Decisions At Dawn

This morning, I sat outdoors within that sacred pocket of time between the night and the day.

There was nothing but silence.

No birds chirping. No rabbits hopping about. No lawnmowers. No cars.

Just me and the silence.

And, for the briefest of moments, it was perfect.

This is the time where decisions are made.

Where we set the tone.

Where we start the day on our terms, not the world’s.

It’s in this moment of divine splendor where we make the choices that shape us.

Will we rule the day, or will we allow the day to rule us?

Quite frankly, I think we often default to the latter.

While the universe will sometimes rip that choice from us by presenting circumstances beyond our control, it does not always.

Oftentimes, we allow ourselves to be caught up in the maelstrom.

We allow that annoying coworker to ruin our morning with their incessant gossip.

We allow that critique to sting a bit more than it really should.

We allow ourselves to be caught up in stress and worry.

We allow that failed lift or piece of prose to dampen our enthusiasm to persevere.

Recently, I have allowed my worries about my health and my job performance to steal some of my joy.

While this is a somewhat natural reaction for anyone, there is also a point where we must draw the line and not allow it to rule us.

Life is about living.

Life is about movement, not stagnation.

In the earliest hours when we awaken, we are presented with a choice.

Are we the passenger?

Or are we the driver?

Are we the catalyst?

Or the reaction?

Today, I choose not to let life rule me.

Today, I choose to rule this life.

And tomorrow, just like all of you, I will have to make that choice all over again.

And for the ability to make that choice, I am grateful.

Tomorrow, as you start your day, take just a moment to remember that you have an opportunity. The opportunity to ride the wings of destiny, or to steer them where you wish to go.

Be well and be grateful.

The choice is yours.

Words & Photographs Β© 2025, KHR


Comments

51 responses to “Decisions At Dawn”

  1. Excellent motivation to start the day – thank you πŸ™
    Have a beautiful weekend!
    Jodi

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Jodi πŸ™
      I hope your weekend is a lovely one as well. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Not all who wander are lost Avatar
    Not all who wander are lost

    Exactly

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Indeed. 😊
      I hope you are having a lovely weekend, Sarah! πŸ™

      Like

  3. I love this! Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much, Kimberly. I am so glad you enjoyed it. πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  4. What an empowering post to wake up to! Thank you, Kevin!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much, Violet. I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you are having a lovely weekend πŸ™πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Excellent Kevin! I make an effort to start my day well. It’s so much easier when one is retired and can pretty much control the day that I want to have.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Annemarie. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I found myself rereading it as a reminder to myself.
      I hope you are having a lovely weekend! πŸ˜ŠπŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Kevin, that was beautifulβ€”like a sunrise giving life advice in whispers.
    Thank you for reminding us that stillness isn’t empty, it’s full of answers.
    Grateful for your words bro!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you very much, Professor. I think I needed to remind myself most of all. I am happy so many found benefit in it.
      A fantastic weekend to you, my friend. πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Welcome, Kevin. Good evening
        Wishing you a lovely Sunday

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thank you, my friend. All the best to you also! πŸ™

        Liked by 1 person

      3. πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™

        Like

  7. Thank you Kevin, this was an eye-opening read. It makes my day much better.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Aboli. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I had to remind myself today by rereading it. I hope you are having a magnificent weekend πŸ™

      Like

  8. Empowering thoughts my friend.
    So very true!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Maggie. I think I needed to remind myself most of all. I reread it just now, because I was forgetting amidst the chaos.
      I hope you are having a magnificent weekend πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Always a pleasure Kevin.
        I enjoy your posts and poetry.
        We do sometimes need a little reminder, it is easy to get swamped!
        Take goid care πŸ™πŸ€—

        Like

      2. Always a pleasure Kevin.
        We do sometimes need a little reminder, it is easy to get swamped!
        Take good care my friend πŸ™πŸ€—

        Like

  9. My favorite time of the day. The stillness offers us the chance to reflect on life as you stated. Beautiful thoughts to start your day brother.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Ernie. It does indeed allow for a moment of precious peace. Thanks for being there when I reached out. It is deeply appreciated πŸ™πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Always brother.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Deep thoughts ✨ loved it Kevin πŸ˜€πŸ˜€ great pics .

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much, my friend. I hope you are having a fantastic weekend πŸ˜ŠπŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  11. motivating, Chief … the kind that makes one pause and think… rethink…
    thanks for sharing…and the images are stunning as always…πŸ€πŸ™

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Destiny. I had to read through it again to remind myself as well. It’s been a week, to put it mildly lol
      A lovely weekend to you πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. the catching up can be ….πŸ₯΄
        racing the clock myself lol..

        a great week your way, Kevin…πŸ™

        Like

  12. What a lovely way to start the day, I like the early morning when all is quiet

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Joanne. It is definitely a high point of the day. Before the clutter of life begins, we can find a sliver of clarity. πŸ™

      Like

  13. Well said Kevin and you are right, it’s something we go through every day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The battle indeed does feel never ending sometimes. Thank you, Sharon. I hope you are having a great weekend πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  14. For exactly these reasons my tormentors make sure that the very first sound I hear every morning is one of hatred. It’s one of the ways I know my own daughter is in this network ~ it was a technique she practiced on me back when I was paying rent to stay with her. Grim.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The battle always rages on, indeed.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. β€œsacred pocket of time between the night and the day” – very nice phrase, especially combined with the photo

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Mary. I guess it just struck me at the time that was what it felt like. A perfect sliver in time. I hope you are having a great weekend πŸ˜ŠπŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  16. I love this. We all deal with something and it is our choice as to how we deal with it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Pennie. Yes, it is indeed. I had to read through this post again and remind myself of that today. All the best for an excellent weekend. πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you, you as well.

        Like

  17. Beautiful depiction of thought!! Hope you have a good week πŸ‘

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, my friend. And all the best to you for a lovely weekend πŸ™

      Like

  18. Yes, and according to my functional medicine doctor, that red light at dawn is powerful for our bodies and minds.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I have heard of red light therapy. I have considered looking into it to see if it is as beneficial as they say.
      I hope you are having a lovely weekend, Mary. Thank you πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Soft reflections. Amazing how haze can allow slow clarity.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Stephanie. I actually just reread this post because I needed the reminder today. It’s been a week, to say the least lol
      I hope you are having a magnificent weekend πŸ™

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Stephanie Avatar
        Stephanie

        I’m sure it hardly helps for me to say “Hang in there” but I mean it. Hoping you get simultaneous clarity and rest soon. Hugs.

        Like

  20. Willie Torres Jr. Avatar
    Willie Torres Jr.

    Well Said, Kevin. I choose to rule my day too.

    Like

  21. Staring at the hazy feel of a Monet painting gives me the same effect as you describe of mind over matter.

    Like

  22. Late to comment, but hope you’re doing ok xx

    Like

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