“Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself” (Thoreau 63).

In this paragraph, Thoreau describes his early morning bathing ritual in the pond. Referring to this as a religious exercise, he said that bathing in the pond each morning was one of the best things he did while living in Nature.

“Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again” (Confucius, The Great Learning).

While living in Nature, Thoreau was able to connect with the environment in ways that many people have never or will never experience. After living by the labor of only his hands for two years and two months, Thoreau was able to understand what Confucius meant by “renew thyself completely each day.” This can be interpreted both symbolically and physically. A bath is a physical renewal of oneself each morning. One is washed, clean and ready to start the day. It is also a symbolic renewal of oneself each morning. In this awakening hour one must renew his or herself to prepare for the day that lies ahead.

Waking up may seem like a chore for many. We set our alarms each night to wake us up for school, work, and the other various things we need to do. Thoreau disputed this approach to the awakening hour. He explained that little is to be expected of our day if we begging our mornings this way. He stressed that the act of waking up should be fueled by our aspirations, our Genius within. If we start our day this way we will perform at our best throughout the day.

“The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred millions to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive” (Thoreau 64).

Many of us go through the motions of life, not fully awake and aware of what we are capable of achieving. Thoreau said that if we are not overcome by drowsiness then we will be able perform something great. Referencing his religious exercise, bathing in the pond each morning, we can see the relationship between this physical renewal and the awakening hour. The beginning of each day is a time for us to recharge, reset, and prepare for the day ahead of us. Our morning ritual sets the tone for the day. I think that many of us can learn from Thoreau. Only we have the ability to make the best of our day; therefore, it is important that we not complain about waking up yet celebrate the opportunity we have to make something great happen.