Live With Intention: Purpose, Place, and People

You made a choice to be here in this place.

You made a choice to be with us in this place.

You made a choice to do this, with us, in this place.

Why?

We make choices every day.

These choices impact us and the people in our lives in so many ways.

The question is, do we pause often enough, to reflect on these choices?

Or, an even better question, are we intentional about making these choices in the first place?

To live with intention is not always easy-- it takes more time and energy, and often means you have to say no and yes to things that would normally elicit a different, less thoughtful response.

This is an area many of us need to grow in if we truly want to live a life filled with joy and passion.

We can create our own joy and passion by making intentional decisions about what we do with our time (purpose), where we spend our time (place), and who we spend our time with (people).

When our purpose, place, and people align with what fuels our passions and brings us joy, then we know we are living with intention and our impact is at its greatest and most positive.

Too often we choose to engage in professions, hobbies, or daily activities that do not bring goodness to our lives (or the lives of others). 

There are some things we have to do as part of normal every day life that may not be "fun," but there are plenty of other things we do for a variety of other reasons that include making more money, being accepted by friends or family, or because they are what society expects of us.

The problem is, if those latter reasons are fueling our decisions, we start to live a life for someone other than ourselves. When this happens, the impact can lead to many things....depression, lack of productivity, stress, substance abuse, physical health concerns, and the list goes on.

Our purpose is best described in the image below:

The red square represents our purpose--we love it, the world needs it, we are paid for it, and we are great at it.

When you can find the place and people that align with your purpose....now that is the sweet spot!

What we often forget is that we are in control of that sweet spot.

We can make intentional decisions to create it.

Begin by setting an intention for small parts of your day. Maybe it is as simple as setting an intention for a healthy morning routine so you can be your best self the rest of the day. This may include making intentional decisions about what time you get up, what you eat, and what you do first. 

Build up to setting an intention for the entire day and consider the many choices that will need to occur to make it the type of day that brings goodness to your life and the lives of others.

Eventually you will get to a place where your big life decisions about your profession, your partner, or where you live can all be made with great intention, thereby providing a life filled with joy and passion.

Live with intention and choose joy, or go through the motions and leave those choices up to chance.

The choices are yours to make.

Life with Intention Image from: https://dribbble.com/shots/2217414-Live-With-Intention-Leo-Gomez-Lettering

Purpose image from: http://cre8tivefire.com/studio-insights-by-michael-david-sturlin-the-importance-of-purpose/purpose2/