Living with Intentionality
At some point along the journey of caring for our mental health, we may develop a dawning awareness that our life is on auto-pilot — like our days are on repeat, leaving us feeling disconnected from the world around us. We may even begin to notice a kind of complacent numbness…
Routines become mindless.
Actions become emotionless.
Connections become cold.
This is not an easy headspace to navigate… the weight of disconnection can feel overwhelming, and it’s natural to feel uncertain about how to move forward.
However, know that there’s hope.
The beautiful thing about this experience is that it can be viewed as a call to action — an opportunity to turn inward, reconnect with our values, and begin to create a life of genuine joy and meaning.
It all begins with taking a moment to set an intention…
The word intention comes from the Latin verb intendere, meaning "to stretch.” So, when we have an intention, it means that we are stretching or aiming towards a valuable goal. Intentions are not goals in and of themselves, but rather serve as guidelines that help keep our actions aligned with our goals and values.
Intentions allow us to live with integrity.
By practicing intentionality, we empower ourselves to recreate our character, moment by moment. We come to realize that we are never bound by who we were yesterday, but we can continuously learn, adapt, and transform ourselves.
“Our intention creates our reality.”
—Dr. Wayne Dyer
One way to begin to embrace intentionality in our daily lives is by reciting heartfelt prayer and mantra.
We can think of prayer and mantra as a conversation with the Infinite potential within us, aimed at embodying our highest values.
Below is a short prayer that’s been a staple in my own life for years. Back when I taught yoga, I shared it at the end of every class:
“With every breath I take today,
I vow to be Awake;and with every step I take,
I vow to take with a grateful heart—so I may see with eyes of love
into the hearts of all I meet,to ease their burden when I can
and greet them with a smile of peace.”—Prayer of Unknown Origin
The goal of this particular prayer is to awaken ourselves from the slumbers of apathy so we can be of compassionate service to those around us.
To fully prepare ourselves to serve our brothers and sisters in humanity, this prayer embraces several foundational life principles as intentional guidelines: personal responsibility, mindfulness, gratitude, unconditional love, joy, and peace.
Now, the idea here isn’t to mechanically repeat the words…
We are not paying lip service. This is not dogma. Rather, we are aiming to wholeheartedly connect with the emotions behind the words.
Let’s make this prayer our own.
Saturate it with emotion.
Feel each syllable resonate in every cell of our bodies.
Bring it to Life.
“The primary purpose of prayer is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.”
—Br. David Steindl-Rast
As we integrate intentionality through prayer and mantra into our everyday lives, we gradually transform ourselves into somebody new, from the inside out. These words and emotions gradually begin to manifest as physical attributes via various neurological and hormonal processes.
The intentions of the prayer become our very character.
This becomes who we Are.
This practice also creates a mental filter which further helps us act in accordance with our values. This becomes our conscience, which is our internal compass to determine whether we’re living with integrity.
"Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching."
—C.S. Lewis
Note as well that when we pray in this manner, we are not hoping for a deity outside of us to save us…
We are taking personal responsibility by invoking the divine within us, allowing for transformation from the inside out.
All in all, if we want to create a life of integrity that we can truly be proud of, intentionality is key. By crafting prayers and mantras of our own, we can align our actions with our personal goals and values.
In doing so, we empower ourselves to become the people we truly aspire to be.
May every step be intentional, as you embrace a life of integrity.
Max Kristopher Komes
www.MaxKomes.com
Max Komes is a Master’s-level Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern offering supervised in-person counseling services in Pensacola, Florida, as well as statewide.
More From Max:
Rediscover Clarity — Schedule an Individual Session: if you find that these messages resonate with you, take the next step in rediscovering mental clarity by scheduling a session with Max.
Free Mental Health Resources: access to optimal mental health care should be available to all people. Empower yourself with free mental health resources.
This writing is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you have imminent health concerns, please call 1-800-NAMI.
