A Precious Human Life
Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling,
Everything's going my way.
---Opening Song from Oklahoma!
It's a great practice to wake up in a grateful mood. Of course we can't always control how we will wake up, but we can control what we think immediately after waking. I'm sure the first thought many of us have is something like, 'Argh—already???' before smashing the snooze button. I'm going to suggest a slightly different way of waking up.
It can be very beneficial to turn your thoughts towards gratitude immediately. You can do this either by journaling a few things you are grateful for in your notebook or by simply closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and meditating for a few moments on all that is good. Mentally reviewing some positive thoughts while doing a few morning yoga poses is also a fantastic option.
However you do it, holding a feeling of gratitude will benefit you. Among other things, starting the morning with a grateful attitude helps reset our emotional state and puts us in a more positive mood—and a positive mood is a great starting point for the day.
Along those lines, here is a beautiful thought from the Dalai Lama about how to wake up, by reminding ourselves how precious human life is.
A Precious Human Life
Every day, think as you wake up:
Today I am fortunate to have woken up.
I am alive, I have a precious human life.
I am not going to waste it.
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself,
to expand my heart out to others,
to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others.
I am not going to get angry,
or think badly about others.
I am going to benefit others as much as I can.
—His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
What a wonderful thought, eh? We would all do well to think something similar upon waking in the morning. I'll have more to say about this in the future, but for now I recommend holding the Dalai Lama's words in your head for a while and meditating on them. You have nothing to lose by being grateful and everything to gain.
If you are the kind of person who likes to hang positive messages or affirmations around your house, here is a nice stitching of the quote for your wall: A Precious Human Life Scroll. Hanging it on a wall near your bed so it is the first thing you see might be a good way to remind you to be grateful.
Title photo of the Dalai Lama made by John Hain and licensed freely under the creative commons here
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. More? |
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very nice