Mornings

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, and have been getting so inspired. Not to go out and do something huge, but to keep making small change in the way I live on a day to day basis. I've been trying to live simply and conscientiously since high school, and more recent years I've decided that I want to live deliberately and joyfully. I want to make conscientious choices that leave me in control of my own life, and contribute to my overall sense of well-being and joy. Yoga and meditation, of course, fit in here because they demand that you live in the moment, mindfully and deliberately.

Last week I started reading Zen Habits and mnmlst. Leo's ideas match up so well with the mindset I've been (slowly) developing for the last fifteen years or so. I read his blog about waking up early, and I've decided to give it a try. I've been doing it for nearly a week now, with the intention of using my extra time to get some reading and writing done. I'm really liking it! I think now that I've carved out a time of day specifically for writing, I might be ready to take on my great aunt's story. I'll probably write more about this here in the future, but Aunt Belle was an incredible woman whom I've longed to write about for several years. I never met her, though, so most of what I know about her has been transmitted through story. I have her journals and letters, though, so maybe if I just start writing and start digging, something will come to light.

A benefit that I hadn't really anticipated was the shift in mood and mindset that rising early can bring about. Leo definitely talked about this, but I've been struck by how easy it is to wake up early when you're waking up early for yourself, not because you have to go to work or be somewhere. It has reduced work from a dominating force in my life to a simple (albeit time consuming) commitment. Fantastic!

If you've never read it, you should check out Mary Oliver's poem "Why I Wake Early". It was my aunt's favorite poem.