Living with Intention

Today is a "free" day for me.  I took a day of leave just to BE.  My dreams were rich, and I had time to process them this morning instead of jumping out of bed to get ready for work.  The messages were clear. I must publish more on the BEing of a leader, the subject of Leading from the Heart, which has been out of print for over a dozen years.  I must write more on intention.  

The word or concept of "intention" has been overused by some as a concept that is something like what one speaker described as "using God as the great carhop in the sky," delivering whatever "stuff" we happen to think will bring happiness--a new car, a new house, a different job, a raise, or maybe even a soul mate.  When I use the term "intention," this is decidedly not what I mean.

To me, "intention" is sacred. To live with intention means to align with and act from purpose--what each of us comes into the world to be.  Think of intention as a contract we agreed to before coming into this world. Living with intention is acting, moment by moment, in accordance with guidance from our hearts about that intention.

I have a picture in my mind of each soul, before taking human form, sitting with the power of Love, looking out with legs dangling over something that looks like the Grand Canyon, and having a conversation that might go like this one that I think I had.

Me: "I'd like to go into the world as a human being, so that I may evolve my soul."
Love: "What lessons do you wish to learn on this journey?"
Me: "There are many, but I believe the most important ones for me are to receive love, to keep commitments, and to persevere with love...to have faith...in the face of overwhelming challenges."
Love: "Those are powerful lessons.  They are also ones that are important in evolving the world, too. You know that is a great privilege to take human form to learn these spiritual lessons."
Me: "I do.  I am ready to pay for that privilege."
Love: "The people in the world have forgotten that they are spiritual beings intended to connect through love.  You would perform great service by helping them remember that."
Me: "That is service that I will commit to performing."
Love: "There is another piece to it.  The people of the world seem to forget most who they are when they are at work.  Your service would be especially great if you would help them remember who they are at work."
Me: "I will do that."
Love: "Thank you for your willingness to do that work."
Me: "It is a privilege."
Love: "Now you know that you will receive special gifts and talents to help you do this work.  What gifts and talents would you like?"
Me: "Hmmm.  Language--the ability to use language to touch people and to help them remember who they are.  That would be one.  And, the ability to understand people when they are at work--to know what causes them to forget who they are. Finally, of course, the ability to remember who I am when I am in work settings."
Love: "Those are good ones.  We--the collected souls--would like to throw in some others, but especially 'dance.'"
Me: "Dance? I don't understand."
Love: "You don't need to understand, but it will speak to you and you will learn from it."
Me: "These will be my intentions.  They will be written on the back side of my heart, and I will tune in to listen to where they lead me."
Love: "You will do well."

Each of us had a different "conversation," but we all made commitments.  Our unique and special "recipe" for this life is written on our hearts.  The intentions that we agreed to before taking human form are the only intentions that are important. Listening to our hearts keeps us on track.  Yet we will almost never (maybe never, but I don't know that) be told in one fell swoop what the whole plan is or even why we are to do what we are to do.  We will be guided, one step at a time.

The magnitude of millions of steps accomplishes miracles, making the impossible possible.