Sweet friends,
It’s been awhile since I wrote a “Spiritual Sunday” post. Seems like we get all caught up in the day-to-day of life over here. I forget to be aware of the beauty and grace and goodness before me. Almost like going through my days with blinders on. Have to stop and remind myself to really open my eyes. To be more mindful of the world I live in.
The Miracle Morning
I have started a morning program based on the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
Although I haven’t been faithful to the program every single morning since first beginning (way to get started, huh?), I’m hopeful to be more committed now that school is out and summer vacation is here.
First heard about The Miracle Morning (TMM) through my friend Casey who blogs here about health and fitness. TMM is billed as a life transformation challenge that will help participants (me) realize their (my) full potential and live their (my) best lives (life). It promises to increase energy, motivation and focus, all of which sounds pretty good to me.
But how does The Miracle Morning work? I am just finding out but let me share what I know. It is a six-step morning routine whose acronym is the word SAVERS. Each letter represents an activity in this hour-long practice. Author Elrod recommends engaging in TMM in the same space in your home every day and devoting approximately ten minutes on each of the six steps.
Let’s break this acronym down to see what each activity entails.
The S in Savers is for Silence
Participants begin The Miracle Morning practice enjoying ten minutes of silence. I found this app, blog and book all called Calm that I have begun using during my silent moments.
[source]
Calm is an introduction to meditation for the novice. It also provides support to those who have successfully used meditation to improve mindfulness in the past. Haven’t yet signed up for a Calm subscription but am just using their free introductory sessions now.
The A is for Affirmations
Step two involves something that is unfamiliar to me. Stating affirmations. With conviction.
Because this is an area I struggle with, I sought help. First, I found 25 morning affirmations on a blog post by Rachel Gadiel.
[source]
They are kind of generic affirmations that anyone can speak and benefit from.
- Everything is going to work out for my highest good.
- I am in charge of my mind.
- I am strong in mind, body and spirit.
- I am unique. I feel good about being alive and being me.
But speaking and reading affirmations is easy. Convincing my mind that the affirmations are truths, is a horse of different color.`Wrote my own first affirmations in a graphic that I shared on Instagram and FB. Have a look.
Now to truly believe them and make them reality.
The V is for Vision
Not to be confused with eyesight. During this part of the daily challenge, participants are asked to create a vision for their future. A vision to lead us to the realization of our goals and dreams.
Find myself looking off into space for some reason as I try to envision my future. And squinting a lot. There are the givens…more gray hair, more “laugh lines”. But what about the details? Is it just a little presumptuous to see myself as an award-winning children’s author? An award-less children’s author?
Not according to the good folks at DreamItAlive, where I am creating my own vision board. FREE! You can, too!
My board is a work in progress. Replacing the generic images with my own, and adding explanations of my goals. My images begin at the top left and end, for now, after the word JOY. By fashioning my own vision board, I hope to be able to see and then reach my goals and dreams more easily. All of which will hopefully be more productive than my thousand yard stare.
The E is for That 8-Letter Word
Yeah, you know the one. Exercise. Miracle Morning-ers engage in ten minutes of exercise. I usually save this step for last and then hop in the shower. Ok, I never HOP in the shower or anywhere else. Drag. I drag myself to the shower. Especially after I’ve exercised. In fact, just seeing that word HOP makes me think of pancakes.
For TMM, I am doing a Beachbody 10 minute ab routine. Have the DVD but found it on YouTube and it’s faster to just watch it there. Wait, not watch it…do it!
The R is for Reading
I like this part. Actually, I like it all. But reading is something I am familiar with doing. Being a librarian and all. Participants are instructed to read for ten minutes each morning. I’ve been reading from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Have used this little book in the past as my daily devotional but took about a year off to do work through Victorious Living: 101 Prayers and Praises written by my friend Mary Clewley. So enjoyed that study. Now combining Jesus Calling with a second of Mary’s workbooks Gratitude: 101 Prayers and Praises.
Which brings us to the last letter in the word SAVERS…
The Last S is for Scribing
The final ten minutes of The Miracle Morning challenge is spent scribing or writing. Because Gratitude: 101 Prayers and Praises is a workbook, I do some of my writing in it. I follow that with notes about other things…my to-do list for the day, writing new affirmations, ideas for the story I want to write. Make that the story I am going to write…written as a true affirmation.
I am scribing in the book pictured above entitled The Best Way to Get Something Done is to Begin. Now to begin (complete) my story, my children’s book.
I’ve been out of town for two weeks. And before that was babysitting this little dumpling for a week.
