Intentional Living
When you commit to living a conscious, intentional life that honours the gift in the everyday, your perspective shifts and you begin to appreciate the now moment more deeply. You spend less time looking for big, flashy things to bring you a spark; instead, you tune in to the gifts of the present moment and the joys they bring. It’s not that you don’t love the big moments, it’s that you become more aware of all that is available in the in-between.
Living with present moment awareness is what we are all called to; not only in the times when we are reminded of the fragility of life, but always, every day, because life: yours and mine, is, in fact so precious.
It has less to do with wasting time and more to do with celebrating it. Present moment awareness is rooted in abundance, not lack. The more effort we make to be aware of where we are right now, the more we feel the spaciousness, the fullness of a life well-lived.
In a society that is obsessed with all things fast-paced, hustle culture and instant gratification; choosing to live an ease-FULL life, is a courageous act. It’s counter-culture and often requires us to recode our belief systems around what it means to be useful, productive and worthy.
Many of us have been taught that we must do before we are allowed to be. This idea that we have to perform before we can be rewarded is what keeps North American culture locked into the: work fifty weeks a year to vacation for two mentality. We are so conditioned to this that we only give ourselves permission to slow down when we feel we have earned the time to do so. This mentality contributes to so many of the stress-related health problems that are so prevalent and readily accepted as “normal”, today.
Rewiring our brains and our nervous systems to allow for more ease, presence and being, is no small feat, but it can be done through intentionally choosing to create moments of awareness in the everyday.
Here are a few of my favourite ways to live in the now:
an early morning walk before the house wakes
choosing a favourite essential oil blend for my kitchen diffuser
eating a nourishing, warm breakfast at the kitchen table
drinking a hot coffee and savouring its taste
listening to a favourite playlist as I drive
tuning into a podcast that expands my mind
a 20-minute nap in the afternoon to rest and recharge
having a snack with my kids after I pick them up from school
a bike ride with the family on a beautiful sunny day
lighting my favourite candle as I begin to prepare dinner
reading with my boys before they go to sleep
unplugging from my cell phone at 9pm
intentionally supplementing my body so I know I will get a good night’s rest
meditating/journalling or reading once the kids are asleep
This list is not set in stone and is always shifting and changing as I continue to look for more ways to be here now. As you review this list, ask yourself: What is one micro-shift I can make today that allows me to drop in more fully?
One of the most powerful shifts I have made is moving from multi-tasking to single-tasking; where possible. Of course, there are times where circumstances will require us to do more than one thing, but where I am able to control it, I try my best to drop into doing one thing at a time. I have found this to be so helpful for the mind and for my nervous system. When the mind is able to focus its attention on one task at a time, it naturally aligns with ease and sends a signal to the body that we are safe. Our nervous systems attune to this signal and drop into a more para-sympathetic state. Our demeanour then reflects this state. We are less frantic, more present and naturally move at a slower pace. We are less distracted and more available to what is happening around us. Consider: where can you make room for single-tasking in your day?
Choosing to live intentionally is an act of devotion and reverence for the utter gift of this life. It’s an expression of deep gratitude for the fact that we are here now. It’s a rebellious act in a world that is always pulling us in different directions, asking us to do more. It’s a return to You; a reclamation of what you deem to be most important.
While there is personal work involved in expanding your receptivity to living ease-fully, the truth is, you don’t have to do anything to deserve it; you simply have to open yourself up to it. As a soul within a body, you chose to come here, now, to experience all that is available for you to experience in this lifetime. Those experiences are not only found in bucket-list moments, but in the everyday. Being-ness and all that comes with it, is your birth-right: You don’t earn it, you allow it.
