The alarm clock is blaring and I awaken to another day. The muscles of my neck begin to relax as I move my head from side to side; my shoulders feel frozen as I force my arms to reach...stretching and yawning at the same time. I whisper my daily prayer and recite, “Amen.” Reaching for my glasses, I open my book to the day’s reading.

     I have long admired creative and professional people that accomplish wonderful things, some things that seemed impossible to my eyes. I learned early on to make an effort to learn about different people and their habits... I wanted to know how they operated their lives and achieved their goals...how they made things happen and what I could learn from them. In learning about others that have done what I’d like to do or those that inspire me to set goals and dream, they have become my mentors.

      It’s important to have mentors in your life. Some people are lucky to learn and model behaviors by observing parents, family members, and other people in their lives; however, for much of my early education, I not only learned from observing others what I would like to accomplish and have in my life, I learned what I didn’t want to do or have in my life.

     Now, I continue to learn a great deal from reading autobiographies and biographies, from listening to interviews, and actively researching topics that interest me. My liberal arts education has opened my eyes and heart to the love of learning, growing, and enriching my life. The blessings that have filled my life have catapulted me into nurturing my faith, and my travel experiences have enriched my life in infinite ways. I have long believed that education isn’t limited to the walls of a school house; as both teachers and students, lessons surround us in every moment. The key is to remain open to the lessons.

     I have a keen interest in traditions and rituals, especially personal practices. The simple rituals that have become a part of my life keep me grounded, fulfilled, and excited about life. Rituals begin the moment you awake and continue into the evening with bedtime rituals.

     How do you begin your day? What rituals do you have?

     Upon waking each morning, Benjamin Franklin would ask himself a simple question, “What good will I do today?”  His morning ritual was followed by other rituals throughout his day, and at days end, he would ask himself, “What good did I do today?”

      Setting an intention for the day is an important ritual, particularly if you have goals you’d like to accomplish. I have a system I’ve developed over the years that works for me. I begin with a gratitude prayer upon awakening, then I do some exercises and stretches to alert my body to a new day.

     I nourish my mind and spirit with daily meditation, prayer, and reading practices. I read a morning meditation that I call my “Daily” and I read from the Unity Publication:The Daily Word. I also have several books that I “visit” by reading a page or even a chapter; these books vary widely from personal development, psychology, meta-cognition and pedagogy to travel memoirs and novels. The reading fires up my mind and plants seeds for me to nourish throughout the day.

     Another ritual that helps me accomplish my goals is keeping a daily planner; I list my priorities and schedule the tough tasks first, sometimes these are the ones I’d rather not do, but they offer the most bang for my buck. I find that my motivation skyrockets when I feel a sense of accomplishment. This is key to achieving my goals.

     My morning walk does this for me. If I don’t make it a priority and do it first thing, it might not get done because other activities, work, and time commitments take over. Taking care of my physical health is important and my body needs the movement now more than ever.

     My walks benefit the “airing” of my core areas (physical, mental, and spiritual) by allowing me some down time away from the computer, phone, and television. When I walk in nature, I do a walking meditation that is calming. At other times, I listen to music, lectures, or audio books. I’m also grateful for the conversation and companionship when I have walking partners; the sharing of life events, thoughts, and feelings is refreshing.

     Routines become rituals when they are considered sacred. Even the ordinary can become sacred by creating rituals around what needs to be done. Some routines like washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, and sorting the mail can become ritual when you practice mindfulness. As you are washing dishes, you can give thanks for the food and the people that have come together to provide and partake in the meal. These people can include the farmers, the transport team, the grocer, the shopper, the cook, and the companions that used the dishes. You can give thanks while brushing your teeth, and you can bless the mail...even the bills.

     Families have rituals, too. How do you schedule your days around school, work, and extracurricular activities? What patterns can you identify that you established in your everyday life?

     How about special occasions and holidays? Do you have traditions that have been long established?

     According to television personality Deborah Norville,  “There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.”

     At times of uncertainty, it is nice to fall back on routines and rituals as one ponders and executes what needs to be done. Rituals can provide comfort and help with stressful situations. For example, I’m glad to have my routines when I’m attempting things out of my comfort zone...like social media. I’ve started doing Facebook Lives on A House With Four Rooms Facebook page and because I’m not tech savvy, sometimes I can’t figure out if everything is in order and working. I’ve had several occasions where the audio just cuts off, and I can’t figure out why, but I don’t let that stop me. I’m learning...this is “airing” my mental room.

     I’ve committed to doing a “Featured Post of the Week” Facebook Live on Thursdays, so I’ve established a ritual around doing this. I typically watch what I’ve posted over the week and look for posts with high engagement. Usually finding the post is the easy part. I then connect the post to something identifiable, whether it is from my life or a story from someone else. I like the “success” stories because I believe they are more powerful. I then fill my water bottle, turn on some lights, and say a prayer before I hit the “Facebook Live” button. I’ve only done a handful of Lives, but each time I’ve started the same way: choose a post, ask why it’s relevant, get some water, set up the phone and lights, say a prayer, and click button. I’m still hoping this gets easier, but in the meantime, relying on my rituals has helped me.

     You have the power to take any routine tasks and establish rituals around them so that the ordinary becomes extraordinary, even the practice of making tea can become a treasured ritual.  Establishing rituals can also help you complete tasks and accomplish goals. Think about coming up with rewards; for example, I often use the ritual of rewards as an enticement. My rewards include special treats, extra reading time, and binge watching television.  

     Take life from the ordinary to the extraordinary by setting up rituals in your life. Begin by identifying patterns and routines you already have. In what ways are you already practicing rituals? How might you make common routines into rituals to make life special? Perhaps you could experience the ritual of rewards...how might you reward yourself?

Cheers,

Lisa