Create a ritual ☕

Casper ter Kuile’s book is about taking things we do every day and layering meaning and ritual onto them.

Why do this?

Because rituals transport us to a way of living that we may only occasionally catch a glimpse of—a future that is simultaneously filled with our intention and yet open to life’s delightful unpredictability.

In essence, rituals bring deeper meaning to our lives.

But to transform any practice into a ritual, three key elements are required:

• Intention: What are we inviting into this moment?

• Attention: How can we come back to being present?

• Repetition: How can we return to this practice consistently over time?

For example, as a coffee lover, my new ritual starts with setting an intention for the day while grinding the beans (“I want to approach my day with patience…”). Then, I’ll take a minute to fully savor the taste, smell, and warmth of my brew. And because I’m hooked, I’ll do it every day.

As ter Kuile explains: before you begin a ritual, you own the journey. You are in control. But “once the ritual begins, the journey owns you.”

Happy journaling,

Kelsey

Most journal prompts you’ll find here draw inspiration from the books I’m reading. Below, you’ll find the books and weekly themes so you can read ahead if you’d like. Reading isn’t necessary—it's simply an option if a particular theme sparks your curiosity and you'd like to dive deeper. 

Here’s the schedule:

• Week of January 13th - Theme: Creating rituals. Book: The Power of Ritual

• Week of January 20th - Theme: Connecting & communication. Book: Nonviolent Communication

• Week of January 27th - Theme: Finding purpose. Book: Man’s Search for Meaning

• Week of February 3rd - Theme: Tools for Life. Book: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

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Want to find more prompts? You can scroll through all previous prompts here.