin bike
30 minutes of strength training
Yin/cooling down:
morning mantra: “I’m responsible for my own happiness.”
Incremental progress adds up over time, so today I’m celebrating small victories, such doing one more pull-up, three more pushups, and one more minute of meditation.
How much joy can one possibly fit into a day? Is there a limit? All I know is that the more I meditate, bury my toes in the grass, and fill my mind with positive thoughts, the better I feel, regardless of the specific circumstances of the day.
Morning Stats
Yang/firing up:
high-five in the mirror
stood on on leg while brushing teeth, to activate glutes
