Today's quotation:

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive-- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Today's Meditation:

I don't think that too many people do this first thing in the morning.  Most people seem to be focused on the tasks that are ahead of them for today-- what has to be done, where they have to go, when they have to be where.  When our lives revolve around our careers and (hopefully) our families, it's very easy to be focused on something other than the glory and the blessing of a new day in our lives.  If we turn on the news or pick up the paper and see the scandals and violence and wars, it can be difficult to appreciate the privileges we have.

I made a CD and bought an alarm clock that played compact discs as an alarm.  The first song that we woke up to in the morning, then was "What a Wonderful World."  It was nice having that reminder of the beauty of the world in my mind the first thing every day.  In our motor home we don't have room for that alarm clock, but I still do my best to listen to uplifting music and read uplifting words every morning so that my mind is focused on the fact that I am, indeed, privileged to be alive on this day, whatever its weather or circumstances.

When we focus on the privilege that we have of breathing the air of this planet and thinking our own unique thoughts and enjoying all this world has to give us, our lives take on a new luster, a new shine.  When we focus early in the morning on the privilege of sharing the love we have with others, life has a much deeper meaning.

We choose what we think.  We choose what we wake up to, and we choose the first things we think about.  I hope that I'm always able to start my days with positive, uplifting thoughts about gratitude and love.

For further thought:

Most mornings when I awake, I am pleasantly surprised to find I’m still alive.  On occasion I have been known to wake up mean and irritable, but even then I can choose not to stay that way.  Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may not come.  Today is the only slot of time I really have.  What a shame to blow it.
I want to make today the very best possible. . . . Before I crawl out of bed, I thank the Lord for another day and ask for strength.  Maybe I’m to clean the house, or work at the office, or talk with a friend over lunch.  The tasks aren’t the issue; my attitude is.

Marabel Morgan

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