Setting an intention is a powerful thing. I sometimes forget that the intention I set directly determines not only the outcome but my experience. For me “spirituality” or religiosity or even belief is rooted in action and intention. As such, my personal belief and practice has always been just that, very personal. Setting spiritual goals and intentions is a game I play with myself. I almost never speak to anyone about what I am doing, or working on, except to myself. I have over the years become a great observer of the Self, by simply watching my thoughts, my actions my breath my words. I try to do so with great compassion and objectivity, and observe the moments when I don’t. Some of these self-assignments are set for days, decades, or my conscious lifetime. This game, is by far one of my absolute favorite ways to pass my time. It is probably one of the reasons I seem so self-contained to many, because I am often occupied and preoccupied with my own Being. I really like the world of me inside of Me, and playing in this realm takes, time and focus and discipline. This is not an exercise in Narcissism, in fact it is the opposite. It is a fearless commitment to have all of the self revealed to the Self. And I mean EVERYTHING. This is probably one of the more difficult life assignments I have set myself, and has required enormous quotients of patience, compassion and forgiveness…and humility.
Look…. This life is super short and it is truly precious and those are not empty words. I believe this in my bones. And given how big the world can seem, and how helpless I can feel in the face of the extraordinary suffering everywhere, I learned a long time ago that one of the immediate places I can bring about change, is right where I Am.
So, I set personal intentions like blessing and thanking every homeless person my eyes light upon. Even in their seeming wretchedness, they are offering me an opportunity to grow and expand my capacity for Compassion. This is a gift, for which I am deeply grateful. In certain walking cities I charge myself with giving money to EVERY person who asks me for help. This is a really good one to observe my own capacity for judgement, and to walk my talk. Does anyone else know what I am doing? No. And that’s the point. These are “intentional games” I play with myself, and I have many. I have set the Intention to Walk Lovely on my sojourn here….and then…..I just do it. It’s not enough to simply be alive, I choose to Intentionally Live.
I invite you to do the same.
