9 Reasons Why I Enjoy Being a Morning Person

I've always been a morning person. Not sure why. My father was an ex-farmer whose factory job had him rising at 4:30 in the morning, so maybe that has something to do with it. Or maybe not. All I know is that if I'm not up by at least 7AM (and most days, I'm up by 6), I feel as if I've missed out on something.

So what's so great about being up in the morning?

Source

1. It's quiet and peaceful. Very few cars, motorcycles and zero truck traffic coming down my street.

2. I can read undisturbed.

3. I love seeing the early morning runners training for the marathon or simply getting a run in before work.

4. Sunrise (if I'm up early enough, of course)

5. Listening to the birds singing when I go out to pick up the newspaper along with the quiet swish of sprinklers

6. In the summer, the temperature is just right.

7. The entire day is ahead of me, filled with possibilities.

8. If I have to run to the grocery store, I can get there before the crowds show up, get my errands out of the way and still have lots of time to work.

9. Sitting on the patio, drinking a cup of coffee while the world wakes up around me.

Daily Reminder (for Readers and Writers, or Maybe Just for Myself)

I have a bad habit of settling down with a book, or whatever I'm writing/working on, or just zipping around on the internet, and letting long periods of time go by. That's not healthy. I need to get up and move, I need to meet my writing goals, I need to remember that there's more to life than reading, writing and cruising the internet. Being a list maker, I like to set myself daily reminders of a minimal amount I need to accomplish each day. I can do more, but I try not to do less (hence, I tend to set the bar low and then try to surpass it). One of today's reminders is:

Another is:  Go Outside just for the fresh air and sunshine.

I don't set writing goals on the weekend. It's a promise I made to myself years ago when my children were young. Weekends are mostly for family and fun. That doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me.

Your Life (in Jelly Beans)

Using jelly beans to represent the days of our lives, Ze Frank asks some serious questions about how we spend our time. How will you spend your jelly beans (days)?

It's the Season for Giving, But...

Maybe it would be better to spread some of our giving to other parts of the year. In this video, Can Money Buy Happiness? by Asap Science, the concept of what we do with our money and how that affects our sense of well being is explored.

A Man Who Pays It Forward

This story is from 4 years ago, but this is the second time in two days that I've heard people discussing "paying it forward," so I just had to post it:

Life-changing 3D Printer

We've talked about 3D printers before, but never like this. Researchers at a Delaware hospital printed a 3D custom exoskeleton to help a child move her arms.

The Power of Perseverance

This video is going viral. It's the story of Arthur Boorman, a paratrooper in the Gulf War who blew out his back and knees, suffered from depression, gained a lot of weight and couldn't walk unassisted. Having been turned away by numerous yoga instructors, he found one willing to help him. Here's the story of what happened.



via Viral Viral Videos

Sweet, Feel-good Video of the Day

Children of Africa. That's all (or maybe Smiling, Happy Children).

A Better Solution Than a Wheelchair?

I know a couple of people who are wheelchair bound, but not not well enough to ask them personal questions about their situation, so I haven't vetted this next video with anyone who can tell me whether the device being discussed is as good as it appears to be. However, if they could make this invention economically feasible, it  looks as if it could greatly improve life for those with spinal injuries. Very exciting stuff.