Mornings are my favorite time of the day. I wake up believing that things will go my way, and I'll cross everything off of my to-do list. During the hours of 8-11 a.m., I am blissfully ignorant. Then, at about 11 a.m., I'm hit with the realization that there are just never enough hours in the day to get everything done. I love the peace of mornings, hot cups of coffee and knowing that I have the whole day ahead of me. However, the most important part of my mornings is reading my daily newsletters.
I get four newsletters every weekday morning: The Skimm, the NYT Now Morning Briefing, Charlotte Agenda and Charlotte Five. Half of my morning news is global/national and half is local, which I love. The NYT Morning Briefing makes me feel educated, sophisticated and informed. It's all abut the facts and covers hard-hitting news, sports, financials, lifestyle and more. The Skimm, Charlotte Agenda and Charlotte Five all offer a little bit of humor and color, which really motivates me to get out of bed in the mornings. However, of the four, The Skimm is by far my favorite because it shares news stories as though you're talking to a friend at brunch. It's dripping with sarcasm and jokes but also tells you what you need to know to start your day.
You're probably sitting there thinking: This is great, but this is a blog about manners and etiquette. What are you doing telling us about your favorite newsletters? Well, if you've ever caught your eyes glazing over while coworkers in the break room dissect that morning's biggest news story, you know the importance of being informed and staying up-to-date. Here's how my daily newsletters positively affect my manners:
- Avoid Awkward Silences: If I'm ever faced with awkward silence in a conversation, I have a plethora of news stories to share and discuss. Consider it instant conversation topics for any occasion, which is great because it makes me look more socially capable than I probably am.
- Pretend to be Informed: I always know what is going on in the world/my city, so can carry on intelligent conversations with people at work or in line at the grocery store. Nothing ever causes me to give blank stares or ask someone what they are talking about. For most news stories, I only know a three-sentence synopsis, but it's enough to engage in a conversation.
- Ease Slowly into My Day: Reading my four newsletters gives me time to decompress in the mornings, which is only good for the rest of the world. I get out of bed ready to tackle the day and be the best me possible. Jumping right out of bed without scrolling through my newsletters makes me cranky and stressed, two things that don't bode well for a peaceful and productive day.
- Warm Up My Brain: That much reading gets my brain moving first thing in the morning. This enhances my focus and overall morning patience. I don't have to wait for my second cup of coffee before I can tackle a problem or jump into a meeting.
- Encourage Me to Get Out More: I'm a homebody at heart, so my local newsletters show me what is going on in my own area and pretty much make me feel guilty for not enjoying all of the amazing things that this city has to offer. When I feel pressured to get out more, I have new experiences and am able to practice the etiquette I preach in a variety of situations.
Manners Moral: How you start your mornings dictates how the rest of your day is going to go (at least in my case), so make it count by enjoying your own morning favorite every single day. If you're interested in receiving these newsletters, click on the links above! I encourage everyone to at least sign up for one morning newsletter. An intelligent and informed person is always in style.