Of Rising Early

There's magic in that quiet hour just before the sun rises. The silent darkness of the waning night enfolds the room; a purple-black blanket kept at bay only by the small pool of light at one's elbow. The streets are empty, and even the birds silent. The world outside ends at the windowpane.

This is the hour of the monk's psalms, and the philosopher's musings; of the patient writer bending over his pen, and the earnest student deep in his books. This is the proper hour for thought and reflection, for the mind seems broader, wiser--in touch with the cold fire of the milky way and the world that lies beyond the veil of the senses. Undisturbed by the ripples of the coming day, the mind reflects deeper thoughts.

This is the hour for leaning close to the lamp with a volume of philosophy or history in hand; the time for quiet meditations on the spirit and the universe, on the rise and fall of men and nations.

Yet there's an expectant energy, too, in this silent hour, one that looks to the purpling rim of the horizon and the coming sunrise. The world begins to stir; the first bird song announces the new dawn. And as the sky lightens, a man's deeper thoughts give way to those of the doings of the day.

He who grasps hold of this hour taps into the morning's energy, and has the forehand advantage of the one still abed. The man who rises early does so in the company of Franklin and Aristotle, who said "It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom."

Even if he does nothing other than use this early hour to sketch out the day's activities, the man who rises early still has an advantage over the stay-a-bed. With a map of the day in hand, he sails boldly out; and if interrupted, can quickly return to course, the sooner to arrive at his destination.

The early riser's work is half-done by noon, his most important tasks completed before the day's petty distractions begin. He has crossed the river while his companions are still mid-stream. For this, his reward is time.

Time to set to work on the next day's tasks, and be that much further along the road when the sun finally sets. Time to be spent on self-improvement and reading, to become a better man and a more useful ornament to society than he was when the sun rose. Time for entertainment and leisure, foods equally important to the soul.

A man who rises early begins and ends his day at leisure, and profits in between.