Lucia Carolina. The only miracle in my mornings that week was that I could get out of bed. I was exhausted. Happily.
So I’ve fallen off the band wagon. However, starting tomorrow, I will begin The Miracle Morning challenge again. And will start eating better. Exercising more (more than ten minutes, too). It is a Monday after all. What better day of the week to get back on track?
A Couple of Clarifications
- The Miracle Morning is best done at the start of the day. My day. Your day. If you work in the evening, try doing The Miracle Morning an hour before you would normally begin getting ready for work. Otherwise, set the alarm and get up an hour earlier in the morning to do the challenge. I was getting up at 5:00 am while I was still working. Now I will just get up like I normally do when PC gets up for work.
- Before starting the program each day, jump out of bed, change into activewear (that you set out the night before) for the E part of the challenge. Brush your teeth. Wash your face. Drink an 8 ounce glass of water. Then move to a comfortable – but not too comfy – place where you can follow the program each day. I use the loveseat in my loft where I have my laptop, reading and writing materials waiting.
- The Miracle Morning doesn’t have to take 60 minutes. But is probably best suited to a 60 minute block of time.
Your Turn
Do you have a morning routine that gets your blood pumping and prepares you for the day? If so, won’t you share in a comment below? And if you are interested in trying The Miracle Morning, click here to be taken to Hal Elrod’s webpage where you can download The Miracle Morning crash course for free. I ordered the book on Amazon and listened to it via Audible while shelving books at work.
Thank you for coming by, dear ones. Wishing you a productive Monday. Come back again soon to check my progress with The Miracle Morning and to hold me accountable!
Hugs and kisses,
Lily
I spend the first part of my morning praying.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
No better way! Thank you for sharing, love. I am using the silence time to pray, too! Really like this Miracle Morning.
Whitney @ Whitney à la mode
This is a really cool concept and I love that you’ve added extra apps and tips for doing this successfully. This is definitely something I could do during the summer but I don’t know if I could peel myself out of bed a extra hour early during the school year. Waking-up before 5:00 in the morning sounds detrimental to my well being! Haha!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Actually, I think it was better for me to do this Miracle Morning at 5:00 am because then I didn’t spend all morning doing it. Now that I am on summer break, I am more leisurely and spending too long on each segment of the challenge. Maybe I need to set a timer. I have wound up spending closer to 20 minutes or more on each step. But I love doing it. And make that each step except the exercise one!
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Whitney.
Lisa
I love Jesus Calling – I do not read it each morning – but when I do – I feel as if it was written specifically for me.
Lisa
Daily Style Finds
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Jesus Calling works that way for me, too. Seems like it is always timely and pertinent every time I read it.
Jill
My morning routine is reading, watching the news and then working out. I love the concept of this but not sure if I would be able to devote a full hour to it because I start work at 7:30 am. Maybe I can start in smaller increments….
Jill
Doused In Pink
Leslie Roberts Clingan
It is really a great program, Jill. And you could do it shorter increments or maybe do the first part in the morning and the reading and writing in the evening? I guess it would be Miracle DAY then!! If you try it, please let me know. Thanks for coming by, Jill!! Hey, and if you want to do bucket list with us in the fall, let me know. We would love to have you.
ANNAREED
Every morning I spend my first time for my Lord – Our God!
I pray and read Bible for at least 30 minutes each day.
Anna Reed from gardening nature dotcom
God bless you all!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hi Anna!! Thank you for coming by, reading and leaving a comment. The trifecta!! Spending time in prayer is a wonderful way to begin the morning. I have a cross wall and like to pray as I look at my cross reminders of all I have to be grateful for. Please come back again soon!
Karen Strand
I always start with a soul satisfying cup of coffee. Then I light a pretty scented candle and begin my morning quite time. I’m currently reading through the entire Bible in a year, so between prayer and reading it takes about 45 minutes. After that, I usually read the devotionals from “She Reads Truth” and “First 5”. I love this time of day so much, that when we are away, I not only miss it, I find my self craving it.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I can totally relate to missing and craving your devotional time when you are away from home. It is such a positive, grounding way to start the day. I find it hard to do my devotionals on weekends when PC is home. But we do go to church on weekends so I guess that is the substitute. I have enjoyed reading The Circle Maker book you shared on Instagram. But Jesus Calling is my long time favorite. I have candles in my loft to light each morning but I am afraid my kitties, who join me for that quiet time, will either light themselves on fire or turn a candle over and burn the house down!!!
Thank you, sugar foot for coming by. If you ever get an urge to write a post, come guest post on my blog!! XO