A photo of me on my choir uniform
I was not a morning person at all. Waking up early felt like punishment, and that made weekends my favorite part of the week. I would lie in bed, motionless, lost in sweet dreams. Somehow, sleep became even sweeter when the morning sun come in through my window and the sounds from my neighbors was like a lullaby. I slept like a baby.
But despite the comfort, something always felt off. I was the only one in our compound who still stayed in bed long after everyone else had begun their day, especially on Saturdays. Even on days when I hadn't done much and went to bed early, I still couldn’t get up with the rest. It started to make me feel odd, lazy even. I’d begin my Saturday chores late, which pushed everything else into the night, resulting in late sleep again. Of course, I’d wake up late on Sunday and never went church on time. Not once.
Then one Friday, I visited a friend and decided to sleep over. I slept like I was in my house. But by 5 a.m., she woke me up to help with her morning chores. I dragged myself out of bed, still feeling sleepy and irritated. After we finished, I went back to bed and slept again. But something shifted in me that day. I couldn’t stop thinking about how she woke up that early to start the days work. Well she has the grace, I muttered.
I decided to take it as a personal challenge and cultivate the grace too: I would start waking up early. It was harder than I thought. I set multiple alarms, they didn’t help much. Then I asked my neighbor to knock on my door or call me when they woke up. That made a difference. Slowly, I began to adjust. I started completing my Saturday tasks earlier, going to bed earlier, and waking up more refreshed. For the first time, I began to be punctual for church and my business place.
To my joy, I was finally accepted into our church choir- a dream I’d once been denied simply because of my constant lateness. I realized that waking up early gave me more than just time; it gave me peace, productivity, and pride in how I handled my day. What I once thought was a sacrifice turned out to be a blessing. Even my business experienced boom.
That one shift- choosing to rise early, reshaped not just my schedule, but my sense of self. What once felt like punishment has become peace, purpose, and a new rhythm that carries me gracefully through my weekends and even my working days. Sometimes, the smallest decisions become the loudest victories.
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