“Be still. The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”

Ram Dass

The quiet moments of the early morning are my absolute favorite parts of the day. I am blessed to have the genotype which orients me to be an early riser. Dedicating the first hour of each day to devotional study, meditation, gratitude practice, quiet reflection, reading, writing, and simply pausing to think is a routine that I surrender only as a matter of extreme exception. It is just too essential for the progress through the rest of the day.  

Because I can be very disciplined and routine-oriented, I have to guard against my daily practice becoming formulaic and “religious.” So sometimes, I find it beneficial to turn it all off, grab a journal and ask myself one simple question.

“What am I ignoring or neglecting through busyness that I shouldn’t be?

It can be so incredibly insightful as to what you will find yourself writing if you give yourself the time to do so.