why i feel like i have my life together (most of the time)

showing yourself kindness in the morning as the path to a good life

Mornings are my favourite time of day. I love waking up before the sun and watching it greet me slowly in the sky. I love being in the middle of a flow state—perhaps reading a book or writing in my journal—lifting my head and seeing my living room has been flooded with sunlight (albeit very shallow flooding at this time of year). Mornings are when I get to relish in activities that reaffirm who I am and an opportunity to show myself love. And because I start every morning like this, I can say that I have done something kind for myself every day. And the ability to do this, to me, is what a good life is.

When people talk about “the good life” or having their life together, they think of external things like careers, relationships, finances and material possessions. How’s your marriage? Are you in the right profession? How much money do you make? Do you have a degree? What sort of car do you drive? But I think these are the wrong questions to ask. I think we should be asking questions our souls can answer instead of our heads. How much kindness have you shown yourself recently? What’s a kind thing you do for others regularly? How do you make yourself happy when you’re down? What are three things you like about yourself that don’t include how you look?