When we hear of daily rituals we think of brushing your teeth, washing your face, washing your hair and all of that good stuff. Those aren’t the rituals I want to discuss with you today.
I’m talking about what you’re doing on a daily basis that ensures that you’re ready for the day.
That you are feeling healthy and ready to take on whatever life has in store for you. That you feel grounded. That you are balanced and in harmony, really feeling like you can take on the world every single day of your life.
I’m talking about Your Daily Rituals.
It’s a common misconception that daily rituals take the spontaneity out of your day. That incorporating daily rituals is boring and rigid.
The fact is, including a daily ritual can help you get focused, more excited and pumped up for the day. For me, it’s a non-negotiable.
Daily rituals are about cultivating habits that impact every aspect of your life.
The same way that you get up, brush your teeth, wash your face, take a shower, get dressed and eat breakfast… those are rituals that you just do without thinking about them. You get up at a certain time and you go eat breakfast at a certain time and it’s really not something that you have to think about. Although in the back of your mind you know that this is important for you to be able to start your day.
By intentionally adding daily rituals, you can get mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually turned on and ready to face the day. Purposeful daily rituals help you take on whatever obstacles or situations come your way and to navigate them without feeling stressed out or overwhelmed.
For myself, there are a few daily rituals that are non-negotiables for me:
- Gratitude
- Acceptance
- Faith
Let’s start with gratitude.
Gratitude for me is huge because I feel like gratitude leads to a more rewarding life experience. I’m talking about being grateful for our health, our home, the roof over our heads, the food that we eat, our friends, the impact we have on other people and every other aspect of our lives.
Gratitude is essential.
You can add gratitude to your daily ritual by keeping a journal next to your bed. In the morning or in the evening write down things that you are grateful for. You can take this a step further by carrying around a notebook and writing things down that you are grateful for throughout your day.
This enriches my life in so many ways.
When I’m having a bad day or a lot of things are coming at me at one time, the first thing I do is fall into gratitude. You might wonder how I can be grateful for everything that is happening, especially when I’m having a bad day. You’ll find that once you cultivate the habit by adding gratitude to your daily ritual, it happens as naturally as you brushing your teeth in the morning. And shifting your perspective to see those ‘bad things’ that are happening are actually serving a purpose or a lesson for you to grow.
Acceptance
You’ve heard me talk a lot about meditation and maybe some of you have downloaded my free Mind Body Meditation. Meditation is a non-negotiable for me because it helps me get into a state of acceptance. Meditation isn’t just about getting still and emptying your mind. It’s about training your mind and bringing it into focus.
Meditation relaxes and focuses your mind so you can be in a place of acceptance and receiving. That’s why it’s one of my favorite things to do in the morning as part of my daily ritual. Meditation is so effective that I will often take time in the afternoon to take a five-minute meditation walk. You don’t have to sit still to meditate. You can do activities like walking or working out. Meditation has many forms and taking a time-out doesn’t have to take up all of your day.
Faith
The last non-negotiable on my daily ritual list is faith. I’m not talking about religion necessarily. I see faith as something in addition to religion. I see it as trust. Trusting that whatever is going to unfold, will unfold and that it serves my higher good even if I am not aware of it at that moment.
There are times that we’re going to feel uncertain, but often whenever we’re unsure, we don’t know how we’re going to make the right choice. Sometimes we feel like we’re lacking a purpose or feeling lost.
What I like to do is have a piece of paper that I keep with me at all times that has my purpose and mission written on it. I read that first thing in the morning, throughout the day and before I go to sleep at night.
If I’m really having a rough day, I will read my purpose and mission in order for me to stay in that place of belief and faith that I’m going to make choices towards my life’s goals that are in alignment with my vision.
Whenever you’re working with other people or you’re working for somebody else, it can be hard to do this because their vision and mission aren’t in alignment with yours. If you step back and look at the bigger picture, you’ll find that you being a part of their mission is part of your mission and purpose. It will always fit.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a waiter or a waitress or a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant or a surfer. If you take a bigger, bird’s-eye view of what your vision is, you find the courage to believe and have faith that everything in your journey is unfolding exactly the way it should.
There have been so many times in my life that I’ve trusted and had faith that things were working out for me in the long run. I’m glad that I had that faith because I could never have dreamt up such a beautiful way of things unfolding. This has happened time and again and every time, it reinforces my belief and faith that experiences and circumstances always fit in the big picture and end up being in alignment with my mission and purpose.
The cultivation of these daily rituals that you practice until they become habits are vital to your personal growth and peace of mind.
It’s like tending a garden. Just like tending the garden in front of or in the back of your house, you want to give daily care, focus, attention, compassion and love to your daily ritual.
Take a look at your life. What are the things that are a must for you? What are the things that you need to do in order to get yourself in a mental and emotional place where you feel in balance and harmony in your life? What would make you feel like you’re living your life’s purpose with passion and drive? What can you do to put out a lot of good into the world?
Show that you are grateful
Take a week to evaluate and pay attention to what really matters in your life, especially if you don’t have any daily rituals in place. Start with gratitude today. There is so much to be grateful for. I’m grateful to share my information and experiences with you. I’m thrilled to interact with the people I do on a regular basis.
Gratitude is something that we all easily integrate into our daily lives. If you start your daily ritual practice with gratitude, the rest comes easily.It is a good idea to keep in mind that gratitude is due. You have to be thankful even if you think there’s nothing to be thankful for, even waking up in the morning is something you should be appreciating daily. This takes time and effort.
What I like about daily rituals is how easy they are to do once you create your strategy. You need a map for your life that includes how to use strategies as well as building those strategies into your daily routine so you don’t forget and can maintain and accomplish what matters most in your life.
This is how I am able to accomplish so much. Maintaining my daily ritual practice allows me to not only remain balanced but also gives me the energy and clarity that helps me accomplish more each day than most people do in a week or month.
My daily ritual includes spending time with family, reading about self-improvement, exercising not only my mind but also my mind. I spend time looking at my routine and thinking to myself as to how I can improve it.
Expanding on your daily rituals
After following this ritual for years, I have developed the habit of being able to accomplish anything I set my mind to. This is how you can not only develop your own positive routine but how you can also use that process to achieve any goal or dream you may have in life.
Developing a routine in life is the best way to ensure you accomplish your daily tasks and goals. Many people today get caught up doing things on the fly, making sure they get this or that done but never truly focusing on how that task or goal will contribute to their lives. People often forget how several small steps taken over time can help improve your lifestyle in the long run.It isn’t quick but using these strategies will surely show positive outcomes in the long run when followed through.
Gratitude is something that we all easily integrate into our daily lives. If you start your daily ritual practice with gratitude, the rest comes easily.
When you commit to YOU and take care of yourself first and foremost, you can transform your life. Learn More Here >>
Dr. Asha Prasad
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