Hey there! In the last blog post, I shared all about how I'm in big favor of setting daily intentions. When we set intentions for our day like: I want to have a good day, I am going to practice gratitude as often as possible, I will move my body today, we practice focusing on just the day ahead of us. Sure we may have future goals, like I want to be fit and healthy and lose weight this year, but when we set daily intentions, the focus should only be on the 24 hours in front of us. But let's take this a little further...
All we have is the present moment, truly. The past is already behind us, the future is still unfolding. ALL WE HAVE IS THE PRESENT MOMENT. If the present moment is all we have control over, then shouldn't we really practice intentionality in each and every moment, and nothing beyond that? Practicing intentionality in every moment means that every second is new and fresh. It's an opportunity to apply laser focus to whatever we are doing and be completely present in that moment with the absolute intention to do that task well, or make that moment be what we want it to be. We are in control of how we feel and our response in each moment.
Anything other than being present in the moment does not serve us. You know you are not at your best when you are distracted, rushing, worrying about the past or future or not paying attention. When we are unfocused, things can really spiral. We're running late, we spill our coffee, can't find our keys, stuck in traffic, on and on it goes, and we declare that we're having a bad day, or things aren't going our way. You've been there haven't you? The reason this happens is that when we are not fully focused on the task at hand, our attention is elsewhere and things can go wrong. The negative momentum of us thinking things are going wrong for us just keeps up, until we pivot and choose to change the thought pattern and practice presence. When we are distracted and worrying, we are also projecting that negative energy into the creation of our future.
If we could just slow down in each moment, be more mindful and be present, so much in our life would change. Whatever you are doing, be all there. Even if it is something you don't want to be doing, you must be fully present with it, with the intention of doing it well or it will not feel good. That feeling of angst and unenjoyment is one of the most uncomfortable feelings. Practicing gratitude for our health, running water, safety, food in your belly, whatever you can think of, will help you stay present in situations that initially seem to be less than ideal. When you are intentional about the present moment and are practicing gratitude, you will feel things shift, little by little, day by day. It's a subtle shift that becomes so much more powerful with consistency. Your increased awareness of how you want to feel, and your tweaking of your energy and approach to situations will begin to create positive momentum towards the future you do want to create.
Since you are in control of how you feel and approach each moment, set an intention during each thing you are doing. You can say and think things like, "I set the intention to enjoy this moment and be fully present", or "I feel gratitude doing these dishes that have given my family so many wonderful meals. I'm so grateful we have food". I try to look at each thing I'm doing with the intention of creating something beautiful, like making the bed - The intention of making my bed clean and beautiful to get into for a restful night sleep later. It may feel silly at first, but it is powerful. I intend to make each moment in life a beautiful experience.
Take things slow. Be mindful of your energy and mood about the situation you are in. What do you want to bring to the situation? How do you want to feel? What do you want to get out of it? What value is there to be learned? The times you least want to be doing what you are doing, are the times there is the most for you to learn and understand to further you on your journey of aligning with your life's preferences and the type of person you truly want to be. It is within your control to make each moment become the beautiful life experience you crave.
Like everything else, being mindful and intentional in each moment is a practice. You won't suddenly get better at being focused immediately, unless you make that your intention and choose to. For most of us, it will take daily reminders, and much self evaluation to live a more mindful existence. You will find that practicing more gratitude, especially through what you've previously thought to be mundane daily tasks or responsibilities, will help you through everything much more easily, and you may learn to enjoy them.
If you're someone, who finds yourself being irritated and annoyed often, or always on edge, try practicing more intention within your daily tasks and see if it helps. It's something I work on daily. I need frequent breaks during the day just to sit in stillness for a few minutes, to collect my thoughts, to remind myself of my passion and purpose, and to realign with feelings of worth and gratitude. Even if we think we are too busy to take a break to reset, even 15-30 seconds of closing our eyes and taking a few deep breaths will do the trick. If it's important to you, you will find the time.
As always, sending you so much love and light and wishing you all the best wherever you are on your life's path. x Stacy // Amber Moon Boutique