When you first wake up in the morning, what do you fill your mind with?
The news? The positive and inspiring local and world news. Does it get you fired up to go out and live today on purpose? I hope you sense my sarcasm. Very few news stories are positive and inspiring!
Our days are going to be filled with interruptions – people wanting our attention at home and work, phone ringing, distractions of social media as we scroll through status updates, driving to work and appointments with unique drivers, running errands, and on and on.
When I learned about an awesome concept of “bookending my day” in the The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy last summer – my life was forever changed. I already tried to read 10 Pages A Day. However, now I try to start and finish each day with something that I can control – what content I feed my mind.
I get my cup overflowing in the morning when I wake up, BEFORE I read my emails, social media, turn on my computer or TV. I turn to my daily devotional, a self-help, personal or business development, or The Bible to fill my mind with positive, inspiring content.
Now some mornings, with two little boys this is difficult. Often with two toddlers, I’m still woken up multiple times in the night and am exhausted or they are my wake up call in the morning. Once I get them settled or amused, I’m back to my morning kickstart!
I used to read lots of self help / personal growth books, the last year I started reading The Bible more for my inspiration. However, I do still enjoy hearing other people’s stories / life experiences and dive into personal and spiritual development books and look for scripture that relates.
I subscribe to this devotional that arrives in my email Inbox every weekday!
Then the chaos of the day happens!
Before I go to sleep at night, I do the same thing. Clear my mind, unwind with similar positive reading/thoughts and turn over all my worries, stresses, negativity to God with love (usually easier said then done), but I lean on this scripture:
“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27 NLT)
When I have a lot on my mind, I remind myself of this scripture because I don’t want the enemy to have any foot hold in my mind, while I sleep and rejuvenate!
How do you start and finish your day?
Blessings,
Robyn