I have three nice pens.

One is a Cross that my mother gave me many years ago. I told her, “I’ll write my Ph.D. dissertation with this.” (I did, when I was 29). Another is a Waterman Expert, still in its gift box. I wish I could remember who gave it to me; I don’t.

And then there is my Montblanc Meisterstück—also a gift—with my name engraved in white letters in the black resin near the platinum rings. I reserve this wonderful instrument for use only in my sacred space.

What is Sacred?

The word “sacred” means “devoted exclusively to one service or use.” You create a sacred space so that you can focus on one specific purpose. The only  requirement is that this space should be free of distractions, both physical and mental. It doesn’t matter if your sacred space is a dedicated room with glass door bookcases and a fine mahogany desk, or a corner of your dorm or bedroom.

The idea is to create a physical space that reinforces your dedication to something you feel is really important. This the reason the world’s great cathedrals and temples were built.

While you may not be able to reproduce Angkor Wat or Notre Dame, you should treat your sacred space with the same reverence. This means no phone, no computer, no TV and, ideally, no other people in the space when you’re working.

I strongly suggest that you have paper and pen to record your thoughts; the act of handwriting brings clarity in a way that typing or dictating cannot. You don’t need a Montblanc or a hand-bound leather journal, but I do recommend that you set aside a pen and notebook of some type that you only use for this purpose, in this space.

If it feels right, feel free to bring some things into your space that remind you that this isn’t just any old place, but a space dedicated to your peace, your growth, your development. This is where you come to ponder who you want to be and what you want to do, in the long-term, existential sense.

The Power of Ritual

Once you have a physical space set aside for your most important work, take the time to focus and purify your mindset as well.

I suggest that you develop a ritual of sorts, so that with repeated use you will begin to automatically associate your sacred space with a clear, focused mind:

Banish all negativity from your space, whether you use a formal ritual to clear the energy in the space, or simply dismiss any stress and anxiety from your mind before you begin.

Take a few moments before you enter your space to center and ground yourself —breath work, stretching, whatever brings you into the present moment.

Bring the specific work you want to accomplish into your attention and intention. You may want to work on your plans, your purpose, or perhaps just create a written expression of gratitude.

Then, use the special pen and paper you have set aside, and record your thoughts, insights and breakthroughs. Again, when you write by hand, it will not only record your thoughts for future reference, but will clarify your thinking as well.

The Work

So here you are in your sacred space, with your mind clear and focused. What will you contemplate? Whatever you want, of course, but here are some topics that work well for me:

How are you, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? This is the one place you don’t have to BS, to pretend things are better (or worse) than they actually are. If you find anything you want to change, don’t focus on the lack of what you don’t have—no negativity, remember? Instead, get excited about what you will do to fix it.

Who are you? That’s a nearly infinite question, so define it in any way that is meaningful to you. Who are you in your relationships, your work, your social interactions? Most importantly, who are you in your thoughts and actions? Remember that nobody can know you with any degree of certainty, so don’t bother with their opinions. What other people think about you is none of your business: make your own judgements about yourself.

Who do you want to be? Consider your current estimation of the most perfect person you could (and would) be: What is your highest calling, your best self? How do the thoughts and actions of that idealized “you” differ from your view of the current you? The gap between them defines the work you need to do on yourself.

What is the most important accomplishment for you at this time? What actions will bring the highest meaning to your life? Why? The actions you need to take to realize your goals define the work you need to do in the world.

And then, when you combine the work you need to do on yourself with the work to manifest your goals in the real world, you begin to have the most important vision of all:

Your purpose.

Sacred Space

It is well worth the expense—in terms of time, energy and money—to create a sacred space in which you can see where you want to go, and document the journey.

With time and practice, the path becomes ever more clear.

Enough talk. Get out there and Create Your World.

Click here to get my free Introduction to the Three Pillars of a happy life!


To learn more about how to use these concepts or to inquire about working with me, you can contact me on the Hardcore Happiness website, the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or the Hardcore Happiness blog page. If you have found value in this article, follow my Instagram account for daily insights, and my X account for occasional tweets.

- JWW