Have you ever woken up to the sunlight streaming through your window, only to realize you hit the snooze button far too many times? Benjamin Franklin’s words, He that riseth late must trot all day, carry a weight that feels very familiar on those sluggish mornings. To me, this quote isn't about being harsh or judgmental about sleep; it is a gentle reminder about the rhythm of our lives. It suggests that when we miss the quiet, intentional start of the day, we often spend the remaining hours playing catch-up, rushing through tasks with a sense of frantic urgency instead of flowing through them with grace.

In our modern world, it is so easy to fall into the trap of the 'late start.' We scroll through our phones, losing precious minutes to digital distractions, and suddenly the clock is ticking loudly. When we start our day in a state of reaction rather than intention, our entire momentum shifts. We aren't driving our day; the day is driving us. This creates a subtle, underlying stress that can linger until we finally lay our heads down at night, feeling like we ran a marathon without actually accomplishing much of substance.

I remember a time when I let my mornings slip away entirely. I would wake up late, skip my morning tea, and dive straight into my emails with a racing heart. I felt like I was constantly trotting, breathless and scattered, trying to reclaim the time I had lost to sleep and distraction. I was physically moving all day, but I wasn't present. It wasn't until I began reclaiming those first thirty minutes of stillness that I realized how much more I could achieve by simply starting with a steady, purposeful pace rather than a frantic sprint.

We all have those days where we feel behind, and that is okay. But there is a special kind of magic in the early hours, a quiet window where the world is still and your mind is clear. It is an invitation to set the tempo for your own soul. Instead of rushing to catch up with the world, try to find your own rhythm before the sun climbs too high.

Today, I want to encourage you to look at your morning routine. Is there a small way you can reclaim your start? Perhaps it is just five minutes of breathing or enjoying a moment of silence before the chaos begins. Let yourself walk with intention rather than trotting in a hurry.