Embrace the day. Seize the day. Awaken with passion. All of these may seem like meaningless sayings – but they hold truth and powerful sentiment towards how you face not only the coming day but life itself.

Think about your daily routine. The hours that you may spend getting ready to go somewhere (work perhaps), commuting to and from somewhere, taking part in activities that you are responsible for (as a parent, student, co-worker, interested party), etc. There are hours spent refueling your body through food and drink. There are hours that sleep requires each day to rejuvenate you and provide you with proper rest. There is not a whole lot left in a day when you factor in all of the items within your fixed and variable daily routine.

The first hours of the day provide the best opportunity for you to actually “own” a portion of your day. It is yours. It is the BEST time for quiet reflection, meditation, private thought, and prayer. It allows for an endorphin boosting walk, run, stretch or swim. There is not much, if anything, going on around you in the way of distraction and interference.

What is going on? Sunrise, sounds of nature around you beginning to buzz as animals greet the day and plants glisten in the dew, the beautiful chimes of a nearby church clock signaling the early hours of the morning. All things to take in, to be thankful for, and to admire in their morning habitat.

I like to rise now at about 5:00 AM. This may seem late for some and too early for others, but it works for me. I get outside and take a 20 minute walk or run. Prayer, dreams remembered, and other reflective thoughts run through my mind between short bursts of pure silence and observation of the beauty around me. The world seems like a different place at this hour as traffic is scarce and the pressures of yesterday and/or today are not really at the forefront of my mind. This is my time. It is all about what I choose to make of it and it seems to provide me with a mega boost of energy and positivity.

I follow this up with about 15 minutes of stretching, a shower, and then off to the office. I am now usually heading out earlier than before I began this routine, in a much better mood to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of me, and feeling physically, mentally and spiritually recharged.

There is something magical about the morning. All of its secrets are there for you to partake in – it unmasks itself before you and lies quietly at your feet. It has no choice.

Embrace the day by enjoying the early hours of the morning. It will be a positive change in your life and you will truly enjoy these precious hours that belong only to you.

KGM