Every person can live an intentional life, we only need to recognize the opportunities before us.
original photo by Ian Iott/Flickr
At the time I write this, my wife and I are expecting our first child (nicknamed Baby Taco), actually we’ve been expecting him/her since May 20th. If you haven’t had kids yet, imagine expecting Christmas to come but you aren’t sure which date it will be. It’s causing some angst in the Wilson home.
However, one good thing to come of this is that Erica and I are living a more intentional life. We expect each day to be the last of just the two of us. We try to take advantage of this time (and the amazing weather here in Pittsburgh) by hiking in nearby Frick Park, eating tacos from food trucks, sipping tea on our front porch, and binge watching Friends, House of Cards, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Any moment can be our last before we have this child. But if you think about it (and without sounding too morbid), any moment can be our last, ever.
4 Ways to Live an Intentional Life
Living an intentional life is not easy. It requires, well, intentionality. But the end result is a happier, more fulfilling life. We’ve come up with a list of four ways you can live an intentional life that also echo the theme of this blog:
- Seek to LIVE instead of distract. Life is only given to us for a certain period of time. What are you doing with the time you have? I check my phone constantly for updates – Facebook, Twitter, or even new emails. I do it because I’d rather distract myself than live life. Limiting these types of distractions will open up more opportunities for you to live a fuller life.
- Learn to CREATE instead of consume. We live in a society built on consumerism. But have you ever experienced the joy of making something yourself? Even if it’s as simple as baking a loaf of bread. By learning to create we explore how things work and cultivate the desire to learn more about the world.
- Strive to PERSEVERE instead of ignore. Here’s an honest truth: life isn’t all gumdrops and rainbows. Living an intentional life does not mean we rid life of all hardship and pain. It means we face it head on. Persevering through hardships makes us stronger. We can learn from these experiences and help others who go through the same.
- Stop to DREAM instead of react. Life is fast paced, but if we don’t stop every once and awhile to examine where we are going, life will follow it’s own trajectory. It’s time to start dreaming again. Living an intentional life requires us to make choices. But we need a goal, a summit to reach in order to know we are making the right choice.
Instead of drifting along, following the ebb and flow of life, living an intentional life will lead to a happier, more fulfilling life instead. Granted, there will be obstacles in the way. But if we seek to live, create, persevere, and dream, we will always navigate our way through them.
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Do you want to live an intentional life? If so, what challenges do you face? Leave a response in the comment section below.
The post 4 Ways to Live an Intentional Life by Declan Wilson appeared first on A Millennial Type.