I’m going, to be honest. I felt stuck this entire last week with limiting beliefs that my ideas don’t matter. I’m not really helping anyone. I don’t know how to get my message out there. I’ve been lost in learning the in and outs of Instagram & hashtags feeling the crushing power of social media. But I finally came to the realization, that someday it will all work itself out as long as I keep pushing forward and taking uncomfortable action.
So here I am picking myself back up working through this self-doubt, which led me to reflect on a pivotal event in my journey this year. Last December while on Christmas Vacation in Florida, I read the book Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser. In Chapter 17, titled, Creating A Ritual, she describes a Native American Arrow Ceremony. As I kept reading, both Chelsea and Becky’s faces entered my mind. Though I questioned should I text to ask if they want to do this, should I wait to ask them in person, or should I chicken out worried they’d think I’m crazy for wanting to do this?
I ended up waiting for one of our weekend walks to spring the idea on them. The sinking feeling hit me as I looked down at the ground wondering their reaction. As I looked up, I saw wide eyes smiles as they both said, “Let’s do it.” Next thing I knew we were planning out what supplies we needed and the dates of execution. In a non-COVID time, we would have found somewhere to go overnight, but instead, we picked on one day to make our intentions and the following weekend to complete our ritual.
A ritual is an opportunity to start the transformation process as you look around feeling that you want something to change but the how is just too hard to grasp. At least that is the way I felt as the new year had just begun. For this ritual, we found power in writing inspired by Klauser.
Directions: Get out a piece of paper or a blank screen and start writing. • Listing all the negative people, things, ideas that you want to release • List all the intentions, people, ideas, businesses that you want to bring into your life. • As 2021 ends, it’s the perfect time to reflect. • Now think about what ritual you want to create to release the negative and set these new intentions
For us, we created intentions on stationary titled, “Dare to Dream” wrapped in feathers & ribbon held together with a pencil. We burnt to release the negative and planted our intentions to grow for the upcoming year. We did this with the rising sun. Think about how you want to complete your ritual.
I had taken pictures of my intentions, which I had looked at throughout the year, but as my old cell phone dropped to the bottom of a lake so did the images from those intentions. I don’t remember everything I wrote that day, but the one that meant the most for me this year was to create Circle 4 Grace. It was during a meditation that the name Circle of Grace came to me but that domain was taken, yet it found its way back through Our Circle of Grace.
Chelsea and Becky would become two members of my own Circle of Grace. I’ve launched this blog, and this week I will be launching my first course. Klauser explains, “ritual recognizes something larger than yourself as part of the plan.” It truly gives your intentions the power to come to fruition.
Though my one piece of warning, it wasn’t my friends who thought I was crazy. My family eventually emerged into the living room looking out the window wondering why is Mommy with her friends out in the snow with a fire pit and a blow torch. We may have been back among the trees but in winter with no leaves, highly visible. However, it did lead to a wonderful discussion on setting intentions. Modeling is always the best teacher.
Now is the time to set your intention and plan your ritual for the coming year, and comment any ideas down below. Next week, I will start the deep dive into self-care ideas starting with the benefits of meditation.