“Move through life with intention or life will consume you without hesitation,” unknown.  I heard this and wrote it down so fast I didn’t pay attention to who said it—sorry about that.  There have been consistent reminders over the last 2 weeks to slow down and move intentionally.  To pay attention to what we do and to be deliberate in our choices and actions.  To make sure that we are purposeful in what we do.  If we go through life reacting to what happens to us, we set ourselves up to be the victim more often than not.  We tell the universe that we are open to the garbage and that we will take what we can get, or worse, that we have no real purpose.  For a long time I thought that there was a point to not setting a course because it would allow us to pivot easier, it would show us other opportunities, it would give us choices.  But when we don’t set a course, we live on a superficial level allowing ourselves to be bounced around like a ping pong ball.  We become a piece in someone else’s game because our energy says that we are a bystander and open to be a tool for other things. 

Setting intentions isn’t about control.  Just because we know where we want to go, we keep room for how we get there—something we have often talked about here.  But that intention clears the path so we become aware of what will and will not get us where we want to go and what we need to be aware of along the way.  It leaves room to learn other ways of doing things while drowning out the noise of what doesn’t matter.  In an odd way, it makes us more aware of what happens around us because we become aware of what is and isn’t true.  It can be argued that intention makes us singularly focused but, just like learning to argue the opposite side to learn about something, when we set the intention, we find the things that don’t support it which either makes us learn more about it or we know we can dismiss it.  Setting intention makes us more discerning and aware, not blind to the goal.  If we don’t have a goal in mind or an end point, someone will be all too happy to put you on their path to assist them in their endgame.  I spent far too much time in my life working someone else’s path because I wanted them to be happy or to like me—I wanted to be valuable to someone.  Over time I’ve learned that we create the most value by letting our own light shine rather than dimming it so someone else can be seen.

So I will repeat my ever constant refrain again: we must know ourselves enough to understand our purpose here and fulfill it.  We are given dreams and thoughts and ideas because we are meant to do something with them. We are meant to tell stories, create, build, harness and transmute energy—we are meant to live life.  But if we float for too long, soon life will use us for other purposes.  It will take our energy and assume we weren’t using it for anything so we become a supporting character so to speak.  If we let our dreams fade then someone else will be happy to take the assist.  I want to be clear that intention isn’t about ruthlessness where we ignore people and do what we need to achieve our goals at all costs because we’ve seen time and time again that doesn’t work either.  But if we want a meaningful and purposeful life, we have to be open to what we are meant to do here.  Then the intention becomes to fulfill that purpose in a way that benefits as many people as it can.  And no, intentionality doesn’t mean our work needs a global reach or anything—sometimes that intention is to be a spark to others who will create the ripple.  We are just the wind that stirs the pond enough for someone to expand the ripple—and that is ok because we are intentionally starting the fire.  Follow the intention, believe in it, and never let ourselves drift into someone else’s wake.  Be purposeful and be light.