Editor's Note: The Ford Institute' s Debbie Ford was an internationally recognized expert in the field of personal transformation. We love both her vow and her ritual for New Year's resolutions.

Rituals can mark a new beginning or be the demarcation at the end of a chapter of our lives. They can set us up for a new future, mark a profound time of change and seal in the dreams and the desires of a life yet to be lived. This year, I've written a vow and a ritual for you that will open you up, remind you of who you are and leave you feeling blessed and ready for the upcoming year. So take a moment, breathe into each line of the vow, and allow yourself some time over the next few days to do the New Year's Ritual.

The Vow

My life is worth a billion blessings to all those I meet on my journey.

I am the heaven and all that exists in the sky above.

I am the vastness of my greatest thought and the infinite power that sources and sustains the entire universe.

On this day, I will remember who I am, what I am here for and why I chose the experiences that have come into my path this past year.

Today, I promise to leave the smallness of my darkest thoughts and melt with open arms into the never-ending, all-powerful love of my highest self.

Today, I surrender into the open arms of the new year, allowing each day of the upcoming year to surprise, comfort and nourish my soul's deepest desires.

I vow to return to the spark of the divine and use my power to light up the world.

This year, I will give to others what I want back for myself.

If I want love, I will find ways to love each and every person I come across.

If I want peace, I will think peaceful thoughts, say peaceful words and pray for peace for all those who are living in chaos, including myself.

If I want success, I will work diligently to help those around me succeed. I will stay focused, do my absolute best and seek excellence in everything I do.

If I want respect, I will begin by respecting life and all that comes with it. I will respect those around me and those who work hard to make this planet a better place. I will respect the earth, my body, my past and the gifts that I hold and I will surrender judgment for reverence.

In this New Year, I trust that what I give to the world will be given back to me.

The Ritual

1. Make a list of 10 experiences that blessed and nourished you during the last year.
2. Write out why you chose the challenging experiences of the last year. Do this from the highest perspective so that you can find their gifts.
3. Notice if you're carrying any dark, small or limiting thoughts into the new year. Write them all down. Affirm you don't need them anymore. They're not the truth. They're just thoughts. Then rip them up into 100 shredded little specks of nothing and throw them in the trash.
4. Choose one quality (e.g., love, peace, success, respect, etc.) that you most want to express and commit to in the new year. Write out 5 ways that you can give and share this quality with others.
5. Write down 5 goals that you feel inspired to commit to for the new year.
6. Read this vow or use one of your own each morning to reconnect with the power you hold to light up the world.

May you give yourself all that you desire and all that you deserve.