Before we start: I’ve realized that some folks are unaware of some of the features of a blog. Whenever something is underlined, and putting your cursor on it shows it to be a live link, you can click and go right to whatever is being referenced. Then just back arrow to go back to the blog post, or if it opens a new window, click back on the blog window. Also, you can click on any photo to make it bigger and use the back arrow to get back to the blog. With photos, keep in mind that the resolution has to be reduced to post, at least in Word Press, which is what I use, so you may not see the quality of photo you might expect. The bigger you make a low-resolution photo, the grainier it will be.
"Jewels of Intention" by Michelle Oravitz
Intention on a personal level: Another quality on Coach Dian’s blog challenge is intention. We all understand intent – the specific purpose for whatever it is we’re doing, and the end result of that purpose – what we hope to accomplish. We don’t give it much thought usually. We know in a vague sort of way that we need to do the laundry or water the plants, go to the market or call someone. Then as we progress through the day, we either do or don’t do those things.
I think many of us are now thinking of intention differently, more fully. We are thinking of actually acting with intent – not sleepwalking through something. If we go through the day with intention, we have to think about what we’re doing. It gets a bit muddled with purpose, or even something like being responsible. What’s the difference and why does it matter?
Take, for example, visiting my parents. That’s something I usually don’t look forward to these days. But I do it. I don’t have to technically, but of course, as a responsible daughter, I do. My purpose for doing it isn’t often well thought out – I just know I’m going to, and if it ends up I don’t make it today, there’s always tomorrow. To a degree.
What if I approached my visits with intention? Knowing it’s an important part of the day for my parents, and giving them the time it takes to have a comfortable conversation, I could relax during the visit and stay present. After all, they spent a lot of time raising me – now I’m “raising” them. Strange things happen when you relax and stay present – you may learn something, internalize and remember the story that’s being told for the hundredth time, actually have a good time.
So that’s the difference then. Visit perfunctorily, or visit with intention. Either way, I’m going to do it. It brings the concept of intention to a new level, rendering the dictionary definition sterile.
The artist who did the installation at burning man, asking us to consider different attributes and how actualizing those attributes would make America better, is having an effect on many of us, and we never heard of him and never went to Burning Man (although I’d like to). Such is the power of art. Because this person asked how we would pledge our allegiance to something, what it might mean for the world, we’re thinking about it.
I think one effect of people truly acting with intention is unexpected: the end of multi-tasking. Yes, I know we are never going to not multi-task, especially women, because we can do it so well. But if we telephone someone with intention, knowing we are going to set a lunch date, or just catch up, we’ll really concentrate on it. I always find it unnerving to talk to someone and hear pots clattering in the background. I know that person is putting an equal importance on doing the dishes – but not intentionally. With the concept of intention, we could have a meaningful conversation and actually remember what we talked about.
I Skype with my friend William. If we’re doing it on video, he concentrates on the conversation. Kind of has to or he’ll appear very rude. And basically I’ll say, let’s talk later when you can concentrate. But if we’re Skyping without video, I know that he’ll be talking to me, perhaps someone else on Skype, there may be a Facebook chat going, and he’ll be responding to text messages, and looking up something on the internet. If we were conversing with intention, it would go faster (there wouldn’t be huge gaps in response time), meaning trains of thought wouldn’t be broken and we might actually consider what the other is speaking about.
What this multi-tasking may be doing to young people as far as attention span, quality of work, and ultimately quality of life, is a whole other subject.
On a larger scale: If we all improved our intention personally, pledged our allegiance to living with intention, we would have a more focused, meaningful world. We’d improve our quality of life. More and more people think, however, that if enough people collectively focus on the same thing, change could be made to occur, perhaps even physical change. Pooh, you say, that’s ridiculous. Maybe it is, but I can’t say that with certainly because I just don’t know. I’m willing to entertain any thought to improve our planet. - they do stuff like that on Star Trek, pretty much my Bible. We’ve only touched a small part of our minds.
Tomorrow I’m going to watch two world cup soccer games, write some fundraising letters for the Fannie Lou Hamer Statue Fund, refine my list of what I need to do, and start doing some of it. I’m going to make a turkey meatloaf for dinner, finish off the marinated beets I made earlier this week, and have a gigantic salad (I have so much lettuce to use.).
Soccer is a good example of intention, because you can’t watch a World Cup game meaningfully unless you sit down with undivided attention. You have to understand what you are going to do and do it entirely, or there’s no use. You’ll miss it all. Try it.
These are just my thoughts, off the top of my head, without reading anything about intention first except the definition. I may have it wrong, but I don’t think so. And writing this is a good reminder for me to act with intention – I’ve been trying to make it something I internalize this year, with varying degrees of success.
