When the Wise Arise

"The difference between rising at five and seven o’clock in the morning, for forty years, supposing a man to go to bed at the same hour at night, is nearly equivalent to the addition of ten years to a man’s life." ~ Philip Doddridge

There was a time when nearly all human beings arose at or near the time of sunrise. Today, we think of that time as being nomadic or uncivilized. Sleeping in has become synonymous with the "good life", or the life of leisure. When was the last time one of your friends boasted about waking up at 4 AM? But I am sure you've heard someone declare proudly that they woke up in the afternoon. 

So why do I write about waking up? Because it is a virtue, a value worth striving for, something lost in modern times. Our generation has been deprived of it entirely, and because of it, we pay a price in the quantity of our life, and more importantly, the quality. 

"Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it."  ~ Richard Whately

Think about the last few mornings in your life. When did you last have time to shower peacefully and eat a hearty breakfast? When did you last have time to read the newspaper, check your email or go for a walk before you left home? When did you last have time to sit peacefully, pray and meditate? Such a time may hardly be retrievable by our brains.

The morning is when the mind is fresh and vibrant. One arises liberated from worries and ever hopeful. It is a time of creativity, and also a time of peace. It is a new beginning blessed with the serenity of nature. Dawn has been given a divine significance in nearly every civilization. By arising early, one opens up infinite possibilities. It is the time when our bodies, rejuvenated from a night's sleep, have highest productivity and our minds their highest creativity. 

Practically, it gives us an opportunity to plan our day and get countless tasks out of the way. This, in turn, reduces stress by minimizing the checklist of "to-dos" that bear down heavily upon us all day. It also creates time for us to do all the things we want to do -- reading, exercise, meditation, cooking, and even hobbies. If we take the time to cook a lunch, we'll save money and our health. For students, there's nothing else going on in the morning and distractions are hardly present -- no one is online to chat with, no one is writing on your wall, no one is texting your phone. You can engage with your books single-mindedly and finish up your reading, leaving the rest of your day free to enjoy.

There is really a lot one could say but since Vivekananda first says to arise, it was only appropriate to start with that. The wise arise early in the morning, and doing so can only make our lives better! And by the way, in case you're doing the math, it's not quite 10 years, and more like 3.33 years (yes, I did the math -- [(2*365*40)/24]/365 = 3.33). Nonetheless, Mr.Doddridge's point remains valid because in those 3.33 extra years, we can easily achieve what an extra 10 years of life might do for us. 

If time truly is money, those who arise early are the wealthiest of all.