“I am awake…..and it’s 3:00 am.”

That is what I said to myself as I sat in the living room this morning.  I actually woke up at 1:00 AM, and just couldn’t fall back asleep. There are a few reasons I couldn’t sleep; an active train of thought, sore muscles, (potty break?), or maybe I was just supposed to be awake.

Whenever this happens to me, I wonder if there is something I am supposed to do; some specific reason that I woke in the middle of the night. Perhaps my mind is in a special place to create, or maybe a prayer needs to be spoken. In those twilight hours, these are the decisions I had to make:

Meditate myself to sleep? om, om, om..not going to sleep I guess.

Get frustrated? Well that doesn’t do anybody any good, and it doesn’t help you fall asleep.

Just lay there? My body was protesting that one.

Get out of bed? Okay, let’s try that.

So many good things in our lives start with that decision to get out of bed. A decision to begin, a choice to move. 

And there it is! A tid-bit of wisdom for my day. Though it is not much more than a simple phrase, it is something I can offer; and therefore it was worth getting out of bed.

 One of my favorite quotes about getting started is from J.R.R. Tolkien:

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”