Start With Good Morning

A friend of mine says that when she wakes up anxious or depressed, she takes a walk and says “good morning” to everyone she meets along the way. It’s a beautiful practice, and a good reminder of how powerful mornings can be. When we sleep, there’s less clinging in the mind, and so our first thoughts upon waking have more leverage on how we relate to the rest of the day.

In Buddhism, there’s a saying: “The work of the world is never done.” As soon as you solve one problem, there’s always another. Another email. Another scheduling conflict. Another tricky conversation to navigate.

And though capitalism is built on the illusion that we can have a problem-less existence for just $9.99 a month, studies show that animals in captivity who no longer have to solve problems become depressed and stop taking care of themselves. Humans are no different.

So whatever you think you have to do today to solve your problems once and for all — maybe that’s not the first thing, the most important thing. Maybe there’s something of higher priority: your heart.

Start with good morning. When you wake up, before you get out of bed or begin an elaborate spiritual practice, simply spread thoughts of goodwill to all beings everywhere, starting with yourself. The Buddha said that when we develop goodwill for all beings, we gain a share of protection.

It sounds superstitious, but it’s actually very practical. Starting the day with goodwill turns our focus away from our endless problematizing and toward the few things we really need to be happy: a calm nervous system, good relationships, and a mind that knows that, in the midst of life’s stresses, it’s always still free to focus on what brings joy.

Edward Hopper, "Early Sunday Morning" (1930)