When I started my meditation practice I usually just sat down and breathed until I felt agitated. I figured once I felt agitated then it had been a sufficient amount of time.

Now I sit down and set an intention to keep my focus sharp. Setting an intention makes it easier for me to enjoy my time with my thoughts and sensations. This lesson has spread to other parts of my life.

I wake up and give myself an intention for the day. I’ve been using the same one for the past month because I’m really focusing on my mental outlook. “Relaxed Mind and Relaxed Body” is the intention I try to think and feel all day long. There are times when I catch myself clenching my jaw or tightening my leg, so I focus my attention on my muscles, take a couple of deep breaths and feel my body relax.

Focusing my day on a personal development hurdle helps me enjoy the day so much more. I don’t focus merely on earning money or getting ahead because I feel that those options are limiting. Don’t get me wrong; I still like to earn money. I enjoy the house that I’m living in and don’t want the bank to seize it because of my inability to pay my mortgage. However money is not my only goal in life. Money is number 10 on my top 10 list.

My top 10 list:
1. Love (Myself, my wife and others)
2. Inner Peace
3. Healthy Marriage
4. Wisdom
5. Healthy Body
6. Compassion
7. Children (some day)
8. Great Writer
9. Patience
10. Money

Everyone has different priorities in life that fluctuate, but as of right now these would be the Top 10 things I most care about.

When I pick “Relaxed Mind, Relaxed Body” as my intention for the day I know it will help me get closer to inner peace. I believe it’s had a tremendous effect on my perspective. I’m calm when I drive home instead of rushing which usually causes my body to tense. I make better decisions at work because I don’t let my emotions dictate my actions. The intention has also helped with my compassion and patience. This was just a little extra benefit that I wasn’t expecting.

Anyone can pick an intention and forget about it, so there should be a way for a person to be reminded about how to apply it. I picked a body signal – the tension I hold within my muscles. When my jaw tightens and I notice it, I watch what type of thought is going through my head. It’s usually the thought of planning that makes me clench my jaw. If I’m relaxed I watch my thoughts to see why. My thoughts, when relaxed, are usually in the present moment. By staying aware of what my body and thoughts are doing I’m able to make each day a little more enjoyable than the day before.

There are many people who are satisfied with who they are and what they’ve accomplished. Not me. When I find Inner Peace, I’m going to take it to the next level. I don’t know what that level is, but I bet you there is one. I don’t want to put any limits on what I may be able to accomplish. My daily focus requires that I put time into relaxing myself in a tense situation. By using this intention in the morning and all the way through to the end of my day, I’m able to enjoy life more than I did last week.

Improving your life is the best thing you can do for this world, because when you are happy you will want to give back, and when you give back the benefits will multiply.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 25th, 2007 at 7:19 pm and is filed under Motivation, Stress Management, enjoy everything.