I drank four gulps of orange juice out of the jug at 4AM this morning. It is something I do every morning, and have done so for years. I am the only one drinking it, so a glass would be a waste. And since I am always the first one up, no one sees me.
It is just one of those things that kick off my day.
Dave Gardener writes about “Kickoff Activities” in his Monday morning Daily Ramblings . And while I knew I was a creature of habit I didn’t realize how much so until I read his blog . “Kick off activities are those that trigger other activities during the day.”
True that.
For me… it just gets me going.
I don’t set my alarm. I trust I will wake up when I have had enough sleep.
I begin my day with coffee, and contemplation. My journal is filled with thoughts of gratitude, and blog ideas. It is also filled with information of hikes and new road trips I have recently read about. Even still, it has a list of promises I have made to myself…just for the day.
To others it might look like a list of lists, and I guess it is, but I Iove it just the same. I believe you should live each day as if it is your first, so how I embrace the beginning of the day is pretty important.

So…that wonderful elixir of life, it is…coffee. Even the smell of it, is enough to jump start my day. A small breakfast, and a trip to the gym for spin class or a swim in my pool clears that same mind for a few minutes.
After all, isn’t a healthy life a balance of body, mind, and spirit? Our interpretations of this might look different, and are surely relative to our personalities, but healthy just the same. Maybe you aren’t a morning person and/or prefer to fly by the seat of your pants, but for me, morning is way too important to skip.
Why are morning rituals important?
- Morning rituals set the mood and tone of the day. Like the sunrise, it is a fresh start to the day.
2.They contribute to a purpose driven life, giving you direction about where to go.

3. They ground you, allowing you to walk confidently into the day. You are also more prepared for the days that might test you.
4. It is sometimes a deep breath.
5. It is a chance to let go…by choice. You can sweat out the big stuff at the gym. Make sure you don’t sweat the small stuff…at all.
There is way too much to do.

Benjamin Franklin asked himself every morning…
What good should I do today?
Seems like a great ponder for tomorrow.
Wind Kisses, Donna
How about you? Are you a creature of habit, or do you fly out the door and wing it? Do you have certain rituals that complete your day?
I’m a morning person too, Donna. Generally I read my Bible, do prayers, and read a short devotion that two of my sisters-in-law also read. Then I do one or more Norwegian lessons on Duolingo, as one s-i-l and her husband look to be moving from France to Norway once things settle down in Europe from Covid. Then I do whatever exercise I’m doing: yoga, weights, walking, or just stretching. Usually somewhere in there a ginger-lemon drink or lemon juice in warm water shows up; tea comes a bit later. I’d like to get back to doing more journaling, but haven’t gotten back to a regular routine of it. At one point, I was also doing a crossword puzzle, nothing hard but still good brain food.
janet
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I love your soul, Janet. I am so glad we are connected here. Very cool that you are learning Norwegian. I released German through Rosetta Stone and loved it. And it empowers you when you travel.
I love crosswords/logic puzzles too. They are my go too or long rides and airplane trips.
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Right now we’re working another puzzle that I got from Half Price Books yesterday. It’s lovely but going to be a bear and the other three by the same woman have 1,000 pieces each rather than the 500 of this one. But the pictures are so lovely that I had to get them. We’ll be occupied for some time to come!!
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I weigh myself on the fancy scale I inherited from my Mother and then I eat a mixture of three cereals and at least a half dozen different fruits. Every single morning.
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Ah yes…I just started weighing myself, daily. For me it puts into perspective what went into my mouth the day before. lol. Cant live on ice cream, dang it.
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The scale keeps me from kidding myself for so long that I cannot make corrections in time!
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hahaha. Always an uphill battle.
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Thank you for sharing your morning and beautiful photos with us. I’m a morning person. I do 45 min. yoga to start my day. I also enjoy a morning walk.
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Thanks Amy. Sounds like a beautiful way to start the day. Connecting with yourself.
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Interesting piece. I too am a creature of habit. Coffee is first and foremost!
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Amen!!!! Gets the brain and the body flowing.
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