I can’t deny it. I love living on the edge. My inner rebel has often put me in risky situations, but one thing is sure, there ain’t a better teacher than experience itself. And while I’ve turned my life around and traded my old unhealthy habits into new ones, my idea of living like a badass changed significantly. Not even sure I can label myself as one anymore, as I pretty much live like a monk:P
The morning is the favorite part of my day, and its importance can’t go unnoticed as it sets the tone to what will come ahead. I couldn’t do mornings without my daily meditation, as it’s the very first thing I do upon awaking. I mean, one better get somewhere his dose of bliss that will carry him through the rest of the day, right? Meditation does it for me.
As Osho put it brilliantly, at the end of your day, you will come to realize that the one hour you spent meditating was the most meaningful hour out of your 24-hour day. Simply put, there’s not a better way to honor your mind than to give it precious training very first thing in the morning.
After having exercised my mind, the next logic thing to do is to do the same with my body. Hence why I usually exercise in the morning. I find it’s the best time as after a great night of sleep, I’m feeling rejuvenated af and ready to bring my fitness game to another level. Luckily, exercising doesn’t require motivation on my part. I like to think it’s somewhere in my DNA cuz a bitch is always in the mood to knock it out of the park in the sports department.
After having given attention to both my mind and body and attained some pretty dope states of consciousness, now comes the more challenging part. Or for some, something they may repel like the plague.
I’ve named cold showers.
Now, before you freak out, I just want to reassure you that I don’t strictly do cold showers. But, I mix both in each of my shower sessions, which means that everyday I switch between deadly hot and freezing cold when I shower. I’ve been doing this for quite a while now. And the crazy part (or best part) is that my body has adjusted to the cold. Even so that people often look at me with question marks in their faces when I casually chill in ice freezing lakes without feeling like I’m about to die.
Could it be that someone acquired a greater pain tolerance after all the fucked up s*** she’s been through? Maybe! Or maybe meditation conditioned my mind not to repulse pain, but to rather welcome it. Or perhaps, as my soccer coach always used to say, that practice makes it perfect.
To me it’s a no-brainer. Showering is something we all have to do every day. Why not use this time in a way that can actually benefit you? Interestingly enough, even though I often state that my daily life routine never bores me, showering is actually the only part of the day that I weirdly don’t like doing. In fact, it’s probably the thing that I want most to get it done with. Regardless, I’m telling you, cold showers are an excellent way to jumpstart your discipline muscle!
In light of this, these three habits of mine (meditation, cold showers and physical activity) are ones that I will stick to doing for a heck of a long time. (forever it may be:P) They play a primary role in the maintaining of my self-discipline, mental strength and perseverance abilities. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
What’s your killer morning routine?