Intentions

 May is the Journey to Discernment - the ability to make decisions that are guided by something inside of you, guided by truth and trust of self.

I was inspired by an message from coach, Stacey Herera on Intentions and wanted to share on this.

Trust of self comes from practicing being still and loving who you are, and being self aware. In the busyness of life, in the impulsiveness of decisions minus conscious thought in advance of its consequences, in the avoidance of self, in the repetition of habits, discernment becomes harder. We end up making decisions based only on what we want, rather than what is true, fair, kind and loving. Getting what we want feels great in the moment, the long term feelings are usually accompanied by consequences.

The intentions behind decisions made from a place of impulsivity, avoidance of what is, habits and untruths become clear upon impact.

"If you accidentally step on someone's foot and cause a bone to fracture, whether you meant to do it or not, the result is still the same —a broken bone. Your intention does not change that.

The same is true for words. Jokes are funny and are rarely intended to be harmful, but the impact of those words can still be felt.

Words hurt.

Impact matters.

You are responsible for the pain you inflict, intentional or not. This has been a harsh lesson for me. So the lesson has been to pay attention to the intention and make decisions combining intention and discernment.

Absolving ourselves from the results of our words, behaviors, or actions by putting the onus on our intentions is half of the story.

But when we focus on what we meant to do rather than the outcome of what we did, where does that leave the casualties of our actions?

Their pain is still there. They have no choice but to deal with the fallout. There is no alternative ending where everything is okay for them.

The bottom line is: intentions don't negate damage —ever.

Of course, in a court of law, the intention might reduce a sentence, but it doesn't change anything outside the courtroom in the real world.

Words, deeds, actions, and behaviors can have powerful effects that ripple out far and wide.

I said all that to say, be mindful of your intentions but hold yourself lovingly accountable for the impact. Own it. Apologize. Make amends. Take the necessary steps to alleviate any suffering (to the best of your ability)" . On this Journey to Discernment, practice marrying discernment and intentions. Show up always in truth, in kindness and in authenticity. Everything else is sufferation - for yourself and others.

Peace and Blessings