All that glitters

I have always been a morning person. I must be having an inbuilt alarm clock within my body that wakes me up at 6.30 sharp, whether or not I need to. Perhaps it is the notion of the early bird catching the proverbial worm that has been ingrained in us since childhood that is responsible for this habit. There is something about early mornings that feels so serene and satisfying that it makes you feel you have woken up from a much longer slumber than the usual eight hours of night's rest.

Have you ever woken up at dawn? Try it out sometime. It's an exhilarating experience to watch the first rays of sunlight hit your window pane and bounce inside the room. I like to think of the rising sun as a harbinger of new hope, a messenger greeting us with a endless possibilities, a new beginning---an opportunity to leave the past behind and start afresh.

Mornings bring with them a lively enthusiasm, a plan of action, a will to kick start your day on a positive note. It is a time when the spirit is abound with fresh vigor, the mind is brimming with new ideas, our soul with new dreams. It is said most creative people prefer to work until the the wee hours of the morning. They prefer the silence of the night to the activity of the morning. Frankly, I have no issues with the night. In fact, it is my loyal companion when it comes to meeting deadlines. Sadly, along with the solitude comes the eerie hallucinations---the strange sounds past midnight, the distant bark of a neighborhood dog, some faint odd tinkle that the mind immediately concludes to be a wraith dancing with silver anklets, the creaking sound of the house gate. It is at night that my mind is most imaginative and my soul is most afraid...sigh!
Now you know why I like mornings better?
 
What's not to love about mornings? I love the entire vibe of wakefulness, starting from the honk of the dairy van unloading packets of milk at the dairy near my house to the clang of the church bells that can be heard from a distance, to the sharp bickering of our otherwise friendly neighbor with the milk man. As the sky lights up, I settle in one corner of the sofa in the balcony adjoining my room with a cozy cup of chai watching enthusiastic joggers with radiant faces and mismatched clothes go out for an early morning jog. As they wave at me, I realize that these nameless strangers are an inevitable part of my morning, a long distance balcony-road camaraderie.

Later, the family and I have breakfast over casual banter---our way of bonding between hurried gulps of toast and coffee. I never say no to coffee, despite having made myself a cup of tea earlier in the morning. What I enjoy more than the flavor of the coffee beans is the aroma that wafts from brewing coffee. It's amazing how much comfort familiarity holds. Sometimes we don't even need to converse. You are just happy sharing the same space, doing the same thing as your loved ones. But coming from a family that thrives on sarcasm, free wit, and freedom of expression, at least a dozen grins get exchanged during the conversation. (The frowns and glares, we prefer to overlook.)

Just today, I was at the breakfast table reading about #Colgate360GoldMornings, when my sis asked me what I was reading.
"How would you change a good morning to a gold morning?" I asked her.
"I'd go to Tanishq," was her straight-face reply.

I smirked. She laughed.
But as I noticed everyone grinning ear to ear in response to her nutty remark, I realized that this was what was needed to change a good morning into a gold morning.

I'd found my #Colgate360GoldMornings mantra:

Pearly whites that sport cheeky grins at humor new and old.

Transforming each morning from good to genuine gold.

Honestly, isn't that what we most enjoy---light moments in the company of people we love?
Uncomplicated snippets of easy conversation are much like bubbles of happiness. Light and frothy, they manage to pep up our mood and make us feel happy. For that brief temporary moment, we forget the tension weighing us down and laugh. Pure unadulterated laughter,  what better way to start off a gold morning?

I love people with a good sense of humor. It's not that they are happy all the time. But they choose to laugh through their pain. Twinkling eyes filled with mischief,  minds full of bright ideas, and more importantly smiles that reflect the dazzle of their compassionate soul---this is the company I like to be in, angels without wings, friends with a heart of gold.

I am sure Colgate must be having similar views on happiness. A pure heart deserves to laugh uninhibited, smile freely, and spread the joy of their golden spirit. Keeping this in mind, Colgate aims to preserve and improve the dental health of our loved ones. It promises to change their (and in turn our) good mornings into gold mornings.

The Colgate 360 Charcoal Gold is designed for effective cleaning of teeth, but it also cleans tongue, cheek and gums. The effect is doubled when it is used with Colgate Total Charcoal Deep Clean toothpaste. Its unique formula with micro charcoal particles act to provide 100% protection of the mouth.
The 360 Charcoal Gold toothbrush is stunning in appearance. Slimmer and softer than before, the charcoal infused spiral bristles promote superior cleaning of the mouth and provide easier access to problem areas. (Slimmer bristle tips reach deep between the teeth and along the gum line.) It also has an ultra compact head that effectively reaches back teeth and helps remove bacteria. The 360 Charcoal Gold toothbrush by Colgate is regarded as the gold standard of whole mouth cleaning, and the simplest and most effective way of brightening up our smiles. 

So celebrate every morning and turn them into gold. Wake up earlier than usual. Stay in good company. Express yourself freely. Lend a patient ear to your friends. Be kind to someone who really needs it. Do someone a favor without expecting anything in return. Cook a special breakfast for family. ...and smile. Smile a lot, not just from outside but from inside too.
Convert every experience into a gold experience. 
Turn every morning into a gold morning.