What Does it Mean to Live Intentionally?
To me, living intentionally means more than simply living with goals and a purpose. To live intentionally implies that we are being intentional with each moment. This does not mean that we have to constantly be striving towards some end goal. We can be intentional while resting, playing, and spending time with loved ones too. Truly living with intention simply means practicing mindfulness throughout your daily life.
To be mindful is to be present in the moment, and only when we are fully present are we able to live intentionally.
In the busyness of our daily lives we tend to operate on autopilot. Our minds wander and we get caught up in the mind's endless chatter. We eat, drink, bath, work, consume media, exercise, have conversations with friends, and the whole time, if we are not mindful, we are on autopilot.
For example, when you brush your teeth, what are you thinking about?
I bet it isn’t how the bristles of the brush feel against your teeth. Or how the temperature of the water feels in your mouth.
In these moments, more often than not, we are thinking about our to-do lists… or really anything other than brushing our teeth.
A teacher of mine once asked:
“How do you determine how long to brush your teeth for? Do you brush for 2 minutes? Why? Do you do that simply because that is what you have been told to do for your whole life?”
He then said:
“Why not try staying present while brushing your teeth so you know when your teeth are clean and you can stop brushing!”
I am obviously not recommending that you ignore the advice of your dentist! But this line of questioning made me think of all the other moments in my life where I am just operating on autopilot and not staying present. It happens A LOT!
Eating is another example. When you eat do you stop to consciously consume your food? Or do you eat and think about whatever it is you have to do once you have finished eating? If our minds are chattering away at us while we are eating, so much so that we aren’t even aware of what or how much we are eating, are we truly eating or are we thinking more than we are eating.
To live intentionally is to break the cycle of operating on autopilot where we are lost in the chatter of our minds and instead bring ourselves back into the present moment.
When we do this not only do we feel more calm but we also begin to recognize the beauty in each moment.
Life shouldn’t be about rushing up the steps towards your goals. It should be about enjoying each moment to the fullest.
If you bring mindfulness into your daily life, as much as possible, you may also begin to notice changes in your habits and behaviours. You may begin to notice habits you have that are not serving you in a positive way and you may begin to break these habits. Or maybe you notice that something you do is having a negative effect on the environment so you may choose to work towards having less of an environmental impact.
When we slow down, and just exist in the present moment we are better equipped to notice these things about ourselves and make positive changes that will help ourselves, our families, and our communities.
To me, this is truly intentional living.
