The world is noisy. If it isn’t the news, it’s notifications or people voicing opinions and asking interview-style questions left, right and center. It’s not that it bothers me; more like it unappealing and can be more than a little unnerving – the noise of it all.
It’s not that I don’t have thoughts or express them (there’s this blog and 100+ songs after all)…it’s that words matter and using a filter brings the best results. We’re also extremely prone to having and harbouring negative, ungrateful thoughts so refreshing the mind is a daily thing. Also, if you’ve ever been around anyone who says every single thing that comes to mind regardless of what temperature, flavour or volume their mind, mood or mouth is set to or what time of day it is, you know just how valuable guarding your mind and checking your heart posture is. Quiet time in the mornings is becoming more precious with each gifted day. Though I’ve been an early riser (without an alarm) for the most part since a teen, the meaning of that pattern has changed and blossomed over time…into something much more purposeful…intentional.
A lot can happen during the day, but when you have a clear and calm start, it can’t be erased. How we greet the day matters and our first thoughts count. A bright start doesn’t guarantee a perfect day, but it makes a big difference for the better towards our attitude and approach to the remaining waking hours of whatever comes our way…at least that’s what I’ve found.
I’ve had many dawns and mornings rushing in groups from onstage to airport lounges, and made it to sunrise after sleepless nights due to past workaholic habits. A calm, quiet and peaceful start is not the same as happening to be awake in the morning.
I’m sure your life has had some challenging seasons too. A few of the things I’ve gone through and grown beyond have caused me to cherish quiet time in the mornings even more. From living in shared spaces and singing in big bands on loud stages and having been in an emotional traumatic situation, quiet mornings have consistently been a time of restoration, refreshment, perspective, healing and joy for me. Like we (ideally) want to feed our body good wholesome food, our mind needs to be on a healthy meal plan same way. Easier said than done but worth the effort.
Greeting The Day
They don’t always look the same – mornings, but usually involve reading, thanksgiving, writing, stretching, shared prayer, a hot drink, watering the plants, nature walks, working out, drawing, listening to birdsongs, making roti, and observing the beauty of creation. It’s so beautiful, and even better when the surroundings in the area are still too – no traffic on the road or interfering frequencies to distract. That said, here’s a post about a lesson learnt without quiet time when waking up to mix cement.
Being – and enjoying quiet can be hard for some. Is it for you? At a time when the media (news or social) is trying to flood the thoughts and shape the minds of many, make sure you know what and how you think.
A quiet morning doesn’t guarantee a grateful heart. Set the mood to gratitude.
Starting each day on a heavy or stressful note can affect your walk for the worse and cause us to miss out on daily blessings and sweet surprises tucked into each day. If you wake up, yawn and stretch to instantly reach for your phone and start scrolling unconsciously, you’re essentially feeding your mind its first thoughts, influenced, shaped and dished out by who or whatever you’re plugging into.
Quiet time in the morning (for me) isn’t about getting more done but about focusing on what matters most – first. It’s about remembering to start the day grateful (I’m no expert on this; it’s a quest) and declare the truth over my life since we have a tendency to forget our purpose once mass media messaging and its marketing machine gets the mic through any devices we turn on, tune into or overhear during the day.
Without being conscious about counting the minutes, a calm dance from one slow and purposeful activity to another can blossom into hours of refreshing time that almost feels like a day in itself. A quietly productive chunk of time that looks and is completely different from the rest of the day once the neighbourhood wakes up and pumps up the volume.
I’m thankful for quiet time in the morning. What’s your favourite thing about it? P.S: thanks for coming by the blog today. How was your morning?
Related post: Re-Setting The Pace & Volume Of Your Life For The Better
A Tropical Lifestyle Blog with singer, songwriter Indra. KINGDOM CALL album is here 
It has become so important for me to wake up early each morning. I found a prayer group that I connect with from Monday to Friday. If there has ever been a time that we need quiet time alone with our Creator, it’s now.
Amen to that…and I happen to now be reading your blog post this morning