I'm Grateful For...

The Practice of Routines and Rituals

Over the past few years, I’ve developed a ritualized morning routine. I allow flexibility and often experiment with different elements, but I love the practice of building routines that are intentional and purposeful. In our unpredictable world, much is beyond our control, so it’s reassuring and comforting to know there are a few things that I can consistently control. My morning and evening routines are two of those cherished “controllables.”

The Keystone of Silence and Gratitude

Every day, my series of habits leads me to my desk where I sit with my notepad, pen, computer, and coffee. This is my sanctuary, a place where God and I can hang out, talk about life, and just be. When I arrive to the sanctuary, my practice is to take a moment in silence simply breathing and being present in the moment. Then I write in my gratitude journal, a journal that typically begins with the same three words. “I’m grateful for…” My morning routine is pretty involved, but really, as long as I can make it to the sanctuary for my time of silence and gratitude, I know it’s going to be a good day. This is my keystone habit.

The Power of Attention and Intention

I’ve written before of my personal mission to “love, enjoy, inspire, encourage, and positively impact those around me (my neighbors) and to grow my circle of influence (the neighborhood).” I’ve also mentioned my wildly important goal to “live life better and help others do the same.” I am convinced that my attention and intention help me live this mission and daily. My daily routines and rituals reinforce my purpose and in all my imperfection, I can still make daily progress toward closing the gap between my present self and my best self.

The Habit of Pause and Peace

As I mentioned earlier, I sometimes experiment with my routines. One experiment I’ve been playing with is adding a note about my “One Word.” This year’s One Word is PEACE. So each day, I’ve been writing “Peace” at the top of my gratitude journal. This morning, I wrote, “Peace...with self, others, and God. Peace...with the past, present, and future.” I liked that. So today my gratitude journal focused on this idea of living with peace. I’ve been reading Dr. Becky Bailey’s book Conscious Discipline and one idea I love is focusing on the pause. Between any stimulus and response, there is a moment of potential pause. This pause is what allows us to pay attention to the moment and react more intentionally. Making space for this simple pause can help us pave the way to peace in small and big ways.

The Experiment of Awareness and Action

So I have a challenge for me today, and for you if you so choose. My challenge is to look at our routines and rituals, considering what we can and cannot control. My challenge is to be silent and grateful, knowing that this can be a good day regardless of our circumstances. My challenge is to have attention and intention, making small decisions that help us live our mission each day. My challenge is to consider the opportunity for pause and peace, choosing to react and respond in a way that positively affects our relationships with ourselves, others, and God.

I'm grateful for this day.

I hope you are too.

Embrace and enjoy it!