Ahhh...those life-saving, sanity-preserving rituals that keep me grounded

I don't know about you, but I've got a few little rituals that take place daily, or near to that...and these grounding, centering and (under stressful situations) almost life-saving rituals keep me focused, energized and inspired, so that I can enthusiastically live my life on a daily basis.

Spending a few days with my Mom and her husband Don this past week gave me a wonderful glimpse into some of their rituals. They eat breakfast, go to church, walk on their treadmill, sit close together on the couch (so cute!) to watch a movie or something good on TV (which would be curling at the moment)! They have some wonderful rituals that might not seem extravagant or so exciting to anyone else, but being home for a few days, their rituals seem to be a very special part of their daily life together and I'm so glad that I was able to be a part of it.

One of my most welcomed rituals is waking up early and enjoying a cup of (strong) coffee while reading the paper/checking emails or tuning in to Facebook. I love this relaxed pace of starting my day. If I had to rush out of bed and hit the ground running, I'd be a little off-center because this 20 minute warm-up to my day is a treasured ritual and time to just present.

Rituals, to me, are things I do that I don't even have to think about. I just do them. That's what makes them rituals. Brushing my teeth is a ritual. I just do it. I don't question it. I read somewhere that when I have a goal or dream, I should look at it as a "ritual" and not as a goal...b/c with goals...we have a choice of whether or not to take some sort of action...we don't "automatically" behave in ways to support the goal, whereas with rituals, we don't even question the action, we just do it.

When I get into my sport training season, which is starting now, my training becomes more ritualistic. It's not something I question. I just automatically include it in my day. And that feels soooo good! Here are a few photos from the Cozumel Ironman that I just did last December. It was my 7th Ironman race and one that I will remember b/c the people, locals, and even the family who ran the corner store (in the photo) were so incredibly nice! Lalo and his mom even came out on race-day with signs and posters for me. I couldn't believe it. It was so thoughtful!






On a race day, I have a few little rituals that definitely keep me focused and grounded. One ritual that I do is writing the names of my favourite songs on a piece of medical tape and put it on my cross-bar on my bike. Then during the bike ride, I sing songs to myself to pass the time. 7 hours goes by soooo fast with Enrique Iglesias, The Four Tops and Keith Urban singing in my ears! On the marathon, I have another piece of tape on my water bottle with the names of 26 family and friends to think about on each mile of the run. These rituals, along with having fun wih the crowds on the sidelines totally energize me and make me smile during the entire race (literally!).

Other rituals that I include daily or at least a few times/week include taking time to daydream, ponder, think and create. When i allow time to create (anything), I'm happy, centered and totally inspired! When I get too busy to have time for this, I feel like a "rat in the rat race".

I also love adventure! (I think my Mom does too!) This would be more of a seasonal ritual but a very important part of what fills my spirit! A few years ago, Doug and I kayaked from The Baja in Mexico across to some islands, about 10 miles (or10 km)?? (not sure which...but suffice it to say that it was a LONG way) offshore. We packed up our kayak with all food, water and belongings that we'd need for a few days and we set out on the water. I had never kayaked much before so this was a total adventure for me! We made it across the open-crossing and had the most amazing few days out on the uninhabited islands, exploring, kayaking and enjoying that morning coffee on the shore. One day we kayaked into this bay and there were hundreds of pelicans feeding, flying high and diving, all together, into the water to catch the small school of fish that was in the bay. They dove into the water, all around us! It was a National Geographic moment, for sure!

Other rituals include calling my sister Gwen every day. Without question, we call eachtoher, without a reason or a need to call one another. We just do it - b/c it's a ritual. (I'm so grateful for Gwen and the little rituals we share.) Friends and I also share little rituals that are probably silly to most people, but absolutely joyful to us.

I'd like to start a new ritual of simply writing a note or sending an email or card (by mail) to friends that I've lost touch with, on a weekly basis. I can think of a few very significant people in my life that I've lost touch with over the past couple months and reconnecting with them is long overdue. I started to reconnect with some old friends when i started this blog but I still have a few very special friends that I am missing and want to reconnect with.

Mom, I hope this blog is a tiny little ritual in your day where you check in and read a little about how you have inspired me, taught me and shaped the person I have become.
You remain, as always, the wind beneath my wings.
love you,
Crystal