For a few months now I have had this illustration hanging on the mirror in my bathroom. It’s put there to remind me that an early rise is not a waste.

The old English proverb behind the illustration is “The early bird catches the worm”. It is not really about getting out of bed. But still. I mean, if I get on my feet, step into the bathroom and turn the lights on, I will wake up. Right? I will get ready for another day.

The actual meaning of the proverb is said to be: “Success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort.”

It doesn’t mean I cannot sleep in. For some reason we need sleep. They keep telling us that there are important processes in the body and the brain that run during sleep. So I sleep.

But there should be no contradiction between rest and an early rise. I can sleep when I sleep and get ready when I have to get ready. But I guess there are different ways of preparing and putting in effort.

Many years ago I remember I was looking for a new job. I prayed about it because I didn’t actually know which direction to go to get job offers. The next morning I got a phone call and a job offer out of the blue.

It made me think of a psalm in the Bible:
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of anxious toil–for He gives blessings to His beloved in sleep.”