Day 5--Living Intentionally

One of the things I'm really working on these days is living intentionally. I am going to try to explain what that means to me.

I think there are different ways to approach each day and the things we do in our lives. I imagine that most of us do a combination of these things. There have been times in my life when I have lived in what I will call a reactive style. This is where things are happening around us, and we are simply reacting. We are not really choosing our path, but instead, we're being bumped and pushed along in a particular direction, changing course frequently, not really knowing what our destination will be. When we get to the end of the day, we are left somewhat bewildered, feeling like we've been run through the wringer, and maybe not seeing a lot of evidence of all the energy we've expended. We might even blame others for our situation.

The opposite of this style would be proactive. If we're proactive, we're making deliberate choices, deciding what our destination is, making choices that lead us toward that destination, making course corrections when necessary, keeping that end goal in mind constantly. I'm trying to do this more and more in my life. This is what I mean by living intentionally. When I get up in the morning, I do my best to decide what will happen in my life today. I start my day with activities that I know will make my day run more smoothly, including things like prayer, exercise, and writing in my journal. Of course, there are plenty of things that come along each day that I can't predict or I didn't plan for. I feel like as I live with intention and keep my goals in mind, I am able to negotiate the bumps and curves of the day better. I take ownership and responsibility for the things in my life, and I don't blame others for my circumstances. I simply take what comes and deal with it in whatever way I need to to accomplish my end goals.

Some days don't feel like successes. There may be little evidence of our hard work. But I know that when we stay focused on what we are trying to accomplish and keep moving in that direction, we will inevitably get where we want to be. And it is so important to celebrate each little accomplishment! I imagine myself jumping from stone to stone to cross a great river. Each jump is important in getting across, and is therefore worth acknowledging as an accomplishment. If we miss a step, we may get a little wet, but we need not give up. We can always get up and start again. ALWAYS!

Those are just a few thoughts from me today. I hope you have a really wonderful day! <3