The Essential Renewing Power of Rituals
What would be different for you right now if you started your day by leaning into a habit of success?
Would you get more done?
How energized would you feel?
Could you get more traction on goal-getting?
Rituals, no matter how small or mundane, provide us with balance and a familiar foundation; a strong beginning to a day, or an important reminder of a treasured memory. They support us in launching bigger successes and they even help us move on after a loss or failure.
We all possess and execute bespoken “rituals” either from our childhoods or from everyday life that may seem insignificant yet are anything but. Perhaps you mindlessly make your bed every morning, or you set an extra place at the dinner table at a holiday for a loved one who passed, or maybe you set up your holiday décor on a specific date on the calendar? Maybe you go to sleep after you read a book every night, or exercise every morning before you go to work?
Stop for a moment and think about what rituals are a part of your life.
Are they generational or are they unique to you?
Where do these rituals or routines support you in personal or professional growth?
If I had to guess, you probably did not even realize that these rituals or habits were part of the tapestry of your life. You may instinctively be doing something, carrying out a routine or a daily event, simply because this is what you have always done. As much as I love lingering habits that ground you, I want to challenge each of you to cite the rituals in your life and to become really, really aware of when and how you execute them. Are they mindless and rote, or do they provide you with a solid daily, weekly, or seasonal feeling of success?
Once you identify your rituals, take a moment to tap into what each one means to you TODAY. Question each one so that you create an awareness about why you do what you do. If you are having trouble identifying rituals or habits that you stick to, then time to create ones that have meaning. If you have identified many, time to edit them. The ones that remain could literally change your life!
Why?
Rituals renew your connection to the world around you. They renew your connection to yourself. Every time you take action doing something in a specific way, a choice comes to life. A decision to remember is initiated. A decision to forget or a chance to change or remain the same is launched into the Universe. Being mindful about the rituals you pursue translates to being aware of the nuances that make you one-of-a-kind. If you bake a certain way because that is how your grandmother did it, then that is unique to your experience. Every time you bake you honor her, and you honor your heritage and your legacy. Every time you create a new tradition or ritual, you honor yourself, you execute on your values, and you create legacy in real time. In a virtual and fast-paced world of unknown, taking action on habits and rituals that connect and support the human in you is a boost toward self-acceptance, success and renewal.