Last week, I shared a well-received story about The Importance of Reflecting on our Hardships. Today, I want to share part two, which is about the Grief Ritual my wife and I did this week to come to peace with the past.
In my journey as an entrepreneur and creator spanning nearly 19 years, I have encountered uncountable failures, setbacks, and disappointments. As I shared last week, a series of events led me to embark on a profound self-reflective process, seeking transformation and healing.
It became very clear to me that I was unnecessarily carrying a burden of heavy memories, emotions, and wounds into a new chapter of my life. Inspired by this realization, my wife Celeste and I arranged for childcare support and ventured into the enchanting forest behind our home.
With us, we brought three pages filled with memories of disappointment that I had conjured from my recollections in the preceding days (which I speak about in my previous post – you may watch, listen, read it here). To honor the spirits and ancestors present in our ceremony, we offered tobacco, water, flower petals, and lit candles.
In a stunning location—a flat mossy rock surrounded by towering Arbutus and Douglas Fir trees, overlooking the moss-covered forest—we laid out our blanket. Our loyal companion, Bonkers, joined and held space for us (albeit by sleeping).
Now, let me delve into the details of the ceremony.
I wholeheartedly believe in a vibrant life force that permeates all living beings. Through experiences with breathwork, immersion in nature, psychedelics, magic, and synchronicity, I have come to understand that when we attentively listen, connect, commune, and communicate with this Spirit, it reciprocates and responds to our intentions.
To commence the ceremony, we invited our guides and ancestors from both the seen and unseen realms, while invoking protection and support. Whether you find this mystical, magical, woo-woo or not, consider this: you have countless ancestors who came before you. The fact that you exist right now, reading this, is a miraculous outcome of your ancestors’ numerous escapes from death, sickness, war, famine, poverty, and injury.
You are a miracle, and you should cherish yourself and this life accordingly. Each breath is a gift.
Expressing deep humility and gratitude, we acknowledged the journey that led us to this present moment, trusting in the perfection of every step taken. We recognized that how it unfolded molded us, our lives, and our paths in the most exquisite way imaginable.
Next, we focused on our breath, infusing it with intentions to purge all past disappointments, lingering fears, grief, trauma, hardships, and burdens from our bodies, minds, memories, and beings. And there was much to process.
We meticulously revisited each memory from the three pages of journal notes, bringing to the surface the emotions and challenges associated with those experiences. Remarkably, without any need for force, the memories seamlessly transformed into gratitude and celebration.
I could discern how failures merely redirected me toward a refined version of who I am meant to be and what I am destined to accomplish. Setbacks became gentle invitations to slow down and listen more intently. Hardships emerged as testimonials to my/our power, resilience, and strength.
This process of unearthing the muck and transmuting it through gratitude demanded considerable time. Amidst the process, we reaffirmed with crystal clarity our identities and the aspirations we claimed in this new narrative we are crafting for our lives.
Like you, I sense that I have a significant purpose on Earth during this transformative phase in human history. I am not here to play a small game; I am here to engage in a global game. And I believe the same is true for you.
However, these past weeks have made it abundantly clear that I cannot fully embrace and receive this new story until I bring closure to the old book and its tales. That’s precisely what this ceremony aimed to achieve. It entailed laying to rest the past experiences, memories, beliefs, and stories shaped by my journey.
Moreover, we acknowledged and honored every individual who played a role in our story. Their names echoed through the forest as we spoke them aloud, expressing gratitude and recognizing the unique gifts that each person, being, and experience brought into our lives.
As Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” In other words, we cannot reach our next level of growth by clinging to victimhood and dwelling on the past. To access higher perspectives and thinking, I have discovered that gratitude, affirmative prayer, breathwork, and movement are the swiftest pathways.
Concluding our ceremony, we embraced the act of making peace with the past and stepping into the boundless potential of our future. We released our grip on the stories that no longer served us, allowing them to dissipate like the gentle breeze through the forest.
In that moment, we truly felt how our journey had perfectly shaped us into resilient beings, capable of transforming adversity into opportunity. We understood that every twist and turn had prepared us for this very moment of self-realization and empowerment.
As we stood on that mossy rock, surrounded by the majesty of nature, we felt a profound connection to something greater than ourselves. We recognized that the unfolding of our lives was a dance of co-creation with the universe, guided by unseen forces and supported by the wisdom of our ancestors.
With renewed clarity and purpose, we made a solemn vow to embody the highest expression of our beings. We pledged to approach each day with unwavering commitment, embracing the challenges as catalysts for growth and viewing disappointments as stepping stones on the path to our dreams.
Leaving the forest, we carried with us the echoes of our ceremony—a symphony of gratitude, healing, and transformation. And as we ‘reentered the world’, we radiated a newfound lightness of being, with an intention to inspire others with our renewed spirit and unwavering belief in the power of letting go.
May our tale of our Grief Ritual inspire you to embark on your own healing journey of release and renewal. Embrace the catharsis that comes from shedding the weight of disappointments, and allow your heart to soar with the freedom that accompanies embracing your authentic self.
For it is in the act of letting go that we truly find ourselves, reclaiming our power and embracing the infinite possibilities that await us. The past may have shaped us, but it does not define us. With open hearts and souls unburdened, we step forward into the grand tapestry of life, ready to create a story that is beautiful, inspiring, and uniquely our own.
What are you creating in your life? How has this story impacted you? Please share!