Toot Toot… Haeyyy… Beep Beep!
Beep, beep, beep…this is how I start every day, waving my hands around trying to find the snooze button. I lay there in the darkness…I love my bed: soft, warm, cozy and safe. I hate leaving it, but I must. I lay face down and stretch my arms out. My bed gets a big hug. Then I roll over and realize I have to face the day.
I get up before the sun, rising each day in darkness. It would be easier to get out of bed with the beauty of the sun shining through my windows. The bright side is I get to watch the sunrise through my car window on every morning drive, as it gradually rises to say, “Hello!”… I love it.
Once out of bed I glance at the mirror. I am a mess. I have to get myself together. I turn my radio on. Music…my inner soul begins to smile. I do some light stretching. I am slowly waking up my muscles. My stretching blossoms into light ballet steps from simple turns to small gentle leaps…then comes my crazy dancing. I let the music take over my mind, body and soul.
As I finish with gentle stretching, beads of sweat run down my skin. It is time to shower and face the music of my day. I am smiling. My mind, body and soul are smiling. In the darkness, I am a shining light. Dancing fills me with happiness. My mood is set for the day. I am ready.
I dance every day for fifteen minutes. It is all I need to fill my body with happiness. This is something I did as a small child. I taught my children to “crazy dance” when they had a bad day. It would completely change their mood. I loved watching their sad faces switch to smiling, laughing faces just from a simple dance.
If you see me at 5 am I will greet you with a warm loving smile. I am truly happy. I am one of those morning people..because I dance.
I only started this new habit two years ago. I was in the mist of great despair and sadness. My son reminded me how much I loved to dance. “Mom, you should dance.” He was right. I am not a good dancer, but I love it. When I dance I am not thinking about the movements. I am writing. My thoughts come into focus. My life comes into focus. I realize I am strong, happy, kind and full of life. My spirit is renewed. Ideas pop into my head; I am creating, I am dreaming, my imagination is alive. I love starting my day with a dance.
This relatively new habit has lead to other good habits. My water intake has increased, my health has improved, I have more patience, I write more often and I am happier.
Yes I try to be happy. I have so much joy I want to share.
Written by: Collette Cottingham; Guardian Angels