10 Ways to Live Your Life with More Intention
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
-Henry David Thoreau
One of my biggest personal values is to live deliberately and with intention.
What we choose to do, think, eat, buy and believe every day affects the people, animals and very planet that we call home. As often as I possibly can, I want to make conscious and deliberate choices that will improve my life and the ecosystem that I am an intrinsic part of.
I believe that too many of us spend too much of our lives in a state of auto-pilot. We’re sort of half asleep and simply going through the motions of our day, generally repeating the exact same thoughts, feelings and actions what we did yesterday and that we’ll likely repeat again tomorrow.
The only way to grow and expand and truly suck all the delicious juice out of life is to wake up out of that sleepy state and try very hard to be more aware, more intentional and more deliberate about the choices you’re making, the impact you’re having, the life you’re creating and the person you’re becoming.
If you’re in agreement, I want to share with you 10 simple ways that you can start living your own life with greater intention. I’d love it if you’d share with me (in the comments below) other ways that you are bringing more intention into your daily life. Let’s start a massive list of ways to live more intentionally!
1. Notice stuff. Stuff like deer footprints in the snow, the way the light hits the side of your house, the sound your refrigerator makes and the smell of the orange you’re about to eat.
2. Carry the mantra, “slow down” with you throughout your day. Remind yourself to slow down. Catch yourself speeding, rushing and racing as often as you possibly can and tell yourself to slow down. You have the perfect amount of time to do everything.
3. See, smell, taste and savour each bite of your food.
4. Meditate.
5. Think before you buy. Do I need this? Where did this come from? Who made it and what is their life like? How long will I have it? Where will it go when I’m done? Is there a way for me to get this or something like it with less impact?
6. Journal.
7. Listen to your body. Is it hungry, tense, tired, wired? Does it need to dance, stretch, walk, eat, fast, nap, laugh, jump, run, breathe? Where does it feel full or empty? Hot or cold? Tight or loose? Heavy or light?
8. Hug people (and/or pets) just a little bit longer.
9. Listen to other people. People you love and people you don’t. How are they feeling? What are they afraid of? What do they long for? What can you say or do to help them move further away from the thing they fear and closer to what they want?
10. Be curious. Start strengthening your curiosity muscle. Ask crazy questions. Question everything (especially the things it would never occur to you to question).
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One of the best, most genuine authentic writings I have seen!
Aw, thank you so much Joanne. That means the world to me. xo
I laugh everyday. Sometimes it’s because of something adorable one of the fur babies in my life does, sometimes it’s because of something my 8 yr.old grandson says, sometimes I’ll stop to take a picture of a beautiful cloud or the way the sun has broken over the hills and sent sunbeams cascading across a field.
There is no time I feel more present than when I am taking the time to notice all the beauty in my life and all the reasons to laugh and smile.
Breathe, be conscious of deep breaths.. Be aware of how good it feels to fill your fully fill your lungs .
Breathe: you can only breathe in the present.
On my Facebook page I write a motivational for other woman. I start out with Remember you are or You are. I started this a couple of yrs ago.. I started it for myself when I was feeling overwhelmed or lonely and to start my morning off with a positive thought and a smile on my face.. I wanted to share a kindness to other women. To make them feel good about themselves. I would love to share them with this group. They are mostly just one sentence.. Example: You are a shining star.. etc.. You can do this.. You are strong..
I tell my family how much I love them every day. I am retiered so I admire my flowers, the snow, the birds …..my environment every day and thank God for it. I laugh and smile alot. The only thing that makes in sad…is my problem lossing weight and my husband cancer.
I have only been following you less than a week, but your insights have affected my soul! I have heard some of the things you say before but never paid attention… Now, with your help, they just “click”. I have already lost 3lbs this week! 😉
Thank you for ‘speaking my language’!
You are such an inspiration to all of your followers to do the best you can and to realize how strong we really are. I love how you gently nudge us to practice self love. I had really never thought about these things before but now being mindful and noticing everything I am at so much peace with myself and everything around me is so much clearer. I have discovered a more happier self…I love to see the snow sparkle in the sunlight. Ice on the tree limbs. .I love listening to rain… Looking out at a snowstorm..doing things to make my senior friends happy …all these things used to just carry on without me noticing..now I notice everything. Cant imagine not reading all the informative things you send daily. Thank you very much Sara Best for all the encouragement and confidence you have passed on to us.
This is a great list!
I would add…Read something every day. It can be fiction, non-fiction, profound, inspiring, or a little silly.
Whatever uplifts you and gives you good thoughts and fuels your imagination.
Everyday I remind myself that I am loved and I am created with intention. God doesn’t make mistakes. I tell my kids and my husband I love them every morning and every night before bed.
I loved this, made stop and think