For so much of my adult life, I have dreaded waking up in the morning. I sleepily drag myself out of bed only when I can no longer lie down any longer without missing work or class. Remember those days as a kid when you would practically shoot out of bed at the break of day? If you're a parent, you are certainly very acquainted with this childhood tendency. When we were kids, things were exciting and new, there were things to see, zoos to visit, toys to be played with, friends to play games with, pools to be swum in. In case you think I'm just being nostalgic, I will also point out that childhood isn't all sunshine and rainbows. You have to go to school, which can be a bore. You have to sit around for what seems an eternity while mom talks for "just 5 more minutes" with her girlfriends. You haven't yet come to appreciate some of life's greatest joys yet, like cheesecake. Regardless, the point I'm trying to make is that at some point, many of us, at least for certain periods of our life, lose the sense of excitement at the possibilities of a new day. I can't even count how many times I wished I didn't have to get up and get on with my day because everything I had to do that day was going to be hard, I looked forward to none of it, and even dreaded some aspects of what the coming day would bring.
So what is it that makes our head pop off the pillow in the morning (besides loud noises or children jumping on our guts)? How do we recover that zest for life? How do I learn to embrace the challenges of a new day instead of dreading them? I wish I knew, and I would be fascinated to hear your ideas on the topic. I'll offer some of my own suggestions, though I'll admit that I'm not the most reliable source for this topic.
Find something you're passionate about and throw yourself into it. And don't tell me you're fascinated by watching Parks and Rec or with browsing Facebook. Those aren't passions, they're just you being lazy. You can do better. Having something that really gets you excited and gets your mind running (or maybe gets you running, hint hint) will help you pop off the pillow every morning.
Live for someone other than yourself. A selfish lifestyle fosters indolence and sloth. When others are relying on you, you'll work harder and be inspired by loftier motives. If you don't have kids or a significant other that can be your "muse" or your person who inspires you to try harder, look for other sources. Volunteer or give service or do something, anything, that makes you reach outside yourself. For some reason we are genetically wired to try harder for others than we try for ourselves.
Live with hope. Hopelessness is a soul-crushing and utterly debilitating condition. The darkness that accompanies it can extinguish your desire to do anything. We've all been there. Maybe we've lost our hope because we put it somewhere or with someone that ultimately let us down. At the end of the day, there is only one source that can provide us with never-fleeing hope, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Foster the hope and faith you have in Him, even if it's feeble, it will help. It will give you the courage to face another day you may not want to face. Eventually, by small daily miracles that compound faster than Apple stock in the early 2000s, your formerly dark and dreary days will be filled with a joy and light that will make you want to jump out of bed when the alarm sounds.
I've learned that the best state of being to be in is being in a state of happy exhaustion (try saying that 5 times fast). You'll be so tired at the end of the day you'll sleep like a brick, and you'll be so happy with the life you're leading and the effort you're putting in that you'll hardly be able to start the new day. Be passionate, be selfless, be hopeful, embrace the new day with the crown of the head held high, and drink in the sunshine.
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