Ep #63 Setting Intentions in January 2021

The Happiness Project

There are a couple of things that I have been doing especially to get things into perspective for myself so I have something to look forward to for the entire year going forward! I kick started this year with some reflective activities from journaling, meditation, working out, eating healthy, being productive at work, scheduling calls and interviews. Ah, now that I hear myself out loud – I realize I really did a lot of work this month to put things into perspective! We don’t need an overhaul to improve the quality of our life. Just a few steps in the direction of our passion and purpose. Here are a few effective ways I have upgraded my way of life and tried putting things into perspective! Setting an Intention One of the most significant things that I have been every day is ‘Set and Intention’. Setting an intention helps me focus on what is really important and what really matters. It allows me to take a step back for a moment before I show up for any task or event. It also allows me to observe my own actions, behaviors, emotions and feelings in any given situation. It sort of becomes a guidebook for any situation, for instance, if I feel lost or confused at any point in time, I immediately check-in and ask myself “Am I showing up in a way I want to for this particular experience, if not, can I take a step back and consider all the possible outcomes” or “Will showing up in this encounter change or improve how I feel about myself and if not, can I let it pass. In fact, another thing that I have been asking myself a question that helps me understand how I am feeling when I wake up. And that is ‘Am I fearful of what the day bring in or am I leaning into faith for what the day brings in’? And the answer to that questions helps me decide how my entire day will go. And if my answer is that I am fearful, anxious, or lethargic – I actively try to shift the state of my mind by simply showing up. And then by the end of the day, I have enough evidence to prove to myself that I can become what I decide to be. This is a practice that I would recommend all of us to engage into. Why? Well, because this will give a structure to our thoughts and automatically distinguish between what’s important and what’s not. So, take a deep breath, take one more, and another one. Inhale all the positivity around you and exhale all that is holding you back – all your fear and frustrations. And ask yourself – How do I want to show up for the rest of the day? What intention am I setting today? Your intention need not be all big and fancy. It could be very simple, for instance, saying no to someone/something that isn’t helping you grow or putting yourself, your feelings and your desires above anyone else.