A Fatherly Moment of Zen

Each day, with the exception of Sunday, I get up around 6:00 AM so that I have some time to myself before the rest of the family wakes up. During this time, I meditate, practice my Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga or some conditioning exercises. After that, I'll grab something to eat if I am hungry and then I head to my office to do some writing. This is my "me time." The time I spend on just myself to rejuvenate my mind, body and spirit. It's a great start to my day and helps energize me for what I have planned for the rest of the day. The meditation, tai chi and exercise help with my writing as they get my mind settled and focused and the blood flowing. All this before I have my morning cup of coffee or tea, too! I follow this practice most days, or at least I try to. I go with the flow with whatever the morning, or the night before, brings to me. Like this morning.

When I woke this morning, it was 6:30. I realized I had slept through my alarm. Just as I was debating getting up, my daughter walks quietly into the room and promptly climbs into bed and snuggles up against me and wraps her arms and legs around me along with her prized bear in her arms. A moment of bliss I decided to cherish, along with the hour of moments that followed. Now, you may be asking yourself "What about your meditation, your tai chi, your writing?" And rightly so. I think most Type A personalities would've pushed their child aside and gotten out of bed anyway. As for me, I was able to do some yoga and writing later in the day. And the moments I had spent with my daughter that morning was my meditation, my fatherly moment of Zen. At the end of the day, I had a sense of accomplishment and it was a great day.

As a father, husband, entrepreneur and human, I make these decisions every moment of every day. How much time do I spend with family, on me, on my writing, on my businesses, in my businesses, on household chores or just doing nothing? At the end of the day, though, I will always cherish the time I spend with family and friends. It's a tough balancing act and I may not get it right all the time. But, I continue to try with a fierce determination, dedication and perseverance to create a good life for me and my family. And if I continue to have moments like this morning, I will succeed.