Happy Sunday! As the weekend winds down and we look to a new week it’s important to be intentional about what’s to come.
Intentional means “on purpose, planned, conceived.” It’s not accidental. It’s not “we’ll just see.”
No, it’s more like “we will make be.” What will you make be this week?
Dr. Wayne Dryer says, “Our intention creates our reality.” By being purposeful about what we create and accomplish we create our very reality. The intentions we set today influence the life we live tomorrow.
A lot of time we walk around without intention. We haven’t formally articulated what we desire to conceive for our day, our week, or even our life. You know the saying, “Fail to plan and plan to fail.” It’s important to know what your intentions are so that you can move in that direction.
There are many ways to set your intentions. Some people do it on a daily basis. Some people do it on a weekly basis. Some people combine intention setting with meditation. Some people just decide what they intend to do, be or have.
Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman teaches to meditate on your intention prior to setting it. Sit in stillness with a journal and pen near by. Let the quietness of your mind bring forth the intention for that week. Write down the word that comes to you. That’s your intention for the week or the day.
Deepak Chopra teaches to start with meditation and set your intention in the quietness of your mind. Next, you release your intentions and desires. In other words, you stop thinking about it. Finally, you detach yourself from the outcome and let the universe handle the rest.
I believe in focusing on what you want to do, be, have, feel or create and working backwards to set an intention to align with those desires. Intentions to me are a way of being that create a desired future.
There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The key is to not move through life or the week without a purposeful plan.
An important things to note – Intentions are not necessarily goals. You’re not intending to lose weight. However, you might intend to be healthy and to make healthy choices.
Your intentions can be actions (to be productive), feelings (to feel love), or thoughts (to be optimistic).
Your intentions can also guide your interactions with other people. You might intend to give love to everyone you encounter. You may have certain intentions as a wife or a mother or a daughter.
You can set intentions before you have a difficult conversation. How many times do we argue and then forget why we’re arguing? We start to argue as a means of being heard and reaching a resolution. We end the argument simply trying to win. Setting an intention before the conversation can help ensure a positive resolution. You might also want to communicate your intention to the other person. That way there is little to know misinterpretation of where you are coming from. Simple say, “My intention is……” or “The outcome I desire is…..”
You can set intentions at the beginning of the day, but you might also want to set intentions at the end of the day. For example, you may set the intention to end the day at a restful and peaceful state, instead of worried and stressed out.
Some keys to help you be intentional this week:
- Know your values – Your values should always be a guiding light to your day. Any intention you have that doesn’t align with your values is probably the wrong intention.
- Know your vision – Make sure your intentions lead you to your vision. Afterall, “your intention creates your reality.”
- State your intention – Don’t just let your intentions stay in your head. Say them out loud. Write them down. Say or write, “My intention is…….”
- Identify the activities, thoughts, and/or feelings that align with your intention. – If you intend to end the day in a peaceful state initiating a difficult conversation in the evening may not be the best idea. Meditating and praying would be a better alternative.
- Remind yourself of your intention – Make sure you don’t lose sight of your intention. It may help to jot them down on something you can carry with you such as an index card. Ask yourself throughout the day or week “Is this in alignment with my intentions?” If the answer is no, redirect your thoughts, feelings, or actions.
What are your intentions for this week?