Your Hidden Riches (book review)

I received a complementary copy of this book for review purposes.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

My intention is to be led by my spirit, and not my ego, in life.  Easier said than done.  Until I read Your Hidden Riches: Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose I didn’t realize the value of ritual to connect to my spiritual side.  Authors Janet Bray Atwood and Chris Atwood have created a wonderful guide for recognizing and practicing ritual in our day to day lives.

“Your hidden potential is woven into the secret patterning of your life,” say the authors.  “The answers to your deepest questions and most cherished hopes aren’t somewhere outside you.  Life is the answer to life.  You must connect with that part of you where these answers, your riches, lie.”  How to do that?  Through ritual, they believe.

In reading Hidden Riches I became aware of behaviors I do often –  I just didn’t call them “rituals”.  My meditation practice, for example, is a personal ritual.  More than just a new label for a common behavior, though, the book reaffirmed the value of my meditation practice to me, and encouraged me to be more consistent with it.  A ritual, after all, is not done haphazardly, but is repeated in a regular pattern.

Rituals do not have to be lofty spiritual practices, either.  I liked how the authors gave examples of other types of rituals.  One parent, for instance, asks three questions to her five year old as a bed time ritual:

“What is the best thing that happened to you today?  What was the worst thing that happened to you today?  What was the silliest thing that happened to you today?”

The parent was surprised when her child turned the question back on her – “what’s the silliest thing you did today, Mommy?” – which led to the Mom to reevaluate her daily routine.  “I couldn’t remotely remember anything silly,” the Mom said, “In that moment I realized I hadn’t been silly enough during my day.  From that moment I looked for silly, fun, light moments I could share (with my son).  His bedtime ritual has unexpectedly changed my life.”  This story got me thinking of the rituals I do with my family and to give them the high priority they deserve.

“What you are drawn to, what you are passionate about, what you are good at, are all part of the unique design of your life,” say the authors.  “When you are aligned with the design, you feel joyful, fulfilled, and purposeful.” Who wouldn’t want that for his or her life?  If paying more attention to ritual can get me there, I’m all for it.  Your Hidden Riches led me to reevaluate my current rituals, and think of new ones to implement, too.