Embracing Intention: A Holistic Journey of Personal Growth
One of my words for the year is ‘intention’. My understanding of the word intention was that it meant I needed to be mindful of my thoughts throughout the day.
On New Year’s Day while rushing through a ritual that involved setting a bay leaf I had written my hopes for the year on fire I realized living intentionally is so much deeper than that.
Yes, intentionality means I need to be mindful of my thoughts and actions, but it also. means I need to present by slowing down and not rushing from task to task.
This can be hard when you have trauma or c-PSTD because for me, my mind was always used to:
- being on high alert
- being everywhere all at once
- jumping from task to task (it might be why I am good at jumping from ideas and word association games,)
This is a big part of why I had;t been able to mediate until recently and why I often had trouble with yoga. It meant I needed to be intentional and for that, I needed to quiet my mind, listen to my body, and avoid powering through to the next pose.
Something I have found weird is that I knew actively practicing gratitude meant I had to sit and reflect on my day and the things I had, but I had only just realized that a life with intent requires the same amount of mindfulness.
Being intentional isn’t only about doing what I say I’ll do, choosing my words, or showing up for myself — it's deeper than that.
Yes, it requires those things, but I also need to choose how I react and the words I choose, and to decide if a feeling is serving me.
Being intentional is about awareness:
- awareness of self
- awareness of others
- awareness of my actions, thoughts, and the words I speak
It’s also about choosing where I want my energy to go, and about slowing down. I have started doing that by:
- journalling
- reframing my thoughts
- challenging and rewriting the narratives I have believed about myself
- art — drawing, and painting
This new understanding of intention has affected my life in ways I would have never expected
- it’s easier to address and manage my emotions, especially when I am upset or angry
- I have started to eat slowly
- I don’t mind being alone (I have always found it hard to be alone while in a relationship)
- I meditate and find it relaxing (I used to find it anxiety-inducing)
Embracing intention brought a shift, that enabled me to deliberately slow down. Through Journaling, reframing my thoughts, and drawing I noticed unexpected changes — improved emotional management and a newfound appreciation for meditation. This holistic journey of self-discovery and personal growth is shared in the hope that it resonates with your path; it’s time for us to rewrite our narratives to empower ourselves 💖
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