Clarifying Intention

Intention is a commitment or agreement to put once-vague ideas or desires into practice. It is thought solidified. Clarifying our intentions gives us a guide upon which we can base decisions and set goals. For instance, if we hold in our hearts a clear intention to live honestly, each time an opportunity to be even a tiny bit dishonest presents itself, our intention makes our decision an easy one. Let’s say, a clerk gives you change for a twenty-dollar bill when you gave her a ten. Returning the extra money is the obvious decision if you are to stay in integrity with your intention.

Maureen, a single mom, gives us a good example of goals and intentions working hand in hand. With the help of a vocational counselor, Maureen explored how much money she needed for her family and what career she might truly enjoy that would support them. Being a dental assistant fit the bill. With her intention to become a dental assistant firmly in mind, Maureen outlined realistic goals to bring her dream to fruition and made decisions that brought her closer to her goal. “I wrote down my intention, talked it over with my kids, and then together we outlined our goals on a poster board and hung it in the kitchen.” With a laugh, Maureen said the kids were great at asking, “Is this decision going to get us closer to our goals?” What a smart woman and great mom to make her intention a family goal and project.

It is intention that makes dreams come true; intention that abolishes slavery and institutes civil rights; intention that makes relationships work—with ourselves as well as others. Intention creates works of art and scientific advancements, clears a path toward desired goals, and gives us the courage and energy to keep on keepin’ on when the going gets tough.

Excerpted from How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.