My own needs

After such higher thoughts (see previous post) you might think that it would be somehow improper to think next about yourself and your own needs. We are conditioned, especially as women, to sacrifice our own comfort and the satisfaction of taking care of ourselves to a secondary place after attending to others.

But it is natural and healthy to be moved to care for ourselves. What do you do as soon as you get up? Do you make your bed (a need for order)? Do you head to the bathroom to use it and wash up (cleanliness)? Do you go to the kitchen and turn on the old coffeemaker (sustenence and strength!)?
These needs also give us the desire to get up in the morning, and fulfilling them is natural and satisfying.
What daily routines help you to stay focused and feel motivated?

Encouragement

So, what kinds of things make me get up in the morning, despite negativity?
I think about those few moments when I first become conscious. What are the things my mind drifts to? The very first thing is the one that most encourages me: my communication with God.
Prayer is something that has uplifted people since time began. We were designed to feel a desire to have connection with our Creator, just as a baby is designed to reach out to his or her parents. Prayer is not the same as meditation. Prayer is honest, open direction of thoughts and feelings to a higher being, while meditation is a concentration of the mind on a certain phrase or concept. A state similar to some kinds of meditation is achieved during prayer at times, one in which the person experiences greater relaxation and concentration.
What do I pray about? First, for strength to get up. My emotions have been in an uproar lately, and my body has felt the effect of this stress. Second, because I care about how my actions and thoughts affect my Creator, I ask for forgiveness from him for the errors I have committed the day before or am sure to commit during the day that is beginning. I know that he is compassionate and especially understand what I have been going through like no person on earth could.
I also ask him to help me in my struggle to overcome certain bad tendencies, like anger.
I thank him for giving me another day of life. Even with troubles, life is still worth living, because there will be gifts provided, even though they might seem small sometimes.
These are just some of the things that I pray about. What do you pray for? How does prayer help you to feel optimistic? I would love to hear from you in the comments. Have a good day!

I once saw a movie in which a man who was grieving was asked how he coped. He said, "I get up in the morning, and I breathe in and out..." I remind myself of these words when I am feeling that life is becoming too much for me.
I hope by means of this blog to share things that help me to feel that I can get up in the morning, ready to face another day.