Tag Archives: paying attention

Daily Intention(s): Be Generous, and Listen

26 Apr

((Wednesday))

I’m starting to feel like a Cafe Gratitude menu… but my intention for yesterday was be generous.

I was thinking about the overnight trip I was making down to OC, and how visits to my hometown, while always eagerly anticipated, often wind up being a mixed bag of fun, lively coffee talks or old towne walks, and complicated befuddling family politics.

So somehow, it struck me that a potential antidote to the sometimes uncomfortable moments that occur, could be generosity.

Generosity in any form I could offer it up.

Generosity of time

Generosity of myself

Generosity of patience

Generosity in attention

Generosity in suspending any little sister/youngest daughter attitude I may normally be tempted to cop.

I wasn’t perfect, because let’s face it… old habits die hard.  Particularly where family dynamics are involved.  But it was a great mindset to begin with.  And return to.  And assist me in making the most of the short time I had down there.

I don’t think I’ve ever really thought of generosity in those terms before… and it’s something I want to practice far more often.

Then at end of the night, around 11pm maybe, the power went out!  Mid magazine read and conversation with my parents.  Out of the blue.  It was kind of creepy actually… but seeing as though I had already been getting tired over the past few hours, I took it as my cue to go to bed.  And my inspiration for today’s intention.

((Thursday))

To listen.  To take my cues from the universe, or my body, or my baby, or what people are trying to say to me, and really listen to them.  Rather than trying to superimpose my plans and premature conclusions upon them.  To really pay attention to how my surroundings are informing me throughout the day.

Because I really do think we are constantly given some pretty clear messages from our selves, those around us, and even our environment.  Answers to questions we ask over and over again, as though we don’t know the answer… when really, maybe we’re just ignoring them, or chattering over them, to suit our own agenda.

So today, I tried my best to listen.

Thanks for listening ; )

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2012 | One Word

5 Jan

over the pass

There’s this practice that I picked up from the blogosphere a couple years ago.  I’m a big fan of plans and lists and therefore, resolutions… but I tend to make little resolutions to myself sporadically throughout the year, when I feel I’ve gotten into a rut.  And so to do it at the years end/beginning… not such a special thing.  Doesn’t really set the coming year apart from the one that’s just wrapping up with the manner of intention that I think it deserves.

So, this practice is one of choosing a word.  Just one word.  To help guide you throughout the new year.  Like setting an intention at the beginning of a yoga class or meditation.  It’s something that you can remind yourself to come back to when you feel you’ve gotten a bit off track from yourself.  When you feel untethered.

When 2011 was on it’s way, there were two words I was trying to decide between…. fearless and intention.  I went with intention.  Although looking back at my year… I think both had an influence on me.  I know that I made a conscious effort to be very intentional in my actions and reactions, words, behaviors, and the things I engaged in.  But man I was pretty fearless too.  I mean, in one year… I got married and had a baby.  Those are big, lifelong, committed YES’s to two things I really didn’t know if I would EVER do.  I’m so proud of myself for having the guts to say yes to these two events that brought these two amazing guys into my life in such permanent ways.

I remember first reading about the word for the year idea nearing the end of 2010.  Maybe October or November and quickly adopting the word comfort for the remainder of that very trying year.

By the time this past December came around…. I only had to contemplate for a few moments before I knew what I needed this year.

It had started percolating… simmering… cultivating ever since Mason was born.  Maybe even a bit before.  The idea that I needed to pay more attention to life.  To each day as it happened.  To the moments I was being given AS they were happening.  Not just looking back over photos.  Especially with this new little boy growing and changing daily before our eyes.  I wanted to savor every millisecond.  You know… as much as humanly possible.  They say that the years go by so fast.  I always say the time goes by so fast, even before Mason, and definitely so much more now.  The sun just seems to set so quickly… just as soon as the day has started to get going.

But not only that.  I’ve also learned in the past few months, that the times when I am at my most frustrated, are the times when I’m focusing on a moment other then the present.  When I’m trying to rush whatever is going on at the moment… putting Mason down for a nap, cooking, reading a post… so I can get onto the next thing.  And when I’m able to catch myself, breathe, and bring my focus back to the moment at hand… my stress levels go down.  I’m so much more content.

So my word this year is Attention.

Because life is just so rich.  With so many impossible, unbelievable moments.  I want to be paying attention, not just racing through the days.

“If I’m not happy in this time, in this place, I’m not paying attention” -Jodi Hills

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