Why Do You Wake Up In the Morning?

Waking up in the morning is something we all do. We wake up to go to school, go to work, talk to friends or family. There is not a lot of flexibility in if we can wake up or not. Fortunately, many reasons can be found to wake up and be excited about the day. Whether it be a pet to take care of, a friend to see, or just waking up to feel productive, life is full of reasons to be happy to wake up in the morning. 

I have many reasons to wake up in the morning. Although sometimes I forget those reasons and complain, I always have these things to look forward to. First, I have my pets to take care of. They need to be fed, and look to me to provide food for them. This gives me a sense of responsibility for waking up in the morning. I love my pets and enjoy knowing that I am taking care of them well. I am also grateful to wake up in the morning to talk to my friends. I never see them much anymore, so being able to talk to them in a voice chat or just texting makes my day better. Most days we all talk in a group chat, and at night we have a voice chat to join. We’ve done this for many months. This made quarantine bearable, although knowing I can not see them physically, we can still talk. Another reason I have for waking up in the morning is I enjoy having hobbies to look forward to. When I’m not at school or work, I have free time to look forward to. I enjoy playing music, making jewelry and skating. First, I enjoy playing music, I always have. I’ve been learning how to play the bass over the summer, so I had that to look forward to, getting better at it every day. I also make jewelry, mostly earrings, and bracelets. The quality has gone up since I first started and I’m proud of that, knowing I can stick to something and see myself improving. Lastly, I was learning how to skate recently. I’m not good yet, but I’m always becoming better, just like in all of my other hobbies. Seeing the progress I make every day in the things I enjoy is very rewarding. 

Even though I can list all of these reasons, sometimes it is easy to forget, and focus only on your troubles and everything that is going wrong instead. In a bad mood, I would focus on all of the homework I had, chores I still had to do, and just being negative because it felt easier at the time. I admit I ignore my reasons for waking up in the morning sometimes. Bad days happen, and I know they always will. Even so, having just one more good day can make all the difference. Staying positive is hard, especially when you don’t want to be positive. Waking up every morning and trying to name all of the reasons to be happy can make it feel less overwhelming. Sometimes your motivation for waking up is so small, you may not even realize it is there. Daily things tend to be overlooked since we are used to seeing them every day. An example would be my cat. I see her every day, I am used to it. Yet, when I started thinking about it, I am very grateful for her. Although she is just a cat, she is a great friend to me. I know she will always stay around with me. 

Finding your own reasons for waking up in the morning is important. I have my own motives, but everyone is different. Some people may find it quite easy to stay positive, while others struggle with it. People may wake up because they enjoy school, others wake up because they have somewhere to be. Any reason that can be found for waking up in the morning is good. They do not have to be grand acts, they may be small, but either way is okay. 

This writing prompt stood out to me because this is one of the things I have never thought about. Waking up in the morning at first seemed like a reflex, like something we do not have a decision in. Yet, I have realized it is more than that. It is about reasons for wanting to get out of bed, reasons for waking up and choosing to be positive in the daily things you do. Throughout the weeks I have been writing this, I have had bad days and good days. Despite this, I woke up every morning. On the bad days, it was hard to try and be positive, but by the end of the day, I found myself laughing with friends or family. Positive can always be found in life, even if you cannot create it yourself. Waking up and finding reasons to be happy, no matter what they are, can create a positive outlook on life. The smallest thing can be the difference between a good and bad day. This is why I believe creating your own reasons for waking up in the morning can be an important part in having a positive outlook on life.