What Do You Intend?

Jan 10
09:02

2011

William Frank Diedrich

William Frank Diedrich

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Do you know what you want this year? You don't need to know how you will achieve it yet. "What" comes before "how". Most people can articulate what they don't want, but they have difficulty in being clear about what they do want. "Not this!" and "Something different" are not intentions. "Getting through the year" is aiming pretty low. What will you do with your precious life (and time) this year?

mediaimage

Do you know what you want this year? You don't need to know how you will achieve it yet. "What" comes before "how". Most people can articulate what they don't want,What Do You Intend? Articles but they have difficulty in being clear about what they do want. "Not this!" and "Something different" are not intentions. "Getting through the year" is aiming pretty low.

Ask yourself: "What do I want?" Get quiet and listen to the still small voice within. What is calling to you? Is it finding Truth? Transforming your health? Becoming the presence of Love? Building something? Leading a group of people in a certain direction? Becoming you? Changing careers? Growing your business? Writing a book? Greater prosperity? Spiritual knowing? Creating something? Find what you want and make it your intention, even if you have no idea how to do it.

"An ignorance of means may minister to greatness, but an ignorance of aims makes it impossible to be great at all."Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Let's get some perspective. According to Nielson statistics, the average American watches over 1500 hours of TV over a year. That's 62.5 days of TV watching. The average American between ages of 30 and 39 will spend over 884 hours on the net this year. That includes Facebook, gaming, shopping, surfing and more. That's 37 days on the net. That takes care of 27 % of your year if you are "average".  Add another 33 % of your year for sleeping.  So, you now have 144 days left if you are average. Don't forget commute time, household upkeep time, and errands. We have 111 days remaining.  If you are working in a full time job you don't really like, there goes another 95 days. 16 days left!  How serious you are about your intention will be reflected in how you spend your time. 

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver

Yes, what will you do with your wild and precious life this year? Will you while it away in front of the television? Will you spend your time contemplating how the celebrities are living their lives? Will you spend your precious thought energy in regret, disappointment, blaming, complaining, and other useless mental activities? Or, will you create an intent and step up to it?

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Henry David Thoreau

Sometimes we don't go after what we dream. Fear gets in the way. Fear of what? There is fear of failure and fear of success. Failure could mean embarrassment or losing what we have. Success will mean that people will expect more of us. And, the more visible we are, the more we are likely to be criticized. Face your fears. See them for the nothingness they are. Fear is an emotion. emotion is the body's response to thought. Understand what you are really afraid of and assess how real it is for you.

"Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world." Ralph Waldo Emerson

“[One] who has never failed somewhere, that [person] can not be great.” Herman Melville

Forget about your fears for a moment, and your obligations. If you could do anything, what would it be? Make that your intention. Think it. Imagine it. Don't stop there. Take action toward it. Take baby steps if you must, but take action. Moving through fear is part of the process.

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Okay, one more thing. What will people say if you really go after what you want? Wait a minute! Whose life are you living? Theirs or yours? Your life is yours to give. You can give it to the opinions of others if that is what you want. Or, you can listen within to whatever is calling to you. Call it the Voice of God, intuition, the still small voice, primal urge--whatever you call it-- you have it. Clarify what you want. Take action toward it. Pay attention to life. Setbacks are not indications of failure. They are simply messages from the Universe. Rather than beating yourself up, regroup and listen. Learn from mistakes and setbacks.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

Look beyond your self. Life is a great playground. We have no real idea when it will end. Make friends with death. It will come one day whether you fear it or not. Accept this and you are free to live. Quit telling yourself you have time to do what you love later. You don't know if you have a "later". Instead of seeing this fearfully, be grateful for NOW. You have this moment. You have purpose within you. If you can act on it today, do it today!

When you wake up each morning give thanks, and give yourself to your purpose. Ask yourself: "What do I want to come of this day?" Listen for a moment for the answer. Who will you be today? What thoughts will you entertain? How will you treat people? How will you spend your precious time? Today is a great day to be alive, isn't it?

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson