Spending time well

One of the things I really value in life are mornings.

At no other time of the day is there such a sense of excitement and hope, such a smell of freshly baked bread, coffee, and fresh air, and such a beautiful sight with empty streets full of golden hour light.

The best thing about the morning is that I get to do so many enjoyable things without distractions.

For example, I get to go for a walk. Apart from improving your sleep, this allows me to fully enjoy what the morning has to offer, free from the pressure of time. I sit down somewhere to take out my notebook and write for a few minutes – and the words flow freely because everything is so quiet.

When I’m back home, I stretch my body and meditate. I do these things knowing that I’m being very kind to myself – and my body and mind thank me by feeling refreshed.

But there are some days when I get impatient and look at all these activities and think, “This is taking too long! I should cut this down so I can get to work earlier.”

But almost as quickly comes the realization that the reason I’m doing this is because I treasure all of this so much.

To reduce it would make my days – and therefore my life – so much less enjoyable.

It is time well spent.

This is an excerpt of a post on Mental Garden, a regular newsletter designed to help you become a better human through guided introspections. Read the full post and sign up now.