Do you notice your first thoughts as soon as you wake up? Do you sigh, thinking, “Here comes another day of struggle?” Or do you think, “I am so blessed to live this life and excited to start my day?” Maybe you don’t make a statement about your day but immediately think about the tasks waiting for you and everything that worries you.

Our first thoughts when we return to our waking consciousness greatly influence our day. While the first thing that naturally and authentically comes up in our minds is what reflects our truth, we can put intention into changing our pattern, even if it does not come naturally to us.

Have you ever woken up thinking, ” Today is going to be fun, fun, fun?” I have, and there is a story behind it.

I gave birth to my son when I was 43. There was nothing I wanted more than to become a mother. I went through fertility hell for three years until I finally got pregnant. I was sure I was going to have an orgasmic natural birth, but I ended up with a vacuum extraction delivery. My son had severe jaundice, and my first days as a mother were the most terrifying, exhausting, and challenging I’d ever had.

About a month later, the first significant difficulties were behind us, yet I felt lonely and miserable. I expected to meet friends for coffee while my son peacefully slept in the sling or do yoga next to him. Instead, I was thrown into a reality where I could barely brush my teeth or go to the restroom. Every short drive was a nightmare of nonstop crying. My son refused to sleep anywhere except my chest. Every afternoon, he would cry for hours. My life was not mine anymore. As much as I was in love with my son, I was tired, exhausted, depleted, and depressed. Was this what I wanted so badly?

Our house at that time was next to olive groves and wheat fields. Walking there, my son and I found peace. On my walk, I started reflecting on my recent conversations with friends and family. I noticed that I had kept talking about the trauma of the first few days at the hospital. A voice in my head told me I was stuck in hardship, and it was time to move on. We were no longer at the hospital. My son was healthy and out of danger. By continuously talking about my trauma, I was not processing it; I was reliving it.

I decided to change my attitude. ״From now on״, I told my son, who was comfortably cuddled in the sling, “Our days are going to be fun, fun, fun.” It took a few days until I was really able to integrate this statement into my routine. At first, I would say it when I caught myself being grumpy or upset. Then I started saying that after my husband left for work. Eventually, I started saying it as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning.

The more I said it, the more my life as a mother and my time with my son became fun. After a few months, I completely forgot that I was ever depressed, depleted, and exhausted. I felt like the most loving, natural, luckiest mother to an amazing, easy-going child. Life became so good that, at a certain point, I did not need to tell myself, “Today is going to be fun, fun, fun,” anymore.

The last few years have been heavy, personally and globally. That’s not to say I had no fun, but even when I did, there was always some undercurrent burden, pain, or frustration. As the Sun entered the sign of Leo, I was suddenly reminded of my “fun, fun, fun” statement and how it literally transformed my life.  

Leo is a sign of fun. Unlike Sagittarius, which speaks about the fun of travel and adventures, Leo is about the fun of little things we can all integrate into our daily lives – like being creative, spending time with our children or connecting with our inner child, enjoying our romantic interactions, dressing up, and going out.

Leo’s kind of fun does not require us to change jobs or move to a new town. All it needs is a change of attitude and doing some little things aimed at nothing more than having fun. It can be as simple as dancing in the living room, singing in the shower, or dressing up and going out to dinner in a place you’ve never tried before.

Will you join me this week? Every morning when you wake up, notice your first thoughts. Write them down. This is the truth of your current situation. Acknowledge it. Don’t look away. Then say, “Today is going to be fun, fun, fun.” I’d love to hear from you how it impacted your day.

Wishing you a fun, fun, fun week,

With love,

Yael