I have been thinking quite a bit about the nature of intention. And this week, I was listening to a podcast called Business & Biceps, when one of the guys on the show, Maurice Clarett, used a quote from a book called As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. The quote says that “aimless thoughts are vices”. Which made me think more about intention. I’ll explain what I mean in a second, but pull up a chair and let’s talk intention.
First, what is intention?
According to Wikipedia, intention is a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action or actions in the future. Said differently, it’s a conscious decision to act. Every time we go to the gym, cook a meal, or practice a skill, we demonstrate intention.
The important thing about intention is that it’s one of the main drivers of action, which directly impacts our lives. It allows us to push our existence in a direction that aligns with our beliefs, character, and values.
What if we lived without it?
This is where the quote comes in. Something being aimless indicates that it’s without purpose or direction. We intentionally act daily, but we don’t seem to apply the same intention to our thoughts. And that’s terrifying to consider.
Because those actions stem from our mind. Our thoughts are manifestations of our mental state, beliefs, and character. But those same thoughts influence those aspects. So uncontrolled, undirected, and unintentional thoughts can hurt our mental health, as well as disrupt us on our journey of life.
On top of that, if our thoughts are devoid of intention, then anyone or anything could influence them. “If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything”. The intention in our thoughts is crucial for not only making sure we’re on the path that we want but also for protecting us against anything that would disrupt that journey.
Intention means nothing without action
This is the big takeaway. Many of us have things that we want to do. Hell, I’ve had days where I had tons of stuff I wanted to do and ended up doing nothing instead. That’s not intention though, but rather wishful thinking.
As we said above, intention is a conscious decision to act. So by definition, you have to go through with whatever you intend to do. True commitment is difficult at times. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices or put things off to be successful. But it’s always worth it if it gets us closer to where we want to be. So go out and live with intention in all that you think, say, and do, and I promise you won’t regret it.
Thanks for talking humans with me today. How do express intention in what you do? Let me know in the comments below. Share with one person you think would like or enjoy this. And don’t forget to talk humans with someone this weak. Ciao!