I always used to say that I was a creature of habit and a person who loved her routines. Characterizing myself this way, though, gave me pause, because frankly it sounds a little boring. Routines – aren’t they kinda, well, routine? And doesn’t routine imply sort of a mindless sequence of events endlessly repeated? Why would I want to define myself through that lens?
Over time I’ve come to realize that it isn’t routine that I love – it’s ritual. What’s the difference?
Ritual is something that is repeated, yes, but ritual is carried out with intentionality and some degree of reverence. Rituals are carefully orchestrated, not fallen into casually, and hold some special meaning and purpose for the actor. Far from being mindless routines, they involve mindful presence with even the smallest detail of a sequence of actions.
If this sounds appealing to you, here is some good news: with a little bit of reflection, planning, and dreaming, you can turn many of your boring old daily or weekly or yearly routines into rituals. This type of thinking is at the heart of demanding the shimmer!
Here are some ways to get you started:
* Think about a routine that you have – whether it be something like a daily hygiene routine (washing up and brushing teeth), to a weekly trip to the same grocery store with the same list and the same route through the aisles that you could do with your eyes closed.
* Think about the ways in which that routine is actually a privilege. Aren’t you lucky to have the means do those things? Take a little time to really appreciate and revere the opportunity to do this action on a regular basis.
* What is the larger purpose of the routine? For example, it would be easy to just think of washing up and brushing teeth as a way to keep from being dirty and stinky, but it is also a way to show your body some real care and honor, to pamper yourself, to keep yourself looking and feeling your best, and even as part of the creation of the image that you are putting in the world as a person who cares about detail.
* How can you immerse all of your senses and your full attention into the actions you are doing? Think about sight, sound, smell, taste, and feel – how could you add something to what you are doing to heighten the experience you are engaged in and bring yourself a boost of positivity and pleasure through all of these senses, if even only for a minute or two?
Once you’ve thought through these things, you can design an upgraded sequence by beginning it with gratitude, thinking about its larger purpose, and adding elements of joy through all of your senses. Guess what? Bam – you now have a ritual!
You may start small with some personal rituals, and if you find that what used to bore you or seem like a vaguely annoying necessity is now something you look forward to, then you may want to work with your family and friends to see if you can upgrade some of your joint activities into rituals. The sky’s the limit.
Cheers,
Lisa
P.S. Slightly off topic, but writing about this and thinking about repetition reminded me of a song that used to be one of my favorites and I haven’t heard it in forever – I got so much pleasure from YouTubing it and hearing it again that I just had to share! It’s from one of Prince’s less acclaimed (but one of my favorite) albums, Graffiti Bridge, and it’s called Joy in Repetition . Do you remember that song from 1990? Go check it out. It’s hauntingly beautiful and gives me chills.