Living Intentionally
A few weeks ago, I attended a convocation (my school’s fancy way of saying presentation) about a young lady who created her own business in college. While most of my friends and classmates were in attendance because it was required for all first year students, I actually had interest in going to learn more about how to be a boss lady and young entrepreneur. Upon going, I had no intention of receiving a lasting impact from the speaker, but alas, I did. I don’t know if it was because I am an overly-observant, sensitive blogger or if it was because her message really spoke to me. Either way, I am so glad I had the opportunity to hear her speak.
The speaker was a woman named Jess Ekstrom. She detailed her experience with starting her business “Headbands of Hope.” Of course, she talked about her struggles and how she felt everything but qualified in doing so. She did have a lot of setbacks that most people do not have to go through, but what really stuck out to me is the purpose she found in her business venture. If you have never heard of Headbands of Hope, it is a charity in which for every headband purchased, the company donates one to a child who lost their hair due to cancer treatment. The purpose behind the company really inspired me.
Jess kept emphasizing how throughout her struggles as a business owner, she had to continually remind herself of the intention behind the business - to renew confidence in cancer patients. It wasn’t for herself - it was for something bigger than herself. Although I don’t have anything as impactful as her business in my life, what I did take away from her presentation was the importance of living intentionally.
We all have those days where getting out of bed seems less than pleasurable. We all have those assignments or classes that seem completely pointless to the point where we put less than our best efforts forward for the sake of “just getting it done.” I have caught myself questioning whether or not to call in sick or to just “take a day off.” I’ve been there. We all have. Complaining is a natural human instinct whether we like to admit it or not.
Since Jess’s presentation, I have found new meaning to situations such as those. Yes, I still wake up wishing I would’ve went to bed earlier, but I have found purpose in my daily stressors and I cannot even begin to express how refreshing that experience has been. I am still working on it, but I have come to the conclusion that life is so much more enjoyable when you put intention behind everything you do - not just the “important stuff” - every. single. thing.
Instead of setting our alarms as a way to end our glorious slumber, we can set it as a way to begin our day. While it may be a far stretch, our intentions shape our perception of everything we do. When we view each day with an intentional mindset, we allow ourselves to find purpose and beauty in each day.
Instead of eating a meal because it is habit, see it as a way to nourish our bodies. Feeding and hydrating our bodies IS a form of self care, no matter how simple it may seem. When we focus on the intention behind simple day-to-day tasks, they seem so much more meaningful and rewarding. The same thing goes with exercising. While we may not be able to make it to the gym everyday, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going the long way around can be seen as baby steps towards improving our physical health.
Instead of dreading general education requirements because of their “worthlessness” to your degree, realize how they contribute to your education. I am very guilty of questioning the worth in this one, but after talking to some friends and listening to Jess, I realized there is reason behind them other than the typical “they make you well-rounded” answer. If we look at them as checkpoints towards what we REALLY want to study, they don’t seem as pointless. General education is not going away anytime soon. It is one of the several “benefits” of being an American student. What can go away is the stigma behind them. We must view them as things we can check off our to-do list in order to get our degree. While this is obviously geared towards education, this can be applied to any situation in which you must complete one thing before moving on to something you really want to do.
Instead of viewing work as a way of making money, realize your place in your workplace. Most people (myself included) view work as a “have to do” sort of thing. We know it is something we have to do because we all need food on the table and a roof over our heads. Something I have been working on is realizing that even though my place in my workplace is small, the small businesses I work for wouldn’t be as successful without me. I mean this is the most selfless way possible, but to be honest, when there is intent behind your position in your workplace, it becomes less of a task and more of a selfless action. When I was able to look at the things I do at work and assign meaning behind them (e.g. without me, my boss wouldn’t be able to pick up her kids from school, my other work place would have to spend extra time billing each week, etc.), I began to look forward to working. I realized how much of an impact I was making on my community and how it takes each individual to run a business that so many can benefit from. If you aren’t able to see that yet, I recommend keeping in mind WHAT you are working for/towards. Going in to work with the idea of that vacation or concert or new car in the back of your mind is a great place to start.
Instead of making your day a systematic cycle on repeat, find the constant aspects and allow for spontaneity. I hate the feeling of living my weeks on repeat. I absolutely cannot allow myself to do the same thing every day, every week. I love my morning and nigh routines. I think having intention behind the beginning and ending of our days is very valuable and allows for self care that is so so so important, however; I need to find intention behind spontaneous things. Nothing creative ever comes out of routine, and that is something I am really trying to work on. Just because something isn’t planned out doesn’t mean there isn’t intention behind it.
These are just a few of the ways I am focusing on living intentionally. It is a work in progress, but I hope sharing some new insights with you all will hold me accountable (this seems to be a theme on this blog) and hopefully encourage you all to do the same. It is all in the way we perceive our daily lives and the things that happen to us. If you have had any similar experiences or revelations, I encourage you to reach out to me via the contact me page. I would love hearing how YOU are living intentionally.