Questioning Our Intentions

Between now and December 21st, we are being influenced by the forces of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is a time "of rediscovery - a time when we renew our aspiration and rechart the direction in which we are heading in life. Yet in no way is it a time to yearn to return to the 'comfortable' life of the past. It is a time to harvest the wisdom of our past experiences, integrate the talent and strength and understanding we have acquired, and invest them in a thorough overhaul of the personality, so we can push forward into the future, along the course the soul has set for us." - Carl Japikse from The Forces of the Zodiac

These energetic forces seem to be stirring things up - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For me, modes of operating and communicating no longer seem to be as effective as they were before. As a result, I search deeper within myself for meaning, for alignment, and for what is motivating my intentions. I have come to learn that every intention is motivated by either a NEED or a FEAR. As such, we are being given the opportunity to go deeper and really understand what that is.

In recent reflections, I have come to identify that my intention to experience deep connection is motivated by my need for authenticity. I am repelled by fakeness, fallacy, and pretense. I strive to speak the truth, hear the truth, and see the truth. For many years, I have experimented with ways of expressing this truth - thinking at times that my view was the right way and the only way. Yet, I am coming to realize that truth is how we perceive it. How we view the world and each other depends upon our perceptions - which are always formed by experiences, our memories, and our belief systems. Each one of us may have a different truth. We may experience each other differently, and we likely view the world differently.

This month, I am working on finding a non-dual solution to express my authenticity. I am searching for a way that allows me to discover, honor, and express my truth without it having to be the only point of view. The way I am practicing this is to share my observations, my insights and experiences openly and honestly AND AT THE SAME TIME be genuinely interested in discovering, learning and hearing other points of view and perspective with EQUAL value, compassion and respect. It sounds easy, but how often do we really listen to each other with the same amount of attention and care that we desire to receive ourselves?

The other experiment I am running is only sharing my opinion when I am asked. WOW, is that hard! You can't even begin to imagine how challenging it is to get through one day (especially being a coach)! I invite you to try it out with me.

These examples are ways to rediscover ourselves and rechart the direction in our lives. We can do this by bringing that which is unconscious (our need or fear that is motivating our intentions) to our awareness. When we do this, we become more clear about who we are, why we are the way we are, and who we desire to be. With this new level of self awareness, we are able to make better choices that align with deliberate action rather than automatic response. For me, this is something I continue to strive for.

Please join me this week in reviewing your INTENTIONS and shifting your automatic responses to deliberate choices.

1. Write down the intentions you have set about anything (a relationship, work, money, health, etc).
2. Ask yourself what is the need or fear that is motivating your intention? Write the need or fear down for each intention.
3. Revise your intention such that your need or fear is really being nurtured and supported.
4. Write down some deliberate choices or actions you can take to honor your new intention.

In the spirit of sharing and connection, I invite you to post your intentions and reflections HERE in the comments box! That way, we can all learn from one another.