I can hear you groaning from all the way out here in the heart of Amish country, but I’m serious.

Life is entirely too short to not love the morning.

There are only 24 hours in a day and I bet we waste half of them. If I sleep in, I roll out of bed, kind of grumpy, trying to wait for the caffeine to kick in, probably wearing sweatpants, and barely making it to class. I doze off during class, I don’t take notes, I don’t participate, and I fantasize about getting back in my bed.

But, I’m a college swimmer. So, my days start earlier than the average college student for most of the year. This means I’m up before the sun, my roommate, and most of the birds. I’m in the gym or in the pool, putting in work, getting the day started. After I’m done, I have about three hours until class, which, I used to use to catch up on some sleep. However, I began to realize that after I was already up and moving, going back to bed seemed to kill all motivation I had for the day. I would be grouchy, sleepy, and late to everything for the rest of the day.

So, I said no more. I will get up before the sun and stay awake until it goes down. I will get up and be productive and get my day started. If you sleep in, your day is over before it even starts. I wake up and work out. I make my bed. I do the laundry I’ve been putting off for two weeks. I watch the sun come up and drink my coffee.

I embrace the morning for what it is. Mornings are new. Mornings are a beginning.

Anything that seemed so horrible last night will look a lot better with a little morning glow on it. Let your problems become covered in the newness of the morning. You quite literally get a fresh start every single day. You get to wake up and decide to conquer everything.

And trust me, I know some days there is no “conquer” in you. Some days, there is no “glow.” That’s okay, too. What’s important on those not so shiny, kind of grumpy, late to everything days is that you know you can try again tomorrow.

The beauty of every day is that it has an end. If today isn’t good, tomorrow will be better. You just have to believe that there are brighter things on the horizon.

So I challenge you this: for one week, wake up with the sun. Or before the sun, if you want to see some magic. Wake up early and get something done. Go to the gym, do your laundry, take a walk. Get ready. Drink your coffee. Be happy that you’re awake and here to see another day. Your day heads in the direction of your morning. So make sure you wake up and look upward and onward.