Move With Purpose: Setting Intentions
How do you want to show up in the world? What actions do you want to display? What matters to you the most?
You’ve probably heard people speak of being intentional or doing everything with intention, which we definitely agree with because to be intentional is to move with a specific purpose or plan.
But how often are you truly cognizant of your intentions? Is there a purpose to every single thing you do? With so many happenings in our personal lives and the world in general (chiiiile), it’s easy to get in a rhythm of moving aimlessly. Think going through the motions or doing things simply out of routine, because it’s what you’ve always done or said or the way you’ve always reacted.
We’ve all had an experience or two (probably more *cringe*) where we believed someone misinterpreted our intentions. Better yet, we may not have been clear on them ourselves because they were loosely set, if defined at all. No worries though, you certainly aren’t alone and we ain’t judging. You may even be able to recall instances that didn’t involve others but still went a little to the left or brought about unfulfilled feelings, and that may be due to a lack of intent. They do guide your actions, after all, thus creating your reality.
So how does one go about being more intentional in all things no matter the scale? By taking the time to focus your energy and set your intentions. Yeah, obviously, right? But what goes into actually setting them? Taking it back to this post’s intro and deciding: how do you want to show up in the world, what actions do you want to display and what should they accomplish, what matters to you the most, what do you want to align with? Keep in mind intentions aren’t goals, but the force behind them, a purpose you take satisfaction in committing to.
Your intentions should be deeply personal, authentic, positive, and invoke feelings (just as your mantras and affirmations). Consider these examples as you sit down to create your own:
I intend to be kind and patient
I intend to give and receive love freely
I intend to be open, honest and authentic
I intend to extend grace to myself and others
I intend to welcome financial abundance
I intend to show gratitude
I intend to trust my intuition (cause we be knowin’)
Now to implement your practice. We like to set our intentions before getting into the day as part of our morning rituals, but we encourage you to do whatever feels best for you. And you may have to state them multiple times a day at various points, such as before jumping on a call with your coworker, engaging in conversation with your partner, friend or family member, as you prepare for rituals, or at the beginning of your workout. It’s also a good idea to set them at the beginning of the year or a new month, on your solar return, and especially during the new and full moons.
Remember all things work for your good sis, so decide how you are showing up to all situations, what your actions will display, and what matters to you the most, then move like it.