Smile - be Happy!

by Irwin Lengel
(Lakeland, FL)

So let me ask you, now that you are no longer working, what type of a morning routine do you have?

Are you still of a mind to set the alarm and when it goes off jump out of bed with a mad dash to the shower thinking that you must be ready to head out that door like you did when you were working nine to five? Or is it possible that you moan a bit or so, roll over and reach for the alarm clock, hitting the old snooze button hoping to remain in that wonderful blissful sleep mode until the last minute.

The only problem with the latter is that if you hit the snooze button once, chances are you are going to do it again.

All that will lead you to is the possibility that you will be in a rush once you do manage to crawl out of bed in an effort to start your day.

Wouldn’t it be better to start your day smiling and wondering in anticipation what wonderful things you can accomplish today? Remember, we are retired – hopefully we get to pick and choose that which we want to do every day. Why not do it in a good frame of mind?

Better to try and retire earlier in the evening so that you can start your day on a more even keel. One that doesn’t require you to rush around attempting to get yourself ready for whatever the day will bring and possibly miss some activity/chore or what have you.

When we lay in bed too long in the morning all we seem to do is create a more hectic day for ourselves. In taking this approach there doesn’t seem to be enough time to allow time for ourselves.

You know, that time we should be allowing for ourselves - taking full advantage of the fact that we have yet another opportunity to start again. Getting ourselves out of bed a few minutes earlier each morning allows us time to just sit and enjoy that morning cup of coffee or tea, relaxing for a few minutes, acknowledging that, hey, here it is – another day! Another day for me to make the best of what I have.

Sunrise is one of the best times of our day. It provides us with all sorts of opportunities.

Getting up early, especially if it is in time to see the sunrise has got to be a phenomenal feeling of renewal.

You almost have to ask yourself, what new opportunities are going to pop up in my life today? Yesterday is no more – it is gone. Tomorrow – too soon, it doesn’t even exist yet! What is left? Today – just right now.

Think about it. How does that make you feel? Hopefully, as I would like to put it – “Well, today has got to be a good day – why – because I woke up and I am still on the right side of the grass!"

Just think, another day (for those of us in retirement) to do something we really and truly enjoy. Perhaps it is reading that novel or going to a ball game. What thought pops through your head first thing in the morning when you wake? Think about it. What are you feeling? First thing I try to remember to do is stretch. I am finding that the older I get, the stiffer my joints seem to be when I wake. Actually there are times that I wonder if I lie in bed too long although, truth be told, I probably do not get as much sleep as I should. But I digress. I try to make it a point to stretch every morning. Some mornings it seems to be a chore - but, after stretching, I feel so much better. Renewed - if you will!

Next thing is to take my morning pills (another part of the aging process), have a small glass of juice and prepare a list of all the things I hope to accomplish before the day is over.

Personally I have found that waking up with a positive attitude along with a general idea as to how I want the day to go, works well with me and in reality, usually my days are pretty good.

Especially when at the end of the day, I have managed to cross off many of the chores/tasks from my list. That is not to say that some days I may feel sluggish or really not in the smiley face mood – but – by the same token, I also know first-hand that on those days, I do not accomplish near as much as I do when I look at the day with a positive point of view. I truly am a firm believer that the way you start your day is an indication of how well your day will go along with how well your life will be.

Bottom line and the crux of this blog today is – every morning when we wake, in my humble opinion, we should stop and ask ourselves what good can I do today?

Do we want to be grouchy and bitter or gentle and smiling?

By allowing ourselves that extra moment shortly after we wake, no matter how fleeting it may be, we help ourselves start the day in a calm, focused manner. This enables us to be better prepared for whatever is in store for us.

So smile – be happy!

Until next time.

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