In order to live life on purpose, how you want it and not how everyone else around you wants it – it is important to have intentions. Intentions for how you want your life to be. But how often do we forget our intentions? And then, they are no longer active.
I have created an intention for myself: every hour I will turn my attention and send love and a “thank you” to Spirit, for just allowing me to have life. So I can think whatever I’m thinking, do whatever I am doing, be whatever I’m being. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Would take me 10 or 20 seconds! Then I would go about my day for the next hour. Needless to say, on the very first day, after doing it in the morning, it was past lunchtime when I did it again. And not until late evening did I remember it again.
This went on for days, until I really sat down to figure out why I could not spend 20 seconds every hour or so sending appreciation for my life to the Energy that gifted me that.
The reason was very simple. I was being given reminders – just a fleeting thought about God, Spirit, or my commitment – when in the middle of doing something. Ah yes, as soon as I finish this, I will stop to say “Thank you”. But of course, by the time the task was finished, the thought about my commitment was gone too; there were other things, phone calls, lunch to make, emails. The reminders never come at a convenient time, but always at the most inconvenient ones.
So then I made another commitment: that whenever a reminder came, I would stop immediately, for those few seconds and connect with Spirit even in the middle of writing a word, even when checking the food in the oven, even when the phone was ringing – it could ring another few times before I picked it up! – and especially, when driving. Did that work?
Amazingly! Even if at times I slipped up, within a few minutes I would remember the reminder I didn’t listen to and did it then. The net result over the day was no longer 3 or 4 times, it was more like 20. Sometimes the thoughts came bunched together, a few in the same hour, then nothing for a couple of hours, depending on my concentration upon what I was doing, Now, I don’t even count any more but it’s multiple, multiple times and the result on my feelings of peace and contentment is worth every effort.
I still set both intentions every morning because if I don’t, either the reminders don’t come or I forget the reminders! Whatever it is, I still have to set the intention; but perhaps one day, it will become a habit that is automatic.
By just turning my attention inward and saying “I love you! Thank you!” when prompted, it doesn’t even take 10 seconds and I barely have to stop my activity. Now, I listen and pay attention to that quiet reminder of my intention, and that honors my commitment.
You can do it too, and it will strengthen your ability to live up to commitments, strengthen your confidence in yourself and re-establish the connection to that part of you that is omniscient and omnipotent, infinite and eternal. It will open the door, from your side, to receive all the wisdom you need in every circumstance of life. The door is always open from the side of Divinity, which is pouring all of Itself into you – but you have to unlock it from your side through love, and receive all its gifts.
