Purpose

How can we align purpose with our intentions so that our actions move us forward in the direction of our vision? There is a distinction to be made between activity and action. Activity will endlessly fill time yet not necessarily lead us in the direction of making manifest the desired vision we hold which would bring us closer to the engaged sense of contentment we seek. Activity is action without intent. For the sake of efficiency and personal success, how can we identify the distinction between keeping busy, and moving the needle closer towards the life we want to live? If we can future-vision ourselves already living the life we want to live, then we can reverse engineer the steps that lead us there. With each choice we make we are either moving in the direction of our dreams or we are not. Movement is always happening, and it is our choice in which direction it takes place. When we are anxious or concerned that we are not where we should be we tend to make choices based in fear and comparison. What would happen if we calmed ourselves by turning inward towards our imagination and breath as we envisioned where we want our choices to lead us? If we can take a moment to infuse our actions with intention we will rediscover that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Let's sit up straight and close our eyes as we spend five minute relaxing into our breathing while we envision how we wish to feel in the life we want to live. Let's experience that future feeling now so we will recognize it when we arrive there later. And in so doing, we will make the later now. Let's become familiar with who we already are instead of waiting another moment to become ourselves. We are who we are later, now. Just ask the acorn!

That Feeling. Yes; that One!

What is that feeling you are trying to ignore? You know. That uncomfortable one. The one that is nagging and pulling at your sleeve (trying to get your attention while you turn your gaze to everything else); everything else that feels familiar, and easier, and certain. Do you find yourself keeping busy running around from one thing, and person, and situation, to the next? Isn't it in those in-between moments when that uncomfortable sense of questioning starts to arise? It seems that we will do anything to avoid being uncomfortable, yet when we try to escape, in whatever ways we do, we find that uncomfortable feeling lurking in the background, laying dormant, and starting to creep back to the surface after the honeymoon period of newness starts to diminish. A question worth asking is: Are our feelings dependent on our outer circumstances? What would be the honest answer if we asked ourselves if we would feel the same way we do no matter where we were? We all seem to want to be happy all of the time, yet the expectation of that is exactly what keeps us from experiencing being content. Contentment is about embracing where we are and what we feel. We may think we are seeking the outer validation that often comes from achievement, but aren't we more fulfilled with the contentment that comes from an inner sense of purpose? If we can calm ourselves down right here where we sit, perhaps the very feeling that demands our attention, like a child needing its parent's acknowledgement, is asking us to follow its calling into the revelation of the present moment.

Let's sit up straight right now. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three. Take a moment to feel your lungs filled to capacity. Now breathe out for a count of six. Let’s close our eyes and spend a minute doing this together while we make friends with what has been that uncomfortable feeling which we've tried to ignore. What would happen if we welcomed that feeling into our home with the same embrace that we would give those we love. Let's see...

I.O.I.

Intention. Optimism. Integrity. This trinity is the foundation by which the best of our visions become manifest. Before investing in any thoughts, uttering any words, or starting any endeavor, we would do well to ask ourselves if each of these aspects is aligned within us and with each other. The very awareness of the relationship we have with these aspects of our being is success inherent, and whatever goal we set for ourselves is sure to be obtained if this is how we set sail. Even if the winds shift, and unforeseen elements come into play, the fact that the port from which we set forth was built upon the I.O.I. foundation assures that every leg of our journey is worth the discoveries we find along the way. The goal becomes less of a destination and more of a signpost that marks the passage and arc of our quest, having passed through each way station on our adventure that was a destination in its own right, imbued with presence and authenticity. Each moment is a teacher if we are good students who are paying attention to where we are instead of where we are going. What vision do you hold that gives you passion and fulfillment? What journey are you willing to take that is worthy regardless of when and if you ever reach a final destination? What life do you envision for yourself that would make the experience of I.O.I. not only necessary, but natural? The journey is who you are, and our intention, optimism, and integrity are the winds by which we fill our sails. Let's begin...

Here Nor There

As we observe the world right now there seems to be an elevated level of stress based on people feeling that the new normal isn't exactly...normal. We fear being out of control, and react with worry, and even physical pain, based on our need to define ourselves and our situation while we obsess over an outcome that we can't predict. We wonder if what we are experiencing is temporary, or if we've wandered into some unknown land from which we may never find our bearings or our way home. When we shift out of the comfort zone where we had created a familiar identity, two things happen: we scramble to try to get back to what we know, like a swimmer caught in the currents of a rushing river who struggles to grab onto a solid landing on the shore, or we project into the future some upcoming time when things will 'settle down' into a better version that, in retrospect, will have been worth the elapsed sacrifice to our peace. We cling so hard to needing to define who we are within a narrative we understand, that we often lose sight of surrendering ourselves into the process of life, and thereby limit our potential opportunities. Who are we when we are in the midst of transitions, not yet having arrived where life is leading us, but no longer in the busy habits and routines that we had taken for granted before they were suspended due to unforeseen circumstances? Who are we when we are not the we we had come to know? What would happen if we practiced sitting still with everything exactly as it is today, right now, in the perfect, present moment. Let's close our eyes and sit up straight. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let it out through your mouth. Let's do that for a minute. Now, let's close our mouth and allow our breathing to take on its own pace and rhythm.

How does it feel to just sit still in this moment and let ourselves experience what it's like to not have to fix anything? Just surrendering into being in this moment, with nothing to do, nothing to accomplish, nothing to prove, nowhere to be? Just right here, right now.
Let's find out...