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| Grandma Kelly, Me, Dad, Great Grandma Neil |
For as long as I remember I have been a night owl. My mom tells stories about how she would get up in the middle of the night to find me up, dressed, and playing with my little brother through the bars of the crib. The closer to the time I needed to begin kindergarten, Mom enforced the staying in bed policy. I would lay there staring at the ceiling, sometimes sneaking out of bed to play in the dark. I even remembering talking to Grandma Neil in the middle of night, being she was the only one up.
I also remember my mom's worried conversations when she thought I wasn't listening. Dad would say that I was like Grandma Neil who only slept four hours at a time. Everyone treated it as if I did this by choice.
For years I tried to keep the hours everyone else did. When I was a teenager mom required that everybody get up on the weekends at 8:00 am. I got in trouble time and again for being up past midnight and the bummer of it was I couldn't make myself sleep. So I went without it.
After high school when I thought that I could be my own person, set my own schedule found it all to be a lie. I was still chained by work and family obligations that started at the crack of dawn.
The best job I even had was a second shift receptionist position when I was 19/20 years old. My hours were 3 pm-11 pm. I FINALLY felt refreshed and alive. I went to bed when I was tired and woke when I was rested. No alarm clock need. It was freaking fantastic and loved the hours. But in order to advance in the company I would have to take positions at the butt crack of dawn again. Six months into it and I wanted to go back. I begged to go back but my mentors all counseled me to suck up it and grow up.
Needless to say, I have sucked it up for years.
Since I quit the day job to write full time I don't have the same obligations but I continue to try and keep the normal people hours. Over the last year it has become an increasingly failing endeavor.
My body follows sleep cycles. I sleep 1.5-3 hours which is one to two sleep cycles. Then I'm awake. Nowadays I get up and do whatever. Twelve hours later I will lay down for another 1-2 sleep cycles. When I wake, I'm alert.
Staying up late nowadays means that I will see the sunrise before I go to bed. I've tried to back off and go to bed a 3 in the morning only to get up when the husband's alarm clock goes off at 4:30 because I didn't sleep.
For the longest time I felt guilty until my husband pointed out I slept while he worked. He also was the one who told me he thought I was a true night owl and showed me all this nifty research he did.
But even with the research and the encouragement, I've struggle with letting go. Breaking the ingrained thought process, the chains so to speak. This last month has been exceptionally difficult. The other day I wondered why I was fighting to so hard?
So starting December 1, (hehe, in a couple of hours). I'm going to let my body and mind settle into the natural pattern it chooses and I'll just going along for the ride. I will set up my meal schedule and exercise routine for those hours. I will ignore the comments and the looks that say, "Wow, she's lazy," and simply be me.
And be happy. ^_^
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I have been meaning to put up a quick post about the Less Than Three Advent calendar for December. (As you can see, I'm on day one of the list)
The sale will include anthologies (ex. Bad Moon Rising, That Famous Happy End, Rocking Hard: Vol 1) and print bundles (this mostly applies to Kiss Me at Midnight paperbacks). It won't include the collection bundles (since they're already 15% off on a normal day and the 25% off deal for individual is better) and anything listed as coming soon (but it will include preorders if a book is at that stage).
At the end of the 25% off author sales, we'll be doing a three-day catalog-wide 15% off sale that will include everyone and everything. Feel free to spread the news if you're inclined, and if you've got any questions or if I've spaced and left you out, let me know.
