I’m NOT a morning person! I said it. Confessed it. Admitted it. Shouted it.


What about you?

I used to feel extremely guilty that I wasn’t a morning person.

For many years I was convinced that good Christians “Rise & Shine and give God the Glory-Glory.” I tried to be that person, but I never got there. I don’t wake up with a smile and say, “Good morning God!” as I whistle toward my quiet time. I’m the guy who drags himself out of bed and says, “Good god… morning” as I smack the snooze button and throw the alarm at the cat.

It’s the constant stories from the early risers that triggered my “less than” feelings.

For years I was envious of those who could live on little sleep and wake up early with one hand on a Greek New Testament and the other hand on a pen ready to write/journal/reflect and pray. Basically, I thought good Christians wake up early and can survive on little sleep because they’re so Spirit-filled. And carnal Christians (like me) need 8 hours of sleep.

I’m not sleeping into 9am, but I’m not popping up at 6am either. Tomorrow I’ll “force myself” up at 6:45 to meet a buddy for exercise at 7:00, but I won’t really come alive and be good to be with people until about 9am. I’ve learned my rhythm. I start slow. I exercise. I read. I have to warm up my body and my soul. I’ve stopped envying those who are “early to bed/early to rise” or “late to bed/early to rise” and learned to become comfortable with my own wiring.

Why write about this? I watched this 4 minute video on “Rediscovering the Value of Sleep” that Arrianna Huffington gave at a Ted conference and it got me thinking. I thought, “I wish someone had told me earlier in my ministry career that it was okay to be myself. Just as no one was trying to force me to change from an extravert to an introvert, no one was really forcing me to be an “early morning guy.”

I guess I wish someone had given me the permission to be more like…well, me.

Click here for the video:


Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep

[if you can’t see the video in your RSS feed, click here]

Question: Why do you think we’re so easily impressed with those who seem to survive on little sleep? Share your thoughts here.

 

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