ritual, habit, reality

Today I'm reading about ritual and body memory. One of the authors writes about how cognitive science reinforces the role of ritual in structuring our memories, emotions, thoughts, and habits - our worldview and ethical stance. She writes about how ritual (actions that are consciously set apart for a special function, whether overtly religious or not) creates neural pathways and habits that, over time, structure how we interact and think about the world. I don't think ritual HAS to be "set apart for a special function" in order to structure our worldview--because all of our habits can activate memory and evoke emotional and cognitive responses. It reminds me of how important it is to be conscious about the habits I form. I think about how my partner can get cranky if he doesn't get out of the house and move every day--his habits of exercise create a positive mood, and a period of inactivity probably also remind him of negative experiences where he could get out of the house. I also think about my mother-in-law's morning greeting. Every morning she kisses us on both cheeks (this also happens whenever we come home at any time of day) and asks how we slept. At first, this annoyed me because it disrupted my trajectory: I was reading, or making breakfast, or lost in my thoughts--and telling her how I slept (which was almost always "fine, and you?" seemed like an unnecessarily disruption. But I began to realize that these greetings reinforce a way of relationship. It prioritizes our relationship, and our concern for each other, above whatever else I might be doing. So I engage in this habit, which still can feel disruptive at times, because it highlights my personal (and spiritual) value that relationships are more important than whatever I am reading or making or doing. Last of all, I think of what I've heard about the Republican National Convention (and also the Democratic one, but less so). It's what so many preachers know so well: repeating phrases and images can make them into reality for many people. If you say it often enough, even an untruth can become an unconscious association/neural pathway. If you question patriotism or experience or ideological stance often enough--the question will arise whenever the candidates name comes up, no matter how unquestionable that person's patriotism, experience, or stance actually is. Particularly in the context of a ritual such as a convention (I might consider it sort of like a religious tent revival or church service that reinforces shared images, ideologies, and ethics of engaging with the world).
It reminds me that I want to continue sifting through my life to find the important habits that I can "set apart" to reinforce and create habits out of the ways I want to engage in the world.