Oh So Worth It: Waking Up

I'd imagine you would scoff at the idea of this sentiment coming from me, if fate had allowed you, personally, a glimpse of my sleep schedule. I'm no one to rave about the virtues of being awake, really, seeing as I spend more time asleep, or wanting to be asleep, than any productive member of society could possibly allot for in their lives. Or, contrarily, maybe I'm just the bloak for the job; The Chosen One, if you will.

It feels good to sleep. Quite good. And not only to sleep after you've had an exhaustive day of coal mining, Olympic training, or school, but even after a day of neglecting all responsibilities, watching Netflix, and somehow managing to avoid consuming a full meal. Oh it can be most enticing then. A refuge from all your mistakes and/or worries. A suspended state that renders you oblivious to any matter which doesn't concern your handling of the zombie outbreak in the dream you're having. A promise of a new start, surely.

Then you awaken to have a look at what that new start has to offer you. The smell of pancakes wafting through the air, maybe? Baby soft skin, perhaps? No. Your place smells like the filet of fish you forgot to put away last night, and your face feels like sand paper. The air is cold, but your blanket is warm. It's loud out there, but it's quiet in here. What, you think, would possess anyone to wake up ever?

And here we come to the portion of this piece where I point out a couple key notions that you ought to let possess you.

1. Humankind was made to be conscious, and, more importantly, to interact. Life isn't short but it sure is fleeting. Unrecoverable. While sleeping is a necessity, after those eight hours it's more or less (or more) an offense. An offense to the precious gift that is bestowed on you in the form of seconds, minutes, hours, days. A.K.A. opportunities. From the small ones like getting your fries for free from the Little League concession stand because they took so long to make them, to the bigger, more boring ones like finally tackling, thus freeing yourself of, the to-do lists gnawing away at the back of your brain. It's amazing how much more can enter your life when you just open the damn door.

2. Who are we but our actions? If we do not act, are we anything but nothing? A sack of calcium and cake (yes, that's how I view the human body) sucking up all the oxygen that could otherwise have been put to good use in a pair of lungs gasping for air after swimming 10 laps, running a mile, or riding up 12 floors in an elevator with a man you're pretty sure is homeless, hasn't showered in months, and probably isn't supposed to be in your building. In the words of somebody or possibly nobody, we must move to survive. Let our presence be felt. Let us blare! LET US BLEED ON THE CANVAS OF YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW! ... Yes, yes.

3. In the words of definitely Willy Wonka, "So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you." There is, in fact, so much to partake in in this life. So many meals and so many swingsets. Every minute you spend indulging in the comfort and respite that is unconsciousness, is time that could be spent watching Dazed & Confused or starting a family. We mustn't disrespect the privilege it is to be alive right this very minute. We ought not hide away behind our eyelids from all the bad and the good and the indifferent, because then we end up with nothing. We deserve a life that is filled to the brim. That is deliberate, that is ruled by our fearlessness. A conscious choice to bypass that which does not aid our new resolve to D.O.. Do something good, do something more, do something that it feels like we're incapable of doing. Fear is a beautiful thing once you understand what it means to conquer it.

This isn't about not sleeping, but rather about waking up. Opening your eyes to what the day has to offer you, and then taking what it didn't even think to offer. Because in order to go with the flow, you have to get your boat out on the water.