LAYMAN’S SIMPLE REPLY: Yes, the future belongs to early risers

AT EACH AND EVERY LAST 8 SUCCESSIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSES at my house, we laid exceptional stress on individual responsibility – which is in short supply these days. And which verily is at the root of one of the main problems of the country.
As the way things are, it stands to reason that waking up early, well before sunrise, could well be one among the many possible solutions to heal the numerous wounds and scourges of the society. Of course, I refer to collective responsibility and shared habits of getting out of bed before daybreak.
That’s at the very least a layman’s point of view : Who does not claim to be an intellectual or a scientist because he’s never had any chance of going to a University for higher education. And who talks and writes from his own practicalities of everyday life. And who goes on learning from the practical experiences of others-dead or alive-through intensive reading ; listening to the BBC and the RFI. And also via his own developed powers of observation.
For that reason and many many others, we placed great emphasis on the absolute necessity of Mauritius rising well before daylight-at the last Sunday (5th August) BASSIN (QB) leadership training course. More than 75 % out of the 84 present were of the intellectual class by the standards of some academics and other highbrows. And it goes without saying that we are all too well aware that worldwide, there are night workers (though in minority compared to day workers) in emergency or essential services (the police, hospital, fire service and other organizations that provide basic necessities).
We need a nation of early risers
ALSO, IN SOME HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES, night work is a common phenomenon. All said, it’s crystal clear that when we underline the need to wake up before that crack of dawn, obviously we mean the vast majority of day workers. At the Sunday 5th August leadership training course, one and all agreed that success very often knocks at the doors of those who wake up early – before the first rays of the sun.
But then again, one opinion poll, at one of the 8 classes at Belle Terre, was revealing and telling in more than a sense. Why and how ? Out of the 110 participants (mostly intellectuals and not a lay person like me) ; 98 blindly followed my example of getting out of bed very much before sunrise. They all confirmed that they were more relaxed ; concentrated ; calm ; tension-free ; poised ; disciplined ; effective ; focused on their work or studies ; and healthy (both mentally and physically). They did their morning outdoor physical exercises regularly to keep fit. Of course, morning planning was better and driving, if any, softer-because they left home earlier than before. And in many families, breakfast was taken “en famille”.
Viewed in that light, this is my dream : Day workers and others should wake up before sunrise. Most, if not all, the great teachers of mankind teach us the same message. Unfortunately, Mauritius has broken past good habits of our ancestors. Old is gold. We all can save Mauritius by starting off early before daybreak. Otherwise, we are all committing high treason (in the figurative sense, of course) against present and future generations. Without doubt, a lay person like me can be wrong. And if so, many others are guilty as well !