Four years ago, my answer to this question would be to locate and reach my alarm clock snooze button and enjoy an extra five minutes of hibernation. But now I have changed this. It always feels good to wake up to a brand new day, smell the fresh morning air and thank heaven for all the wonderful blessings you have. I am blessed with living in an apartment on the upper floor where I can have a glimpse of the horizon and the sunrise. This would be the first thing I would like to see upon waking up. The Sunrise.

Knowing that today is another day, another endeavor, another trial, another little pursuit of happiness, another chance to do something differently, to learn new lessons.

I am a firm believer that how we start our day has a huge impact on how we spend it.

So how would you like to start your ideal morning?

What is the first thing you like to see upon waking up?

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“One key to success is to have lunch at the time of day most people have breakfast.” ~Robert Brault

It has become common knowledge that successful people are early risers. Although, no one can guarantee that getting up early will necessarily make you successful, there are some sound reasons why successful people choose to wake up before the sunrise.

Benefits of becoming an early riser:

1. Mindful start of the day. The first 15 minutes after you wake up set the mood and the pace for the whole day. If you jump out of bed thinking, “OMG! I’m late!” or immediately start mulling over all the problems that you have to solve today, it probably means that you are not starting your day on the right foot. Waking up early actually gives you time to become conscious of your surroundings, stretch your body, smile to yourself, listen to some great music, and truly feel how blessed you are, because you have been given the opportunity to live another day and make it wonderful.

2. More free time. It is as simple as that – if you wake up 2-3 hours earlier, you get majority of the tasks on your to-do list done by noon. It means that you do not have to stay late after work to finish your projects. You can get home earlier and spend quality time with your family. Or if you do not feel like starting your day with work, you can still use those 2 precious extra hours to meditate, work out, pursue a hobby, cook yourself a delicious breakfast or plan out your day. In any case you expand your free time!

3. Important health benefits. Besides obvious benefits of rising early like having plenty of time to do a quick work out, or eating a healthy balanced breakfast (instead of skipping it), there are other interesting discoveries made in this area. A study conducted of college students conducted by Wilse B. Webb, Ph.D., and Michael H. Bonnet, Ph.D., of the University of Florida demonstrated that “larks (or early risers) reported waking up feeling more rested”, having “fewer worries” and getting more “adequate sleep”. They also awakened feeling physically better than “owls” (late risers).

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