Happiness and Pee

The two things that get me up before my alarm

Mar 30, 2025

A cozy early morning bedroom scene with soft pre-dawn light. In the foreground, a steaming cup of coffee sits on a bedside table next to an open journal and pen. In the background, a bathroom door is slightly ajar with warm light spilling into the dim room. On the wall above the table, there’s a small, framed cross-stitch sampler in the style of a grandmother’s decor—warm, homey, with floral borders. The stitched message inside the frame reads: 'What Gets You Up?'. The overall aesthetic is minimal, editorial, and gentle, using muted tones of soft blues, warm browns, and golds.

The Magic of Anticipation

It’s 4:00 a.m. on Christmas morning. I’m sleeping on the floor of my sister’s room with my brother, as per tradition. He stirs, rubs his eyes, and whispers, “It’s Christmas.” Within seconds, we’re up—wide-eyed and buzzing—sneaking upstairs to peek at our stockings. No alarm. No negotiation. Just pure, electric anticipation.

Compare that to a regular school morning. Even at 7:00 a.m., I’d be bargaining with the universe for a snow day—or anything that might let me stay under the covers a little longer. The warmth of the bed always seemed more inviting than whatever waited out there. Sure, once I got going, the day was often fine—even fun. But the getting up part? That was a chore.

There’s a simple truth here: when we’re genuinely looking forward to the day ahead, we don’t need to be pushed—we’re pulled.
Not from willpower. Not from guilt. From desire.

Reclaiming the Pull

Now, as an adult, I’ve rediscovered that pull. I wake up early again—not because it’s Christmas, but because something in my day excites me. It might be an idea I’m ready to write, a morning tennis date with my wife, or just a quiet solo coffee in the living room before she wakes up. Sometimes it’s the calm of a clean kitchen, the kind of space that says, You’re on top of things.

Still, I’ll be honest: I’m not always in that mode. I go through stretches—sometimes days, sometimes longer—when I hit the snooze button more times than I care to admit. When I’m reacting more than directing. When my mornings feel flat and my motivation sluggish.

It’s not fun. But it’s also not final.

What’s changed over the years is how quickly I notice it—and how equipped I feel to reset. I catch it earlier. I climb out faster. The lulls come, but they don’t own me. That’s progress.

That’s why designing your day matters—especially when you’re in a dip.

A Joyful Day Doesn’t Have to Be Epic

It just has to be intentional.

That might mean setting a small goal the night before. Prepping your space. Planning something you enjoy. Knowing why you’re getting up changes everything.

Of course, even the best-laid plans feel heavier when your energy is off. If I haven’t slept well, or I’ve let my body run down, joy and purpose are harder to access. They still matter—but they land more fully when the machine carrying you is well cared for.

What If You Have a Job That Doesn't Inspire You?

Let’s say you’ve got a 9-to-5. Office work. Nothing soul-crushing, but not exactly soul-stirring either. You might not have the freedom (yet) to redesign your whole career. So how do you bring meaning and anticipation to that kind of day?

Start with this: find the purpose inside the routine.
What role do you play in your company, team, or institution? What value do you bring? What systems would falter if you didn’t show up and do what you do? Zoom out to the broader impact—then zoom back in to ask: What can I do today to make that contribution a little better?

Even something as simple as identifying one specific project, task, or improvement to knock out today gives your work a sharper edge. It turns "showing up" into "showing up for something.”

Make the Day Yours

And beyond the job itself, look at the day surrounding it.
You can architect small pleasures into your morning.

Set the tone with your favorite music or podcast. Brew a coffee you actually love. Light a candle. Read a Mr. Bright Side post (!). Take pride in your bathroom routine, your kitchen, your outfit. Curate your commute. Make your environment whisper back: This is your life. Own it.

The question is always: How can I make this more mine?

Even in a job you didn’t custom-build, you can still shape the experience. And shaping your day—even a little—transforms the way you greet the morning.

What Happiness Really Is

Because ultimately, happiness isn’t some grand arrival or overwhelming ecstasy—though I hope we all catch those highs now and again. It’s the day-to-day experience of living in alignment with who you want to be.

It’s not about perfection or euphoria—it’s about integrity: the ongoing commitment to act in line with your values. Integrity fosters self-esteem, and self-esteem is the foundation of lasting happiness. That brings coherence. That gives direction. That’s the feeling that your time and energy are pointed toward a life that matters to you.

Ayn Rand called it “non-contradictory joy”—the feeling that your values, actions, and aspirations all harmonize. That what you’re doing right now is part of what you ultimately want. When you have that—however modest the day might look on paper—you get up with purpose.

You want to be awake for it.

Oh Right—There’s One More Thing

So yes, it’s happiness that gets me up before my alarm.

But the other thing?

I gotta pee.

Seriously. I’m getting older. The bladder has opinions. (For a full discussion, see your preferred medical blog—or just ask any man over 40.)

One is a biological impulse.
The other is a philosophical one.

And honestly? You should probably plan for both.

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Mr. Bright Side