I literally thought about this on the train yesterday. I thought about what my life would be like if I strayed from routine. The routines we have create a specific structure that we know our lives to be. So by nature, doing something completely different alters how we experience life. If You get to campus at the same time every day you’ll see the same people , and experience the same day essentially every time you go. But if one day of the week you spontaneously go 3 hrs ahead or 3 hrs behind you’ll see a whole new set of people and experience the day much differently. It’s something interesting to consider. So I feel very aligned collectively, knowing that this essay was written and gave a personal perspective about the topic.
WAIT I THINK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME! i see the same people walking to work and i feel so connected to them- this was a gorgeous comment. thank you so much for reading and sharing
Yes! I totally agree with this. Oftentimes I feel that new commitments begin as rituals — things that I legitimately enjoy, but the longer I do them, and the more I feel obligated to do them, the more they become a rote routine, just something else I have to get done in my day. I think your commitment to listen to what actually feels additive is great advice. Forcing yourself to do things is a quick way to go from ritual to routine!
this was so beautiful—i LAUGHED and then i CRIED. (and also gasped at what the yoga master said.) i am so grateful for our rituals and so grateful for you !!!!!! thank you for sharing such a thoughtful piece with the angel cake universe 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
if you’re curious about ritual, The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile could probably be read in a weekend! It’s very accessible & dives into how ppl can/do approach ritual esp now that organized religion is less common
I loved this… I feel like I’ve been scrambling to get things done every week (and then doom scrolling in the in between moments of my tasks) and not giving myself time to savor what I’m doing and think if I even want to do them or if they could feel good. Lots of things are just a check mark on my to-do list but I’m missing the magic and romance! Another great piece, adore your work!
I realize (and totally understand) why sports aren't for everyone, but, I also don't agree when people are so quick to dismiss them as meaningless and dumb. They are so important for the rhythms of cities, communities, cultures, and if nothing else – creating unlikely connections through a shared enemy! Love this post, and how much you got to enjoy your hometown sports culture <3
i agree! i’m not hating on sports and i don’t think they are meaningless and dumb, i find the shared camaraderie beautiful !!! hope i didn’t come off as dismissive that was not the intention
oh gosh, no! the opposite! I love how you recognize how meaningful they are! sorry I meant to say how much I loved what you said!! I feel like I can never articulate everything you said because I never grew up in a sports city, its so cool.
so so so charming! makes me wonder how much im forcing myself into routines because of the illusion of order and productivity and doing something right; and how much im barely noticing my rituals which are the real things that keep us grounded to earth, to mankind, to love. thanks for sharing :)
I love the conversation about shared ritual! Another one I can think of is church each Sunday, however that’s not as relevant these days. I’ve also been thinking about being more present in my day and would love to hear how everyone else is practicing that
I literally thought about this on the train yesterday. I thought about what my life would be like if I strayed from routine. The routines we have create a specific structure that we know our lives to be. So by nature, doing something completely different alters how we experience life. If You get to campus at the same time every day you’ll see the same people , and experience the same day essentially every time you go. But if one day of the week you spontaneously go 3 hrs ahead or 3 hrs behind you’ll see a whole new set of people and experience the day much differently. It’s something interesting to consider. So I feel very aligned collectively, knowing that this essay was written and gave a personal perspective about the topic.
WAIT I THINK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME! i see the same people walking to work and i feel so connected to them- this was a gorgeous comment. thank you so much for reading and sharing
It was more than a pleasure🫶🏾
Yes! I totally agree with this. Oftentimes I feel that new commitments begin as rituals — things that I legitimately enjoy, but the longer I do them, and the more I feel obligated to do them, the more they become a rote routine, just something else I have to get done in my day. I think your commitment to listen to what actually feels additive is great advice. Forcing yourself to do things is a quick way to go from ritual to routine!
!!!!!
this was so beautiful—i LAUGHED and then i CRIED. (and also gasped at what the yoga master said.) i am so grateful for our rituals and so grateful for you !!!!!! thank you for sharing such a thoughtful piece with the angel cake universe 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
i adore you and the meaning you give to me !!!!
if you’re curious about ritual, The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile could probably be read in a weekend! It’s very accessible & dives into how ppl can/do approach ritual esp now that organized religion is less common
!!!! going to read. thank you!
it was one of my fav quarantine reads back in 2020 — enjoy!!
I loved this… I feel like I’ve been scrambling to get things done every week (and then doom scrolling in the in between moments of my tasks) and not giving myself time to savor what I’m doing and think if I even want to do them or if they could feel good. Lots of things are just a check mark on my to-do list but I’m missing the magic and romance! Another great piece, adore your work!
a check mark never replaces the feeling of actually savoring and enjoying something !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really loved this!! Definitely going to evaluate and recategorise my rituals v habits <3
thank you for reading !!
read this post a week ago and haven't stopped thinking about it -- thank you for this emily!
I realize (and totally understand) why sports aren't for everyone, but, I also don't agree when people are so quick to dismiss them as meaningless and dumb. They are so important for the rhythms of cities, communities, cultures, and if nothing else – creating unlikely connections through a shared enemy! Love this post, and how much you got to enjoy your hometown sports culture <3
i agree! i’m not hating on sports and i don’t think they are meaningless and dumb, i find the shared camaraderie beautiful !!! hope i didn’t come off as dismissive that was not the intention
oh gosh, no! the opposite! I love how you recognize how meaningful they are! sorry I meant to say how much I loved what you said!! I feel like I can never articulate everything you said because I never grew up in a sports city, its so cool.
🫶🏻🫶🏻
a delicious read!! oft thought of hayley nahman (aka maybe baby's) "sex of life" concept from her death of sex piece whilst reading
!!!! i totally forgot about this but i remember loving it, going to re-read thank you
♥️♥️♥️
i really really loved this.... thank you <3
this was sooo beautifully written!!!
thank you!!!
I think about this often! Loved this piece!!
so so so charming! makes me wonder how much im forcing myself into routines because of the illusion of order and productivity and doing something right; and how much im barely noticing my rituals which are the real things that keep us grounded to earth, to mankind, to love. thanks for sharing :)
perfect days is such a wonderful film! i saw it at my local cinema two weeks ago and i just felt so joyful the entire time
I love the conversation about shared ritual! Another one I can think of is church each Sunday, however that’s not as relevant these days. I’ve also been thinking about being more present in my day and would love to hear how everyone else is practicing that
this was so sweet, i read the whole thing twice <33