Mornings...

This morning I was up just before dawn. The sun began to slip its soft pink glow over the eastern horizon. And even though the weather has grown colder and the days a bit cloudier, I still enjoy being up early and sitting with my first cup of tea, watching the world around me come to life. There's just something solid as well as invigorating in being up early when the day actually begins.

I see those moments watching the sun come up a great start to my day, and it's a ritual I rarely depart from. When I start my day off like this, I find that my days go better. I get the jump on things that need to be done and I'm fresh enough to take care of tasks quickly and efficiently. I enjoy the quiet and the fact that I'm hardly ever interrupted when I work in the early morning hours, so I get an incredible amount of work done during that time.

Of course early rising has other benefits too. Getting up earlier provides you with time you wouldn't normally have to do things you normally wouldn't have time for. If you wish you had time to meditate, exercise or work on some special project you never seem to have time for, early morning is the perfect time to fit these kinds of activities into your day. Your willingness to give up a bit of shut-eye for the personal satisfaction of doing something you truly enjoy can pay off in better physical and emotional health, and maybe even a better job. Many well-known and successful people talk about rising very early to write before going off to their day jobs.

Getting up early also means you are more likely to have time to make a proper breakfast and maybe even a healthy lunch to tide you through the day. Chances are you'll eat foods that are much better for you and you'll save money by avoiding the fast food chains as you make your commute to work. Plus, once you get there you are likely to be brighter, more efficient and will do a better job, which can lead to other workplace benefits such as promotion and salary increase.

There's nothing like looking up from your work at noon and realizing that the majority of what needs doing for the day is already taken care of. I just can't say enough about the benefits of choosing to be an early riser. If you're a night owl give some thought to making the switch. I guarantee you'll be surprised and pleased once you do.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving. It shouldn't be just once in a year, it should be every day of the year. Be thankful for all the mornings that you still get to wake up and see the sun!