Each Day is a Blessing: Five Strategies to Live with Engagement

Some mornings we wake up, feel refreshed, and are ready to take on the world. Other mornings we linger under our covers and wish the world to pass by. And some mornings might just feel like every other day has arrived, again. Personally, I love mornings! As an early riser, I enjoy the stillness the pre-sunrise hours provide. A cup of java and a few minutes of quiet moments usually accompanied by playing in my visual journal before formally starting the day. Those first couple of minutes of each day are important. We can set our intentions, map out our tasks, count our blessings, recite affirmations, stretch our bodies, engage in prayer, fuel our bodies – all things critical to get us through the next 24 hours of life! We can choose our attitude and count our blessings. Below are five strategies for embracing each day – whether we wake up feeling refreshed, want to hit that snooze button, or feel like it is just another day.

Start your morning by giving thanks for a new day; another opportunity to make your mark upon this world. What transpired yesterday is done. What will be tomorrow is unknown. Simply be present in the very moments that the here and now offer.

Spend time in Nature. Go for a walk. Put feet to the grass or pavement and breathe in fresh air. This strategy I find so helpful to break up the work day. I also enjoy this activity with my partner at the end of a day. It’s a terrific opportunity to connect with Mother Earth and your companion (furry ones, too!).

Learn something new. Find ways to explore, interact, and engage with the world around you so that you learn a new thing every day. When all else fails, we all have that one person in our sphere who is a walking Snapple Cap Fact. Seek them out!

Be curious! Take time each day to look at something more closely and really take in the details (a flower, for example). Explore a topic that is unfamiliar to you and take a couple minutes to do quick research (forget mindless scrolling, put that screen time to purposeful use!). It just might turn out to be something you find interest in!

Engage with the people around you. Ask interesting questions and engage them in a sincere and meaningful way. Waiting at a bus stop or the tram is running behind? Offer an encouraging word to that fellow traveler. Exchange pleasantries with your colleague at the copier. Smile and be kind to the humans around you. You never know, that simple gesture might just be the sliver of sunshine someone needs.

Every day we wake up to take another breath and move about this magnificent earth, is a day to celebrate and be thankful. We are the curators of our life. Embrace each day and live it with a joy-filled heart and purposeful mindset.