Taking Action

It’s a pretty crazy time right now. With everything going on its more important than ever to remember that we can still take action in our lives. We still have the ability to control ourselves, our mind, our bodies. Yes it true, we never have complete control over the direction of our lives but, we almost always have more control/influence than we realize. And how do we create our world, our lives? Through INTENTIONAL action.

Before getting into intentional action, I first want to address what Action is. We often think of action as a physical thing. And depending on your goals, that may be exactly what is required. But now is the time for adaptation. Choosing to adapt IS an ACTION! Changing your thinking IS an ACTION! Redirecting priorities IS an ACTION! Choosing to seek gratitude and appreciate what we CAN do IS an ACTION!! What I am trying to get at is that that you have a lot of choices, and you have a lot of capability in life. Even if you live in a studio apartment, with 350 sq ft and you can’t leave your place, remember the key part of Shelter-in-place, and that is Shelter. You already have more than a lot of people do. If you’re in the United States then you also already have access to clean water. And hopefully, you have food. All three basic needs already accounted for. If not, then you already have an idea of where to start seeking new options. Now, lets get into the power of intentional action.

Now is the time for intentional action. When we find ourselves under stress our natural reaction is to take action. However, a reaction is often not fully thought out and considered. We simply feel the need to do… something. Intentional action however is more than a reaction, it is purposeful, thought out and has a clear goal or target. For example, if you are stressed out and feeling claustrophobic in your own home, finding a way to reduce that emotion might be a goal for you. A reaction might be to do something to stay busy, to keep your focus off that feeling, lots of busy work. But all that would be a defection from the feeling. Does it really reduce the feeling or just bury it? An Intentional action response might be to take the time to consider your stress, recognize it, then start thinking of how you would rather feel. Once you realize what that desired feeling is, you might start making a list, mentally or physically, of what you can do to create that feeling in your life. All of that is taking intentional action. Then comes the most important step. Committing to those steps and putting them into practice. No one knows you better than you. There is no time in your life that you can not start working to make it better. None.

I ask you today to think of some of the things you can do to recenter yourself, refocus on your abilities, and find just one new way to create the life you want. Make no mistake, the life you want is a feeling. It is the way we think of our lives and our circumstances that create our satisfaction and joy. Let go of what you can’t affect. What can you do today to create the life you want, the mindset and internal reality that is going to create your best life?