This morning got me really thinking about ritual and how it can change your day (or life even) tremendously.  This morning at 5:40am I pried myself out from between the dog and David, found a tank top and sweats in the dark, and padded down to the basement with ipod in hand.  As part of my focus this year on improving certain aspects of myself I had made fitness a higher priority.  Here is the kicker though...I love lifting weights.  I relish that feeling of power when I can bench my weight.  Maybe it's from spending so many years working out with guys as spotters, but I have a complete aggressive side that doesn't feel the same after a run.  Don't get me wrong, I am in complete awe of runners; I wish I had that kind of ability for zen on the pavement.  I don't and I have come to terms with it after many years of failed attempts at running regularly. 

But, let me tell you.  You have to have some kind of high impact cardio in there as well if you really want to lose weight, and I do.  Weights are awesome, but I don't lose weight fast enough.  Then I had an epiphany over the weekend.  I love dancing.  I mean love it.  I will dance in the middle of Target if the mood strikes.  I will dance even after my calves are burning and my buns feel like they might just fall off my body in search of a calmer person.  So hello!  Why not just dance instead of "workout?"  So I looked it up, and did you know that you can burn up to 400 calories an hour dancing?  Sign me up.  So there you have it.  I got down there, started with some warm up yoga to stretch out the limbs and get that oxygen flowing and then kicked up that music to full-on dance music.  Just try to listen to that without moving in your seat.  I dare you.  Every time I listen to Pitbull it is like a transporter to San Antonio clubs. 

OK, so back to ritual.  At 6:45 I ran back upstairs to start the coffe, wake up David, and start boiling eggs for breakfast.  Around 7:20 I looked around and realized we were all sitting in the kitchen, relaxing and enjoying our breakfast.  We weren't rushing around searching for stuff.  I wasn't standing at the counter bleary eyed trying to make lunch for Olivia to take.  The girls weren't zoning out in front of the TV.  It was a miracle.  Then it hit me.  It was all because of me.  It was all because i had started my day out positively.  I was awake and alert.  Those endorphines had been given time to kick in. 

I sometimes forget the influence I have over the family as the mom.  It really makes sense.  I control our schedule.  I am the constant in the house.  If I am out of balance then it will knock the whole family out of whack.  Who knew that one small hour could change the entire family dynamic.  Amazing really.  So, do you have any rituals that have an impact on your entire day?

***sidenote***
Do you ever have that block where so much is going through your head that you are paralyzed?  That is kind of happening to me right now.  Because of that, I wanted to tell all of you bloggers that I have been trying to keep up with everyone's blogs, but I just don't have the time right now to comment.  I figured I either had to stop reading them alltogether or just stop commenting.  It really is amazing how much time i have gotten back because of this.  I'm sure it will trickle back in, but for now I am going to be happy with the lesser involvement.  I have also thought a lot about turning off comments on this blog.  I think we all get a bit sucked into the feeling of obligation and having a reprieve might be nice.