“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving… and that’s your own self.”
-Aldous Huxley
When striving for balance, both in life and at work, it is the small things we do within our daily routines that become the foundation upon which we build our long-term success. Whether it is the way we treat people, how we eat, spiritual practices or our method of regular self-care, the consequences of these small choices are immense.
Rituals are something we do regularly and easily. They reflect our beliefs, needs and values. Rituals are individual and are often habitual as these small actions become woven into our daily processes. Some rituals can work against you too. Awareness of routines, both positive, negative and our potential new choices is key.
One ritual I added to my life back in 2000 was daily practice of the 5 Tibetan “Fountain of Youth” Exercises. This 10 minute daily practice promised that I would enjoy greater flexibility, optimal endocrine/hormone balance and a higher level of stamina as I aged. After practicing the exercises for a few months, they became an easy routine for the start of each day. I could do them automatically without thinking. I could do them whether I was at home, in a hotel room or even in a tiny cruise ship stateroom. The benefits were measurable. I also experienced a much stronger connection to God and the world around me as a result of this practice, which was an unexpected delight. I suppose this was the real reason the Tibetan monks took on this practice so many hundreds of years ago!
On November 11, 2009 during the regular monthly Indigo Connection womens breakfast gathering we explored “Rituals for Success” as our topic. I called upon the women to inspire each other with the ways they add meaningful choices to daily life. Markers in hand, they paraded around the room to lively music, writing on posters to express and share their ideas.
I promised the group I would capture their writings and rituals here in the blog, so they might remember all these ideas, and also share them with people who missed the live program. Sometimes we forget we have the power to take on a few new ideas, even when it seems we’re stuck in a rut! November is a great time of year to consider changes before the holidays and New Year are upon us.
Here’s what they came up with:
Health and Physical Fitness
Listen to my body
Drink plenty of water
Lift weights
Qi Gong
Sleep 8 hrs./night
Massage once a month
Yoga
Jazzercise
Pilates
Probiotics
Curves
Measure my waistline & waist/hip ratio
Join Hiking Club
Move more
Treat exercise like an appointment
Walk outside
Deep breathing
Vacuuming is exercise too
Diet and Nutrition
Food Journal
Plan Ahead
Drink at least 8 glasses of water
Cold-processed flax seed oil
Eat for your blood type
Fish Oil Capsules
Portion control
Don’t eat after dinner
Take multivitamin/supplements
Whole foods – no chemicals
Read food labels
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables 5+ daily
Calcium + Vit. D
Protein Shakes
An apple a day
Avoid excessive dark chocolate
Eat breakfast
Plenty of Fiber
Hygiene and Beauty
Thorough Hand Washing
Sleep 8 hours
De-stress with exercise
Drink plenty of H20
Floss
Exfoliate/Scrub
Moisturize & tone
Shower
Lip Gloss
Sunscreen every day
Galvanic spa facials
Wash face before bed
Get some sunshine
Career, Business and Finance
Plan my day
Check emails & return calls
Balance check book
“to do” lists
Read the paper
Belong to a professional organization in my field
Set goals
Connect with others
Donate to charities
See financial planner regularly no matter how much I have
Pay off credit cards every month
Use cash only for gifts and extras
Plan plan plan
Save my loose change for fun extras
Delegate
Collaborate with others
Attend networking meetings
Take more classes
Marketing
Post something on my social media page
Share what I know to help other people
Spirituality, Consciousness and Learning
Connect with my higher self
Accept everyone I meet for who they are
Say my rosary
Read Books
Read professional article daily
Watch a sunset or sunrise
Qi Gong Daily practice
5 Tibetan Rites
Be in the present moment several times a day
Forgiveness
Join a bible study group
Practice Tai Chi Chih
Reiki
Pray
Volunteer at church
Online classes
Be grateful for my life and gifts
Walk journal
Gratitude journal
Walk in nature
Send healing energy to the world
Meditation (in hot-tub, even better)
Relationships and Serving Others
Be present with anyone who is with me
Make coffee for my husband every AM
Volunteer in my community/church
Hug my boys
Call mom/dad
Take time to listen
Connect with best friends
Help everyone I meet as best I can
Write letters to friends
Let people help me when they offer
Ask how I could help
Say “I LOVE YOU”
Pray for others
Serve as a board member/leader
Babysit
Donate for fundraisers or charities
Give hugs that “mean it”.
Open up to others
Send emails just to stay in touch
Join a group with my husband
I hope you might have found a great new idea on these lists. Remember that it takes about 21 days for a new action to become a true habit. Make a commitment to begin a small step toward a new ritual in your life. You could be 3 weeks away from “automatic”.
