Why Do You Get Out Of Bed In The Morning?

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I couldn’t believe it this morning when the alarm went off. ‘Is that 6 o’clock?’ I asked Fionnuala in groggy disbelief. ‘Actually it’s 6:25’ she replied before leaping out of bed. We had slept in a little. Where had the night gone? It seemed only moments ago that I had placed my head on the pillow and settled down to sleep. Even worse we had gone to bed extra early last. I groaned inwardly and forced myself out of bed into the cold, dark day.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve become less of an early riser. Some mornings both the flesh and the spirit are unwilling when it comes to rising and facing the daily grind. It was once written that the only certainties we face in life are death and taxes. They weren’t far wrong. The commute to the office is a drag, the working day itself a monotonous chore; each day blends into the next and creates the interminable soundtrack to our life. The working week never seems to end yet those precious weekends are gone in the blink of an eye.

Some days you just want to switch the alarm off, pull the covers over your head and go back to sleep. The term ‘rat race’ is misleading as at least a race promises an end to the race and a possible prize at the finish. The rat race promises nothing but bills and responsibilities. Which begs the question why do we bother? What motivates us every day to get up and face the outside world when all we want to do is turn our backs on it all and drop out of society?

Well the obvious response is that we have to get up. We need to get out of bed and, yes it’s those pesky bills and responsibilities again. In order to have a bed in the first place and, indeed, a roof over that bed we need to pay the man. That means dragging our sorry backsides into our offices, shops and other places of employment across the land. The same goes for school and college. Fail that exam or flunk that test and future employment prospects become bleaker by the day.

With bills come responsibilities. It is expected of us. Fionnuala and I holler at the kids every morning to get up and get ready for school. We are expected to turn up at work, college and school (or home school!). If we don’t then we are letting down others; our families, friends and colleagues. We cannot live with the shame of letting others down. So we shut up and show up. We play the game because others are relying on us to play the game; just like we are relying upon them to also play the game. The game is the most selfish and selfless of activities. We play it because we need to play it; we have little choice in order to survive.

We need to play it but we do we want to play it? We have discussed why we have to get out of bed but do we want to get out of bed? It is a subtle yet very important difference. And there, I believe, lies the key to life. Do you want to get up the morning? What makes the difference between falling out of bed and leaping out of bed? The answer lies in both our dreams and our beliefs.

That might seem a contradiction but our dreams are founded on our beliefs. If our dreams are a majestic palace, then our beliefs are its sturdy foundations. If our dreams are a majestic oak tree then our beliefs are the strong roots that tether it in place. Without our beliefs, our dreams will collapse and crumble to nothing. I dream of running a sub four marathon this coming Saturday; I dream of having a first novel published; I dream of seeing my kids achieve great things in their lives; I dream of a happy retirement with my wife and seeing a little more of the world.

I believe that God will provide all of the above if it is part of his plan for my life. And if they don’t happen then they obviously weren’t. But I believe that is because he has even better plans that I am unaware of at this moment in time. I believe that, through my dreams, I can contribute towards making the world a better place. By running I raise money for worthy causes, by writing I hope to inspire and motivate others, through my family I hope to teach our kids the proper way to live and set an example to others.

I believe in an afterlife and that this life is only a tiny part of my overall journey. There are better times ahead. Both tomorrow and in eternity. Therefore while I acted like a grumpy old man this morning and had to get out of bed I also wanted to get out of bed. Now for a massive Diet Coke fix and the long trudge to the office. Have a great Tuesday everyone!

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Coffee? Screaming kids? Multiple alarm clocks?

Why do you have to get out of bed?

Why do you want to get out of bed?

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

38 thoughts on “Why Do You Get Out Of Bed In The Morning?”

  2. Hello and thank you again for another excellent piece. I have your work marked as there is so much I can relate to reading it, and this one is no different. I find it far more problematic getting through what I need to do each day, and the reasons do not make any sense to me. I find myself like you and seeking the answer for where I am truly heading. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, they do make a difference.

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  3. Wonderful post again! I have a couple reasons why I get out of bed.
    1) I have to get my girls off to school and I have to go to work.
    2) During my teenage years I would always see my mother in bed. She was manic depressive and had a lot of other issues. She was never there for me because she was weeping in her own misery. I told myself that I NEVER wanted to be like her. Thanks be to God because I am nothing like her!

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  4. I’ve been having that kind of morning for a few days now. Since it is getting progressively colder, it also gets progressively more difficult to get out of the warm, cozy bed.

    It sure helps to have something to look forward to when struggling to get out of bed. First of, do not think about all the dreadful things you have to do the next day, because you will wake up knowing that your day holds little to no fun. Try to make something positive a part of your daily routine. Maybe you have a good friend at the office, with whom you can just curse the fact that you had to get out of bed. Like you said – we need to remind ourselves why we do the things we do. Yea, we go to work to earn money, but aside from bills, is there something else we look forward to spending it on?

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  6. Pingback: When God Needs Your Attention at 5am – Adventures of a Busy Mom

  9. I can relate to this! What usually gets me out of bed (after multiple alarms) is the young students who depend on me to teach them. I have to remind myself that God has placed me in their lives for a specific reason! Thank you for sharing!

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  12. Good article and in answer to your questions…My dogs get me out of bed at 6 am 7 days a week to go out, they have their own time; I get out of bed because I don’t want a mess to deal with or dogs jumping in bed staring me down in my face and why do I want to get out of bed – actually I don’t especially on cold winter mornings. 🙂 But the dogs have me trained me well so out of bed I must go. Can you tell who runs my household?! lol I know you do not celebrate thanksgiving – but Thanksgiving blessings from my home to yours from across the great big pond!

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  14. Great post to reflect upon. I am usually a morning person but sometimes am so exhausted in the morning it feels as though I didn’t even sleep!! Sometimes it rests in the obligations that pop me up in the morning but often it is looking forward to my sacred quiet time that encourages me to get up and not hit snooze again. This post is very timely in regards to what I am reflecting on. Thank you for sharing. I enjoy your posts.

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  15. This speaks so much to me! Beautifully written…I’ve spent a great deal of time during the last couple of years to figure out what gets me out of bed in the morning 🙂

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      1. I have! I just need to find that source inside of myself that has an endless and pure joy in existence itself. Not in doing or becoming anything specific, just in being. Life is beautiful and should be celebrated. Unfortunately I have a habit of cutting myself off from that source and then it’s really hard to get out of bed…

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