I have three rituals I perform regularly -- especially when I’m in a funk. Or, when I believe the world has let me down. I simply start a blessing ritual that makes my heart smile and sing again.

Storyteller:
I tell myself stories. Most are nonfiction, but I am great at making up imaginary ones and acting them out in my mind, of course. I tell myself stories of triumph. Family stories. Stories I have overheard in passing. When I’m broke, I’ll pretend I hit the lottery.

I’ll recall stories that often make me laugh and help manage my gray days when I presume nothing is going well. I’ll remember fun times I’ve had with my brothers. It warms my soul and warrants an electrical high that no warm chocolate-chip cookie or cheese pizza can quench.

Grateful List:
I sit down. Or, in front of a mirror, I go down my list of gratefulness, which often ends with me crying and calling my mother to thank her again for choosing me. At first I start with the obvious. I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful to have eyelashes and ten toes. I am thankful because someone loves me. I am glad I was born healthy.

Once you start going down the list and through the numbers and the mountains, valleys, and storms God got you through, it hits you: Wow, I got a ticket or didn’t get that job. But, I had a happy childhood and I can hear the beauty of music. Why am I buggin’?

I hosted a baby shower once. One of my games was to have everyone make a list of five things they are most grateful for. This was the second game. I did it early to set the mood. The responses were very moving. People were thankful for the tangible and the intangible:

“I am so glad I have friends who love me.”

“I am so grateful to get through my last operation.”

“My grandmother’s love got me through college.”

You would be surprised at what some people are grateful for. Things often taken for granted.

Motorcycle Prayers:
When I am driving, I pray for everyone I see on a motorcycle. It does not matter what I am doing. If I see a motorcycle zoom by, I send a prayer out for them to never crash and always get home safely.

I never realized how powerful this was until I noticed my friends doing it. Or, they would say, “Did you pray for that guy on the motorcycle?” I pray for strangers, which is a magical meditation in itself.

These rituals allow me to analyze my human side when I have my moments of doubt. Life is a journey filled with different plateaus, and we need to constantly build strength in our spirits to get through those rough contours of life.

It strengthens my soul to pray for others, visualize a better world, and acknowledge the blessings and mountains I conquered. So, whenever I feel like pitying myself and crying or punching a wall, I reference my rituals. And, if they don’t work, I go ahead and cry and punch a wall. And, then eat a bag of chocolate-chip cookies.

Either way, I feel better because I know the next day will be a better day and another opportunity to be thankful for my life, the love I have been shown and my ten toes.
 

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