A – December 1 – Julia Alaric, Lexi Ander, Ann Anderson, Quinn Anderson, Talya Andor, Angelina Aniyah
B – December 2 – Alison Bailey, Kayla Bain-Vrba, Sandra Bard, Jamie Brindle, Paul Brownsey
C – December 3 – Isabella Carter, Leona Carver, E.A. Clarke, Casey Cloud, Rachelle Cochran, Casey K. Cox, Sol Crafter, James L. Craig, Siobhan Crosslin
D – December 4 – Elizah J. Davis, Debora Day, Megan Derr, Megan Dorei, Lupin Drake, Jude Dunn
E – December 5 – Alessandra Ebulu, Mell Eight, Cate Enslin
F – December 6 – Sally Franicevich
G – December 7 – Emily Gould
H – December 8 – A.F. Henley, J. Hepburn, R.D. Hero, Sophie Hung, Laura Huntley, Leta Hutchins
I – December 9 – Mara Ismine
J – December 10 – India Jackson, Janette, A.R. Jarvis, Nico Jaye, Diana Jean, Remy Jensen
K – December 11 – Erica Kealey, Evie Kiels, Harper Kingsley, Annabelle Kitch, K-Lee Klein, T.T. Kove
L – December 12 – L.J. LaBarthe, Liz Lambdin, Emma Lanner, Clare London
M – December 13 – Mina MacLeod, Julia March, Mac McCarthy, Ashelia McGregor, J.L. Merrow, Summer Michaels, Terry Milien, Sasha L. Miller, Shayla Mist, Michelle Moore
N – December 14 – Melissa North, Kaseka Nvita
O – December 15 – M.J. O'Shea, Zachary O'Toole, E.E. Ottoman
P – December 16 – J.K. Pendragon, Cassandra Pierce, Alex Powell, Angel Propps
R – December 17 – M. Raiya, Ana Reese, May Ridge, Holly Rinna-White, Jaime Riordan, Jay Robin, Spence Rook, Lilliana Rose
S – December 18 – Andra Sashner, Ashley Shaw, Howard Shen, R.L. Shephard, Diana Sheridan, Hollis Shiloh, S.S. Skye, Jamie Sullivan, Michael Sutherland, Zach Sweets
T – December 19 – Eleanor Troup, Kathleen Tudor, Melanie Tushmore
V – December 20 – Piper Vaughn, Tami Veldura
W – December 21 – Remington Ward, Jaidon Wells, Rachel White, Robin White, M.J. Willow, Sylvia A. Winters, Beth Wirth, Sammi Wolf
X – December 22 – Xara X. Xanakas, Xelly
December 23 – December 25 – Entire catalog
Don't feel bad you are not alone everyone in my family stays up late into the night if we don't' have to get up early (and sometime when we do). You reminded me of a book of a book of native american teachings that you might find interesting here is an excerpt
ReplyDeleteTHE HOUR OF POWER
All human beings have their own internal timing. Some are very quick to accomplish a daily task while others are more methodical. Some people have a slow metabolic rate and others have food seemingly run through their bodies. The thought processes of some are lightening quick and others are graced with the patience of examination. These examples of personal timing are some of the things that make us unique and different from one another.
So it is that each person also has an Hour of Power during a day’s cycle. Every person feels more connection with a certain time of day or evening. For some it may be just before sunrise when the world is still and quiet…for others it may be at 3:00 or 4:00 A.M. when the stirrings of life are totally quiet and Entering the Silence is easier.
Once again we need to look at the significance of power. When you feel powerful, you might feels happy, courageous, bold, ready to meet life, full of vitality, able to use your talents, connected to all life-forms, and/or balanced in who and what you are. These are all aspects of wholeness.If you want to find your Hour of Power, notice when you feel at your best and when you feel at your weakest. The times are usually exactly opposite by twelve hours. These are your internal cycles.
For instance, those who feel best at 3:00 A.M. are usually getting a dip in energy at 3:00 P.M. If you have never been up at 3:00 A.M. you may not have noticed how you feel at that hour.The Hour of Power is a ritual of joy. It is a time each day when each individual is filled with the essence of aliveness and pure connection to all Creation [but] due to the lack of Earth-Connection in the modern urban world, many have disconnected from their personal rhythms.
The Hour of Power has no connection to your birth time; it is your internal rhythm.When there has been a growth period, change in consciousness, or healing, the Hour of Power may change. We are constantly evolving and our internal timing will also regulate to our new growth. Then the body’s original Hour of Power can take on a new rhythm or different timing due to its new state of health.
"From ‘Sacred Path Cards: The Discovery of Self Through Native Teachings’ by Jamie Sams
Thank you, Tara! LOL! That describes me so well! I'll definitely check out the book. ^_^
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