What Story Do You Tell?

What story do you tell yourself first thing in the
morning?

It’s cold outside, though the sun is shining
there’s that sharp frosty feel to the air but
inside it’s warm and snug.

It’s early.  You’ve gone to bed to late again the
night before and you wonder…just a few more
minutes, will it make such a difference?  You’re
tired and you hate that every morning you wake up
tired.

You roll over, get nice and comfy under the warm
covers and drift back to sleep.

This morning, like every morning for the last 5
months, I got up early, dressed quickly and
quietly slipped out before the household woke up.

I take the puppy for a walk to a wonderful place
near our home.

When we get there, I take her off the lead and
let her run.  After the first bend in the path, we
are faced with an enormous wall of blossoms; reds,
oranges, yellows and browns set on a background of
green. 

Walking on, we pass the little nook in the wild
that an artist has taken over.  He set up a table
and bench and there is a sculpture there, covered
over with a sheet.  Once I walked by and saw it
uncovered.   It is a young boy with his hands held
in prayer, he looks like an angel.

It reminded me of the words of Michelangelo
describing his creation of the magnificent
‘David’, “I saw an angel in the block of marble
and I just chiseled ’til I set him free”.  He
described simply removing the pieces that did not
look like David!

I walk on until I get to my favorite place.

There is a point in the path where I stand in
front of a wonderful view of the valley.  Every
day it looks different; sometimes crisp and clear,
sometimes hazy; the colors, light and air change
each time I am there.

It takes my breath away.  Sometimes I walk with
my head lowered until I reach that magic place so
that when I get there I see the whole view in one
go.  Other times I walk with my head raised and
watch the view unfold in front of me.

Each day I am struck by this perfect moment and I
am enormously grateful.   It is my morning
meditation, my prayer, my special time; I am truly
blessed.

When I met Marianne Williamson a few months ago,
she spoke about prayer.  How daily prayer is like
washing.  You clean the dirt of the day before
when you shower in the morning.  Prayer has the
same effect.

It’s like setting the restart button.  Call it
prayer, call it meditation, call it yoga
breathing, call it a moment of grace.  It’s a
great way to start the day.

It’s resetting your story.  When you wake up,
know that no matter how tired you are, how little
sleep you have had, or how warm and snug you feel,
you have the chance to get up and find that moment
of grace, that special place. 

Tell that story and you’ll be jumping out of bed,
with an energy you didn’t know you had.  You’ll be
right out there, grateful for your blessings,
acknowledging the abundance that is our reality.

What you see and nurture is what grows.
Strangely, it took getting a dog for me to do
this on a daily basis.  At first I told myself a
story that made me grumpy and tired.  Something
about how it was the kids that wanted a dog and
yet I have to do all the work. 

Soon I realized that it is an amazing blessing.
But you don’t need a dog.  You don’t need any
excuse.  You can simply change your story. 

Get up.  Get out.  Get blessed!

What story do you tell, first thing in the
morning? Share it here!

Best wishes and best stories
Lisa