What is your Intention?

I find it extremely useful to ask myself first thing in the morning, before a big meeting or event, or even before meeting with a friend or loved one, the following question: "What is my intention?" Asking this question automatically pulls me into a state of mindfulness and forces me to reflect on how I wish to present myself and how I wish to act or be in the world. Though I can obviously experience pleasant or successful experiences without partaking in this practice, I have found that doing so almost always enhances my level of presence and my overall sense of joy and meaning of the experience.

Asking ourselves this question can be useful in any circumstance, whether extraordinary or mundane. Speaking to the former type of circumstance, I'm sure most of us would agree that asking this question would be very helpful before significant events such as a job interview or a first date with somebody we are interested in.

Asking about our intention before a job interview, we may saying something like, "I intend to be focused and clear-minded, to answer the questions openly and honestly, and to be very calm and at ease throughout the interview." Of course, doing this simple exercise increases the likelihood that we'll come across the way that we want, and it will ultimately help us to be more present and authentic in our communication with the interviewer. If you were the interviewer, wouldn't you rather hire somebody who is attentive and relaxed rather than one who is distracted or anxious?

Asking about our intention before a first date accomplishes the very same thing as in the former example. Before a big date, you may intend to "let my guard down, be a good listener, and just be myself." In each of these cases, you are preparing yourself to come across the way you desire and to be true to yourself and your inner intentions. Through being aware of this intention, you'll have a much easier time connecting with the other person and in turn they will likely have a much easier time connecting with you.

Of course, many of our life experiences are not quite as momentous as a job interview or first date, so what about those doings and interactions that we constantly are taking part in? We can very much benefit from focusing on our intentions in these areas as well. Say you're going to make a routine phone call to a client or you're about to clean a sink full of dishes.

In the first scenario, we may intend before making the phone call to be present, alert, and attentive to the needs and desires of our client. If we neglect to make this intention, we're more likely to try and rush through the phone call, and we very well might fail to hear what the client is trying to communicate with us. Just from making this intention, we are much more likely to feel at ease when speaking with our client and thus the interaction will go more smoothly. Not only will this interaction be more satisfying for you, but for your client as well.

In the example of washing dishes, (or performing any other chore for that matter), you may not particularly enjoy this activity, but all the more reason to choose your intention! Perhaps your intention could be to relax your body, clear your mind, or maybe even use the time to think about everything in your life you are grateful for. Focusing on any of these intentions, you have turned a usually unpleasant, monotonous activity into a relaxing experience charged with meaning and purpose. Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?

If we engage in such common activities without ever making intentions, we very likely will view the activity as a means to an end; thus we'll be rushing through such activities to accomplish a certain end goal. When we are solely focused on the end goal, we consequently resist the present moment. From a spiritual standpoint, this is a very unfortunate thing, because our spiritual goal in this life is not only to accept the present moment, but to embrace the present moment as much as possible. We must be aware in the present moment as much as possible if we wish to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, because otherwise we lose ourselves in our thoughts, feelings, and activities, ultimately becoming identified with such things and missing out on the big picture.

Likewise, if we engage in the more momentous occasions of our lives without setting intentions, we will be doing ourselves a great disservice. By choosing and focusing on our intentions before partaking in those significant events in our lives, we are keeping ourselves on track with the needs and desires of our inner selves or spirits. We are delving beneath the surface of our ego and figuring out what our deepest beliefs and yearnings are, and enabling ourselves to live in line with those very beliefs and yearnings. Of course, when we're aligned with our highest selves, we are aligned with Source, and thus we are living with spiritual direction and purpose.

If you're interested in getting in touch with your inner being, becoming more mindful in your life, and ultimately living your life with purpose, try asking yourself "what is my intention?" periodically. If you're new to the practice, I suggest you start my asking this question first thing in the morning before you get out of bed and definitely before big events in your life. As you start noticing the benefits of this exercise, try doing it before any event you would like to consciously bring your attention to, events big and small. Try focusing on your intention before calling a friend, before embarking on a project at work, and even before ordering a coffee at your favorite cafe; each of our projects and interactions influence ourselves and others, you see. So I say, why not start becoming aware of your intentions, enabling yourself to put your best foot forward and become the person you want to be?