Intentions and Life’s Fast Pace
In my office, I often hear notes of frustration at the pace of life. Life can feel difficult sometimes; it is a tough business. It can be difficult to slow down and focus on how we want our lives to look. Sometimes, we can lose our course.
During the weekly therapy process, we re-frame our circumstances in a way that works for us. In the session, we set our intention so we can move forward in our chosen direction rather than reacting aimlessly. Many of us often feel overwhelmed and frustrated in the whirlwind of modern life.
Life, with its myriad challenges, can indeed be tricky. One of the most common concerns I hear in my therapy sessions is the difficulty in slowing down and focusing on the desired direction for our lives. Losing our course in the rush of daily commitments is all too easy.
The Power of Setting Intentions
Setting intentions is a powerful tool in therapy, and we combine that tool with appropriate self-care. It’s about consciously deciding how you want to live, feel, and react to the world around you. Instead of being swept away by life’s fast pace, setting intentions allows you to steer your life in your chosen direction.
Living life with intention is a structured process that requires us to “sign off” from the outside world and “tune in” to our authentic selves. We get the chance to look at what will truly make us happy in a sustainable way. I often encourage a “media fast” and practice doing these often to reconnect in the physical world. I encourage daily time to meditate and visualize our desired outcomes, which increases our frustration tolerance and helps to realign our vibrations. It sounds like “Woo Woo,” but it is a tool for positive reframing.
Sometimes, life can go by so quickly that we look up, and our relationships have faded or become damaged, and then we have to fight to get those back; at times, relationships become irreparably damaged and are forever destroyed. Often, we mourn those destroyed relationships to the detriment of our current and future relationships.
Intention: Integrating Self-Care and Self-Compassion
- Self-Care: In a fast-paced world, self-care is your anchor. It involves taking time for yourself, whether it’s a few minutes of meditation, a walk in nature, or simply pausing to breathe deeply. Self-care can also be cleaning our space, going to the doctor, and organizing our time. Self-care is not an indulgent act but an act of “self-preservation.” Thank you, Audre Lorde, for putting that into perspective for us.
- Self-Acceptance: Recognize and accept where you are in your life. Understand that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that acknowledging this feeling is the first step towards change. Please recognize that you will get better and that we master skills incrementally.
- Self-Compassion: Be gentle with yourself. Understand that life’s pace can be challenging, and it’s okay not to have everything figured out. Treat yourself with the kindness and understanding you would offer a friend. Remember that we all run our own race, and it is you vs you. Everyone has their own pace, and we do our best when we integrate that pace into behavioral habits.
Sustainable Change Through Intention Setting
- Reflect and Reevaluate: Regularly take time to reflect on your life’s direction. Are your actions aligned with your intentions? Are you surrounded by people who support that vision?
- Mindfulness Practices: Incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine to stay connected with your intentions. Mindfulness practice can be as simple as stating your name, the date, and what you see in front of you in a brief moment of pause to ground yourself and reconnect your head with your heart and body.
- Goal Setting: Break down your intentions into achievable goals. This makes it easier to stay on course and make sustainable changes. Additionally, recognize that goals change, and that is ok.
Embracing a Life of Intention
Remember, the key to navigating a fast-paced world lies in setting your intentions and aligning your actions with your intentions. By integrating self-care, self-acceptance, and self-compassion, you can move forward purposefully, making choices that reflect your true desires and values. Take care until we meet again.
When we live reactively, we rarely see the impact of our behavior on others. In therapeutic terms, we can be seen as having limited insight, and our therapeutic journey begins by increasing our insight into our behavior. We can bounce back and forth between setting an intention and increasing insight; over time, those two therapeutic habits will reconcile outstanding subconscious conflicts within ourselves.
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