Posted by For years I thought all rituals were ‘meaningless. My thinking was,
‘How can anyone find meaning in something they do every day.
Then, something happened…
I read how Seinfeld became a famous comedian by committing to write one a joke a day.
Seinfeld put an X on each day on a calendar when he created a joke. As the days extended into weeks and the weeks into months. Seinfeld was determined not to break the chain.
That sounded pretty smart to me, so I printed out my own calendar.
I started running back on May 1st and I haven’t broken the chain.
I started reading for 15 minutes before I went to bed shortly thereafter and I haven’t broken that chain either.
Earlier this week, I started meditating for 5 minutes before I start my work day.
I have a sticky on my monitor to count 5 blessings each morning and each morning I do that.
I also get on my knees and pray to God for wisdom before I start my day.
Do I Kick & Scream, ‘No’, When I Think About Rituals?
Not anymore.
But, I’ll probably never call them rituals.
Instead, I’ll call them gifts.
‘Gift’ is the correct word. Because…
Running is a gift, for I feel so good afterwards and I enjoy listening to NPR while working out.
Meditation is a gift for it puts me in a better state of mind for my day.
Reading for 15 minutes each night is a gift because I’m reading great books.
Counting my blessings is a gift because studies have shown it reduces stress and makes us happier.(I) (II)
Praying for wisdom is is definitely a gift because I can use all the wisdom I can get.
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Clark Finnical is a Career Expert and the author of Job Hunting Secrets (from someone who’s been there), LinkedIn Strategies to Take Your Career to the Next Level , 12 Lies Told To Job Seekers, How to Stand Out: From All of the Other Candidates, and What No One Told You About Job Titles and Your Job Search
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Article originally appeared in www.clarkfinnical.com
Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash
(I) APA PsycNet. Counting one’s blessings can reduce the impact of daily stress. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-41834-001
(II) American Psychological Association. A key to happiness. https://www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/key
