Seeing Clearly

Snowy branches greet us through every window. Don looks out and says, “It’s a Colorado morning.”  I agree. Snowfalls would often continue for hours there. Our response? We would hunker down and enjoy it. That is just what we are doing. Yummy aromas fill the house as a pot of homemade soup simmers in the kitchen on the first day of 2014.

Last night, New Years Eve, Don and I looked back at 2013– book launch, writing retreats in Paris followed by meeting his colleagues in Germany. Then June and October retreats in Saugatuck along with lots of book talks. Elly, our granddaughter, graduated from High School and went off to college.  Our family had an eventful year.  2013 was a rich full year with some big challenges.  

We also began dreaming about 2014.   Don and I turn 70 this winter.  So looking mindfully at the coming year seems evermore a wise thing to do.  Part of that process will be creating an intention.

Forming intentions is a practice we continue in women’s circles. We have done this for nearly a decade. Consciously stated intentions are at the core of each circle. It helps us support each other on our shared journeys.

Often it is tempting to use intentions to fix unacceptable flaws.  Is it any wonder that forming them can then be a struggle?  But their role is to shape our experience.  It’s a way to view how we are living.  Intentions are like windows.  They frame what we see.  

The Oracle of Delphi, who was a wise woman and purveyor of truth, had two messages over her door.  The first is the most famous, “Know Thy Self.”  The second was, “Nothing in excess not even self-perfection.” 

Relentless attempts of self-perfecting are impossible and exhausting. 

I know this to be true. 

What if we found a different perspective?  What if we didn’t have to perfect ourselves but access parts we hadn’t emphasized in the past?  Looking through the window of our intentions we discover who we long to be. 

An intention is an ongoing reminder of how we engage the moment. As we look over a day we can reflect on how our choices embody them. In that way they guide and allow us to ask: Am I a reflection of my intention? And if not, what do I need to shift or change?  

 I wrote in Unfolding. “Many of us long to let inner guidance have a larger role in our choices, especially in the second half of our lives. We want to trust our inner authority and speak from there with boldness and compassion.” This quote may hold clues to the intention you wish to use. Here are some to consider…

• I am the possibility of trusting my inner authority.
• I am the possibility of speaking boldly.
• I am the possibility of living my dreams.
• I am the possibility of embracing new adventures
• I am the possibility of courageous actions.
• I am the possibility of letting my light shine
• I am the possibility of compassion

Words like these reveal our heart’s desires.  They are reminders of how we want to live. Could awareness without willful determination be the answer?  Yes! With this more soulful approach we are encouraged to unfold.

Create an intention that has an inspiring view. 

See you more clearly.