I wanted to follow up on some ideas shared at this year’s Rx for Renewal Wellness Retreat. During lunch, we planted seeds about the importance of intention. We also planted seeds about why and how connecting with people helps you, and how accountability can shift thoughts into action.
The next series of newsletter posts will focus on these individually. Today, let’s discuss Intention.
Corporations are excellent at setting intentions and clarifying financial objectives. To remain listed on their respective stock exchanges, public companies must report this information. We can learn a lot about how corporations are run to move the needle and improve our own lives. How often do you set a goal and revisit it at the end of each month, quarter, or year? Have you ever done a S.W.O.T analysis on yourself? If you haven’t, this would be like a professional baseball player only looking at team stats without paying attention to personal statistics. How will you grow if you are not monitoring and adjusting yourself to meet your goals? Looking at this from this perspective makes us all feel silly, doesn’t it? Many of us work for companies and are a part of the very departments that report these numbers to the street - yet we don’t have a plan for ourselves!
As discussed at the retreat, a personal intention can only be uncovered when we spend time alone with ourselves. This can be uncomfortable for many people. Many of us need to listen to music all the time, need someone to always be around us, or are quick to get into another relationship after a breakup. When we spend time with ourselves, we connect with ourselves at the level of our soul. This is where most answers lie. How do you quiet the noise of the outside world to listen to what you need to hear? Here are some tips.
i) Do a mindump. This consists of getting out your journal or a blank piece of paper and writing whatever comes to your head. This is without thinking about it or judging it. Do this for 10 minutes to clear the thoughts from your head.
ii) When you are alone, listen to some high-energy trance/heavy metal music and just let yourself go. Move your body around in unconventional ways to purge all the stale energy that's been building up. Use your voice to scream or yell to help release this.
iii) Close your eyes and listen to some binaural beats with headphones. These beats shift your brain wave activity to help you achieve a deeper state of consciousness. Do not push away any thoughts - but rather let them come and go without attachment. Think of a sailboat floating across a lake.
Once we can let go of the thoughts that have been looping around, we can set aside time to think about what we want to cultivate more of in our lives. Start with a single word that resonates with you. Find a quiet place and visualize yourself doing things in alignment with this word. Now, tap into how you FEEL. Don’t hold back here and let these feelings percolate into every part of your body from your head down to your toes. For example, if your word is kindness.... Picture yourself giving food to a homeless person or taking a call from a friend who needs your support. When you act kind, what feelings come up? Finally, make a 1-2 sentence intention of what actions you will take to live through this word.
“When you align your intentions with your values, every action becomes an expression of your true self. Embrace this alignment, and let your life become a testament to authenticity and fulfillment."
Once we have our intention, it is critical to keep it top of mind so we can hold ourselves accountable for this behaviour. Take 2 minutes to replay this visualization or create another one. You can also print a poster and post it beside your desk, change your phone screensaver, or even purchase a MY INTENT bracelet.
ACTIONS STEPS
Give your mind an opportunity to release thoughts and energy associated with them by following the suggestions above.
When your mind is calmer, choose a single word of a feeling or action you want to cultivate. Create a sentence of how you want to do this.
Visualize with your mind, and feel with your heart how you feel during this visualization.
Practice this daily and remind yourself of this intention.
Journal weekly about your progress and how things around you have improved to keep the momentum flowing.