Goal #2 : Tame your schedule
Taming the Day and the Night : A Stoic and Spiritual Journey
This blog post is based on a personal journal entry I wrote awhile back.
When you Wake and When you Sleep are the 2 Most Important Times of the Day
Each morning and night is an opportunity to master myself, to mold my mind, body, and spirit into something unshakable, something aligned with a higher purpose. My day begins two hours before the demands of work. Before the noise, before the world becomes loud and the hustle and bustle has a chance to turn my attention outward, I first go inward.
After waking, I clean my space. A clean room is a clear mind. I make my bed, set order in my surroundings, because what surrounds us affects us. This is an act of dominion over chaos, a small victory both literally and symbolically that sets the tone for the rest of my day.
Then, I step into the cold shower. The shock of the cold wakes every nerve, but I don’t resist it. I let the discomfort refine me. Cold water is a reminder of my resilience. Afterwards, with a stimulated and alert mind I pray. I speak to God, not just for what I want but also heavily about what I am grateful for.
I often times step outside for earthing and sungazing. I plant my feet on the earth, connecting to the pulse of creation, grounding myself in the simple yet complex paradox of nature. As the sun rises, I gaze at it with reverence, knowing that the light of the sun is life-giving, nourishing my body and soul.
Then I move my body—exercise is not just for strength, but for mental clarity. As I lift, stretch, or run, I feel the connection between my physical and spiritual energy. Remember, discipline in the body breeds discipline in the mind and visa-versa.
I drink water enriched with pink Himalayan salt, replenishing my body with the minerals it craves from not drinking through the night. I DO NOT immediately reach for caffeine first thing in the morning.
At work, when moments of stillness present themselves, I use them wisely. I visualize. I see the man I am becoming, I see the life I am creating. I do not let idle time pass mindlessly. My thoughts are sacred. I train my mind to see success, peace, and strength even while performing the most mundane tasks. This visualization flows through my subconscious, planting seeds that will bear fruit in time.
When night falls before bed, my ritual begins again. I pray and meditate—quieting the mind after the day’s battles. I journal, bleeding my thoughts onto the page, freeing my mind of clutter and reminding myself of the victories and lessons of the day. I write down affirmations—powerful statements of who I am and who I am becoming—and I meditate on these words, letting them take root in my subconscious mind and spirit.
Before sleep, I visualize again. This time, I see my future self having already achieved my goals, my higher self living his higher purpose. This is more than just a mental exercise. I know that how and what I visualize influences my sleep, which in turn influences my subconscious, and ultimately, how I will rise the next day. The dreamworld affects us more than you think.
Every day, every night, is a cycle of refinement. The more I master my mornings and nights, the more I master myself. The more I master myself, the more I align with God’s purpose for me. The path is not easy, but I welcome the challenge. This is The Way and The Truth. And this is the man I choose to be. Remember, in order to live a new life, you have to leave the old one behind.
