ca-coph-o-ny (noun)- A harsh discordance of sounds.
I can’t wake up to alarms. The issue does not stem from me not hearing the alarm clock. My problem is I don’t simply gently wake up. Upon hearing the shrill cacophonous tones of a traditional alarm clock I am startled awake, my heart races, and I bolt up out of bed ready to STOP, DROP, & ROLL!!! There’s no fire, but my brain is surely convinced of otherwise until my senses adjust. My nose picks up fresh smoke free air, my skin does not sense any intense heat, and my eyes adjust to see flames are not flickering around me. After enough mornings of these self induced cardiac stress tests before fully waking up, I looked for optional alarm sounds. I tried certain songs, but some melodies had startling sounds as the music began. Could you imagine waking up to the Mission Impossible theme song? Trial and error led me to the perfect song for ME to wake up to ‘Drowndeep’ by Maxwell. I emphasize this is the perfect morning sound to ME because for others this song just may not be suitable to their musical taste. Drowndeep starts off as a breezy whisper and then ever so softly crescendoes into a melody that always wakes me up with a good mood and smile on my face. It’s the difference between feeling a gentle mist of rain and being pelted by rain drops as summer thunderstorm rolls in. Every morning, Drowndeep gently mists me awake.
The alarm situation has been resolved, but what of the other sounds that find their way to my ear as I start my day? We don’t possess the power to block sounds waves, but one can control what I like to call the “AM sound barrier.” Just like plants respond differently to harsh versus soothing sounds, so do our minds and bodies. We live in a technological advanced age with so many sensory elements clamoring for our attention. Some of these sights and sounds are available at our fingertips, which tend to reach for our smart phones as soon as we awaken. That gentle mist feeling would go away once social media content began to flood my ears from someone’s posted video or a strategically placed ad that would find its way into my feed. I choose to control the narrative for my am sound barrier by being deliberate in selecting the content that stimulates my senses. One of my go to items is daily devotional reading that gets me thinking and meditating. I also take these quiet moments to listen to myself. Questions like, What are my needs today? What are my most pressing items that must be taken care of? What do I want to do today for me? What are my family’s needs? What goals do I want to tackle? By using the quiet moments to maintain my am sound barrier, I am able to start my day off on a better note. I can not control the narrative regarding everything that happens that day; but I am in control as to how my body receives and responds. Mornings that I am gently misted out of my sleep provide a better mental platform for decision making. I find myself also thinking more creatively and constructively. My brain is able to quickly solve problems that are presented to me whether at work or in my personal life. I am more mindful of the world around me too. Life is beautiful but we often miss that beauty when we go through the motions of living. Since taking control of my am sound barrier, I find myself enjoying my presence in the present more. I invite you to do the same; take control of your am sound barrier.
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