What are Intentions?
An intention is typically something that one plans to carry out such as a goal, good deed, or a decision that must be made in the future. Intentions can be good. Intentions can be bad. We all have them, right? We make them every day usually upon waking each morning such as: I intend to do this or that today. But how often do our intentions become more than a passing thought and become something we act upon? I suspect most of our collective intentions end up somewhere in the ethers of the universe floating around aimlessly searching for someone who will take them seriously and do something more than just think about them. I can’t begin to know how many of mine have become dormant seeds scattered along my path of good intentions like dandelion puffs on a windy day.
So, what are intentions if they never materialize into anything beyond our thoughts? Essentially, they are nothing. How can they be anything beyond that? If you set a goal and never reach it, do you consider yourself successful? If you borrow your parents’ car and then have an accident, is it still not your fault because you didn’t intend to be unsafe when you took the keys? If you say something that hurts someone’s feelings, does it hurt them any less if you never intended your words to be hurtful? If it was my intention to visit my ailing grandmother in the hospital but got too busy to go and she passed away, would it matter? It certainly wouldn’t matter to her, but it will probably weigh quite heavily on your conscience for the rest of your life. Just because your intention was sincere and meaningful at the time it was created doesn’t change the outcome and relieve you of the discomfort or consequence of not going to see her. I guess this is what they call natural consequences of behavior.
Intentions Gone Bad
Thinking about this topic, this word, makes me feel uncomfortable and somewhat sad because I have been on both sides of this topic, as I am sure most of us have during our lifetime. I have intended to do so many thoughtful things for others, but then got busy and forgot or didn’t have the time or money to follow through. They never knew, but I did. On the flip side, I have intended to not hurt someone, but I have because of the way my actions or words were interpreted. I knew I didn’t mean it that way it was received but they didn’t. Hurt is hurt and it doesn’t matter how it happened. Dare I say that men handle these types of emotional reactions better than women do. Men walk away to cool off or duke it out, but once it’s over, it’s over. Women seem to wallow in it. We let it stew and fester and hold grudges. We punish and send each other on lengthy, painful guilt trips. I think I’d rather be slapped in the face than suffer the wrath of a scorned woman. And that is why we all know it’s harder to correct an unintended consequence than it is to dismiss an intention that was only a thought in our own mind. We are the only ones affected by intentions that die in the graveyard of our psyche or memory, but somehow they still linger as wasted or untapped energy. Perhaps then, these unrealized intentions float around the universe waiting for another host to give them life. We have to remember that all our thoughts possess energy and that energy is never destroyed. Every creation starts with a thought and then an intention to make it real and tangible. Think about it, how many stories did you read in school about people who were credited for inventing something only to find out that they weren’t the first person to come up with the idea? We are all connected through a global consciousness.
The Road to Hell…
What does all this mean to us in the end? Are we to go through life intending or not intending, apologizing and forgiving when we do, or do we stop thinking about intentions altogether and let life unfold without a care in the world? I don’t know, which is why I am thinking about it out loud and writing about it. Maybe this kind of stuff only matters to those of us who think too much or dream about happiness and world peace. Maybe all things do happen for a reason, and we must learn to accept life on the terms destined for us. Maybe if an intention was meant to be, it just happens and those that aren’t meant to be just don’t. Sounds too simple to me. Life is not simple. There must be an underlying lesson or message here, but what is it? There’s a well-known saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Isn’t that the truth! It helps take the sting out of our failures and lack of commitment or follow-through. It sounds less harsh when we confess our intentions were good and honorable at the beginning. Humans are great negotiators when it comes to validating motives and behavior. We’ve all done it to console our hearts and clear our conscience especially when the stakes were high.
Be Mindful of Your Intentions
I still have no more answers than when I started, but I did encounter a bit of inner insight about it because it has been actively taking up space in mind the last few months. I feel that much of this boils down to communication. We don’t talk to each other much anymore. We rely on technology to express ourselves as well as hide behind a screen when we don’t want to face someone. Much of the context is lost in translation because it lacks the human element of facial expression and body language. Humans need connection to not only survive but to thrive in a world that is often very challenging and disturbing. We need each other to get through the hard times and to celebrate the good moments. And I say moments because there seems to be so few of them compared to the challenges. Maybe if we all slowed down a bit, we could be a tad more mindful about what we are intentionally thinking about and what that means to us and that which we care about whether it’s a person or something we want to achieve. If an intention is meaningful, write it down so you don’t forget. Add it to your to-do list if that helps. If time is not on your side, set a goal instead. We are all so busy and time stands still for no one. We live by our schedules. We set reminders to wake up in the morning, pay our bills, keep appointments, and celebrate important dates. Intentions may not be so different. If we shift our mindset about intentions being important instead of a fleeting thought, we may find ourselves being more successful at manifesting them.
My intention right now is to wish all of you reading this a blessed day and to set your own intention for making someone smile today. Little things mean a lot. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and keep it going.
