I'm not a morning person?!

I used to always say, "I'm not a morning person."
I don't say that anymore.
One day while I was in my karate class I learned a valuable lesson.  My sensei explained to me why he always made the kids jump up and down before the kids practice their katas.  Katas are the art form of karate which is not the most popular part of the class.  In an effort to change the attitude about katas, he decided to present them differently.  He would say "It's kata time!!!" (with great excitement) then the kids knew to respond by jumping up and down and saying "oh boy Sir!!"  Basically, he changed the children's mindset from dreading katas to being excited about katas simply by changing the presentation.  This got me thinking, why was I telling myself (and others) that I wasn't a morning person? Was I sabotaging myself? Isn't that a crappy way to start my day?

Here's how I changed my attitude about being a morning person..

1.  I stopped telling myself "I'm not a morning person" Could it be that simple?  The most successful smoking cessation programs ask people to think of themselves as non smokers.  The same thing can be applied to any negative habits including waking up happy. If you stop telling yourself "your not a morning person" then you will start feeling happier.
2.  I started filling my mind with happy and inspirational thoughts (instead of Facebook gossip).  There was a study done at Harvard that proved that you can cure depression by having people stare in a mirror several times and day while simply smiling.  What does this mean?  Could it be that simple that smiling and gratitude can cure depression?! I believe that to be true.  So if it can cure depression than it can definitely cure your morning grouchiness.  Feed your soul in the morning with good stuff.  I  love to listen to the 5am Miracle Podcast by Jeff Sanders or  the Jess Lively Show for uplifting ideas and topics. If you haven't checked it out I strongly recommend you do!  Even if those podcasters don't speak to you, search Google for popular podcasts and find something that speaks to you!
2.  I started doing at least 5 minutes of prayer or meditation daily.
3.  I started waking up earlier.
4.  I started drinking a glass of water in the morning.  After hearing several successful people talk about drinking water first thing in the morning I decided it must work.  I will eventually drop my coffee habit but for now I'm starting with a glass of water before coffee in order to stay hydrated.
4.  I started a Gratitude list.  It was hard at first but now I can say that I find myself being grateful so often about so many things around me.  This habit has made me so much more resilient and successful in my life.
5.  I started doing affirmations.  I posted 3 signs around my house saying something positive like, "You're beautiful!", "You're a child of God. You're not alone." or post a LIST of 5 things that are great in your life.  Here's mine.  This really got me through my divorce and I'm willing to bet it would help you too!

Looking for more ideas about creating an amazing life?  I think you would love this video post...
The best game of gratitude for families.