For today, I want you to think about how you begin and end your day. Do you have a special routine?
Nearly ten years ago when I was living in Portugal, I would end each and every day by one of the old windows in my bedroom.
If I looked left, this was my view:
If I looked right, my view was out to the front of the house:
It was an old window with two sides that opened with a latch. On winter nights I would huddle by the radiator and gaze out the window. On warm summer nights I would throw open my windows and gaze at the scene below me from my second floor bedroom. These were my most special times of communing with the Lord. I would still do a formal prayer kneeling down, but afterwards I would always go to my window to just talk with my Father in Heaven. My chats were usually accompanied with tears, and they were always accompanied with warm feelings of love in my heart from a Father to a daughter. I treasure those precious hours I spent at that window in Portugal. How I wish I could go back and have one more Start Chat with my Father there.
I like to think of the beginning and ending of my day as bookends. Without them, the rest of my day would fall apart, just as books would fall over on a bookshelf. These two times of day could be considered the most important parts. What you do in the first few minutes of waking and the last few minutes before sleeping have a profound impact on your day and your sleep. These two time periods, if used well, can ground you and center you and bring you immense inner peace.
To be honest, my bookends have never been entirely perfect or consistent or high-quality. Long ago, I used to let the events of the day, (usually the negative ones) run on replay in my mind depriving me of much-needed rest. I thought that a good night's sleep would make all the worries go away, but what really happened was I would wake up with the haunting worries flying right back to my mind like a magnet. I didn't feel rested and the worries were ever-nagging. Over time I have learned how to use these pivotal points of my day to nourish and soothe me. And now with each passing day I am shaping my mornings and evenings into vital time frames that serve me.
As you ponder on your own circumstances, maybe a few of these questions will spark an idea of something you could implement or tweak or fold into your morning or evening bookend.
MORNING BOOKEND
Do you start your day with things that energize you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Do your activities leave you feeling refreshed, recharged, and powered up?
Physical Ideas: drinking a glass of water to jumpstart your metabolism, an invigorating shower, exercise you love, moving your body, stretching, yoga, aerobics, dancing, walking in nature, jogging, Zumba, lifting weights, etc.
Spiritual Ideas: prayer, pondering, study of the scriptures, gratitude listing, listening to the Spirit to plan who needs you and what most needs to be accomplished
Mental/Emotional Ideas: listening to or writing your positive affirmations, reading a thought-provoking book, listening to an uplifting talk, working on one of your projects, meditation, creative visualization, journaling, prioritizing, art, writing
EVENING BOOKEND
Do you consistently end your day with a sequence of things that soothe you and allow you to wind down, preparing you for a good night's rest? When your head falls into your pillow do you feel calm and relaxed?
Physical Ideas: drinking a glass of water or warm juice, a soothing bath, massage, yoga, stretching, deep breathing
Spiritual Ideas: prayer, pondering, study of the scriptures, gratitude listing, communing with the heavens to make an accounting for your day
Mental/Emotional Ideas: listening to or writing your positive affirmations, reading a calming book, meditation, relaxation, creative visualization, journaling, art, writing, talking with a loved one about your day's happenings
A FEW TIPS:
First, you might consider naming or labeling your bookends: Morning Routine/Evening Routine, Power-up/Power-down, Magic Mornings/Enchanting Evenings...be creative and create a name that resonates with you. This will allow these special times to be up close and personal to you.
Second, don't be afraid to play and experiment with different elements. There's no one right way, just many good ways to make your bookends powerful. Don't worry about getting it right the first time. Try a few elements for a few days and change them up until you arrive at what feels best for you and brings you the most peace. I'm still molding and tweaking my bookends to get them just right. Enjoy the process, and remember that life is a process and a journey--not a destination. Enjoy every step.
Lastly, try to be consistent. I know there are days, and more than we care to admit, that leave us taxed and drained and exhausted beyond our breaking point. On these days it's tempting to skip our morning and evening routines for lack of time or an overload of stress. But these routines, if consistently practiced, will be the very things that anchor us to our core and offer a foundation of peace and wellbeing. They are not to be used only when stressed, nor are they to be used only when everything is going fantastic. They are to be employed day after day, week after week, and month after month. They will ground us and center us to the things that will nourish our bodies, minds, and spirits and give us the energy to live the amazing life of our dreams!
What do you do to make your morning and evening bookends powerful times of grounding and centering? Please share your ideas. I'd love to learn from you!
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