As I shared last time, this is part 2 of a three-part-blog series on Intention - Action - Reflection. In June I focused on part 1: The Power of Intentions, and this time the focus is on Action.
A little recap of why intentions are important: why does it actually matter what the intentions are, as long as we take the actions necessary to meet our objectives? It matters, because the Universe is alive with consciousness and is in constant dialogue with our energy, which includes thoughts and emotions as well. Our intentions align our energies into a purpose, and a direction. Actions that flow from here have much more meaning and power. Eckhart Tolle has said “When the basis for your actions is in alignment with the present moment, your actions become empowered by the intelligence of life itself.”
An action is something one does. At its highest purpose, an action is the physical embodiment of an intention.
Big dreams aren’t usually accomplished by taking one grand action a single time, but persistent action towards that goal. I highly recommend reading this article on The Transformative Power of Practice - by coaches Staci K. Haines and Ng’ethe Maina. There is so much wisdom here, particularly this concept - “There are two central areas we need to focus on to understand practice as it relates to how we grow and change: default practices and intentional practice.” Default practices are the habits we developed unconsciously coming out of our life experiences and social conditions, and intentional practices are what we choose, having become more conscious, more aware of our options.
We become by doing, especially by doing things consistently and repeatedly.
In spiritual practice it is a common belief that outcomes are not only the results of our actions, but assisted by heapfuls of grace. But it is also understood that without taking action, we don’t move in the direction of our goals. The intention is your north star, the address in the GPS, and what routes you take to get there can vary. So, do your best with detachment, surrender, and humility. Work hard and fully towards the deeper satisfaction of fulfilling a long-time dream. Do not get too satisfied or too discouraged by the little wins and losses/challenges that pop up along the way. Those are tests of endurance and of our commitment and perseverance.
Writing is my long-time dream, challenge, goal, aspiration, soul purpose and frenemy. I’ve kept a blog on and off over the years, and as I changed, so did the purpose and content of my writing. In those in-betweens periods of transformation (aka living), I put writing projects down, sometimes for years. But it’s the dream that won’t give up on me, even when I let it go. So, I kept returning to practice. After years of working with a coach, I finally started a daily practice of writing - simply morning pages, as prescribed by Julia Cameron. After two years of writing 500 pages that I have still never read, I finally re-started blogging this year. I needed to re-ground in what writing meant to me, that it was an emotional and spiritual tool, that having a voice/perspective and expressing it was a gift and a responsibility and a joy, and ultimately, could be of service.
So pick your dream, the one that keeps you up at night, or gets you excited to wake up to, and start doing. Let the intention be pure and powerful. An example - Intention: “I am writing for the sake of sharing spiritual wisdom passed on to me, to spark/stoke the divine light in all.” Action = Morning pages (daily) and Blog/e-letter (monthly) and the poetry book (finish this year!)
I can’t say that I live up to this 100% of the time, but I try my best, and return often when I fall/fail. When my commitment wavers, I get a little help (sometimes a boost, and sometimes a kick) from the Universe. In fact, just today, I got an email from someone asking “I was wondering whether you've sent out any more newsletters? I think I signed up for it but haven't received anything.” I was laughing to myself, as I wondered if anyone was even reading or noticing my summer slowness, and there it was - the perfect reminder and invitation to step back in. So thank you all for reading, for listening, for sharing your own reflections and responses with me, thank you. Your words water the soil of this writing.