The Morning and Not-So Morning People

Mornings are interesting times for me. I get to see people at their best and worst. Some people are great morning people; they wake up with a smile, happy to start the day and they get along well with everyone, even if you do something to offend them. Other people are horrible at mornings; they hate the idea of rising early, and they usually start the day a bit more laid back or grumpy. You had better not cross their path!

So, when I set out early in the mornings, I observe this dichotomy in the behavior of other road users. In my assessment, the morning people are the ones you see moving their heads to the beat of the songs playing on the radio. Oh yes, they remember to actually turn on the radio and listen, even sing along to songs. They are the ones who wait for you to join the queue in traffic and don’t get too bothered when you cut in line. The not-so-morning people are the ones who drive like the world is about to end—in a hurry to get off the road, honking and hooting at everyone and everything in sight, and God help you if you have a fender bender with them at this time. Wow! You’d most likely leave the scene with a black eye or earful, depending on their personality.

This morning, as I set out again to start my day, I observed my morning people doing their thing and enjoying the ride with a smile. And then, not up to 30 minutes after I began my commute, I observed a little drama. Two not-so-morning people had a little incident with their cars. A lady was driving a blue sedan, and a guy was driving a commercial bus, and, in a split second, the two cars scratched each other lightly. I thought this shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s just a little scratch, which would result in a little ranting and then they would move on. But, to my utter surprise, these two not-so-morning drivers got out of their vehicles and became really physical. I was astounded, because neither the lady nor the guy showed any respect to the other. Wasn’t a great sight for me to observe, but I was glad I did. 

Self-awareness is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Truly know who you are. What are you made of? How do you react to situations and people, through thick and thin? What makes you smile—truly smile? What are your limits? What are your breaking points? What gets under your skin? How much are you prepared to let go? If you can take some time to assess yourself and you truly come to terms with who you are behind the façade—with the person you become when the furnace gets hot—you will understand where your opportunities lie and can maximize them to your benefit.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a morning person or a not-so-morning person. The trick is to know who you really are and use it to your benefit. If you hate traffic, avoid it or get a driver, but don’t run the rest of us off the road! If you hate eating beef, go vegetarian, but don’t crucify the rest of us when we are enjoying our steaks. Life’s full of differences, and that’s what makes it beautiful! There will always be a place for everyone’s uniqueness, so find yours, and use it to your advantage. Learn to tolerate people who are not like you, not condemn them.

There are always two sides to a coin, whatever side you belong to, embrace and enjoy it. It’s your life.