Regardless if you’re a morning person or not, a good sunrise can awaken the sleepiest of the “don’t want to get out of bed” types. Blinded by a lack of sleep and halfhearted attitude of going to work, we sometimes forget how significant something so simple can be.

Case in point, once at military basic training we were having a “rough” early morning. Nothing was going right or getting accomplished…well, according to our Drill Instructor (DI) that is. The morale and attitudes had reached rock bottom, making graduation day seem impossible. Our DI was so upset, he kicked us out of the building until he decided what to do with us.

While standing at attention, there was the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen. Actually, I’ve probably seen a dozen like this, but never took the time to really appreciate it. Of course anything other than getting yelled at was better, but that very sight brought a quick sense of peace and rejuvenation not only to me, but to the rest of my fellow “maggots”(you’re a not actual person til after graduation).

Needless to say, it was back to reality when the DI came back and figured the solution was more yelling. However, from that point on we began performing better. Credit may be due to his “motivation speech”, but I believe that short time focusing solely on the beauty of the sunrise excluding all distractions, worry, and stress may have been the answer.

The funny thing is that everyday life is just like basic training. We get so consumed with worry and stress, that we forget how to enjoy or appreciate life. The next time you get up for work or school, take a second to enjoy something as simple as a sunrise.