If the truth be told, I lived much of my life thinking that making the bed was a waste of effort. Every day, we mess it up. Oh yes, every once in a while or through a burst of resolutions, the bed would be made. I didn’t really like doing things that seemed like a waste of time. I really didn’t see the point. Wow! Did I miss one of the blessings of life for a very long time. I missed the power of everyday rituals.

Everyday rituals give us gifts that are far too often missing from the rest of our life. These gifts are completion, accomplishment, control and service. You probably can think of some more. There really aren’t many things in life or work that deliver these gifts with the same panache and security. On the days I make my bed, I start the day off a winner. No matter how many things are delayed or change, I will end my day with peace and serenity. A sense of order surrounds my consciousness before I drift off to sleep.

When we can begin to accept the premise that we really aren’t in control of anything, we can start to relax into life’s rhythm. I’m not saying it’s pleasant in the beginning. Realizing that control of everything but our thoughts is someone else’s call is a little frightening at first. We can only control our own choices. We can’t control our children, our spouses, our friends or lovers. So everyday rituals like making the bed, cooking dinner, making a quilt, straightening up and clearing our desk at the end of the day bring some comfort to our lives. Everything else is subject to change, isn’t it?

In a world that’s out of control, I love the thought of my little corner of the world being peaceful and predictable. Whenever I feel like life’s going too fast, or I’m out of control or sorts, I can always ground myself with everyday rituals. If I feel scared or overwhelmed, I can always ground myself with everyday rituals. If I’m sad or lonely, I can always ground myself with everyday rituals.

It’s really pretty cool to have a little secret stash of everyday rituals at your beck and call. Here’s one of my examples. August 20th was my Dad’s birthday and my little brother Sean’s birthday. For 40 years of my life, we stopped on August 20th to celebrate the lives of 2 magnificent men with a Happy Birthday and a chocolate cake. After my Dad passed, it became Sean’s special day and I always remember my Dad. There is no other day of the year that chocolate cake tastes better or gives me more comfort. It is a blessing of the everyday rituals that someone, my Mom in this case, took the time to create for us. It is an everyday ritual for which I am very grateful.

The most wonderful thing about this life’s journey is there is no finish line. It’s never too late or too early to begin to create your secret stash of everyday rituals for yourself, your friends and those you love. An everyday ritual for yourself is a sweet thing to have.

Last 5 posts by mcrean

• The Word for the Day is STEP - July 22nd, 2008
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm and is filed under Law of Attraction, Vision/Goals/Plans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.