That Intention Thing, You Know

You’ve heard that old saying about good intentions; the road to hell is paved with them. My life can be so full of good intentions. I plan on this and that, to call him or her, to visit this person or that person, go here or there, and never quite achieve it. And then again, like Thomas Merton is known for saying, and I paraphrase, I don’t always know where I’m going and even if I’m going in the right direction, but at least I’m going and trying.

Relationships are very much most significant with me. I have to admit that my failure to follow through with intentions is very much tied to my desire for relationship and my belief that nothing is more important than relationships. I feel blessed that I was raised on Indian Time, even if the residual effects are an occasion habit of being late. Indian time is I’ll get there when I get there, focusing more on relationship with the Creation versus time. In discussing this with my mentor one day, who is African American, she laughed and said, “Oh, that’s colored people time”, sharing with me her version of the same experience as mine.

In reflection, I have to wonder if not following through with good intentions is actually a positive choice at times. Tonight was just such a time. What began as a light “how are you” in a social networking atmosphere, God blessed me with a close encounter of a most wonderful kind. Had I focused on my good intentions, I would not have had the opportunity to connect in a way that was meaningful to me to a young man who is equally important in my life.

I encourage you, my friend and reader, to take the time and make choices in your life that lead to improved connections, with people, and with your God. Avoid, and stop, those actions, beliefs, and habits that seperate you from others. God brings people and opportunities to us that if we are not careful, we will miss. Being blessed by the conversation of another is much more significant that any good intentions. I challenge you to evaluate when you put the unimportant over the important, a television show over playing with your child, a bottle of alcohol over authentic relationships, work over love, rigidity over spontaneously embracing the life of another. For today, I am blessed, and for that, I thank you, my young friend and brother.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You Saw What?

Image
That old saying about opinions surely applies to perceptions. You and I can visually see the same thing and have different perceptions. And this applies to what we hear, experience, and belief. I perceive the cold and beauty of winter as that of a child, with excitement and joy, whereas my friend might experience this as misery and confinement. And then, the cost of heating and the fear of freezing could be a completely different and drastic impression to others. In my opinion, I only know of one absolute. Most everything else is perception. It seems to me that we quickly, and oh so easily, fall into the belief that our perceptions are fact and in many cases, especially for those of us with higher degrees of control needs and rigidity, fail or refuse to see past what we feel. As I listen to people around me, in my interactions, I am aware of how perceptions interfere with the ability to truly hear and understand others. I heard a person once state, “They’re my feelings and so their
Read more

Worthy and Wanted

Image
Many of us attempt to start our days each day in a positive manner, with a direction that will guide us in a meaningful and healthy manner throughout the remainder of the day. Some begin with exercise, others coffee (yes, coffee is very meaningful), others some form of relaxation, others meditation, and others prayer, or a combination of more than one. Beginning our days in a purposeful manner helps us to manage and resist the coming anxiety and stress that life in the real world brings. In beginning a day, I came along a prayer from another person, penned anonymously, in a daily reading, which was simple and yet so complex. It read, “I pray that I may never make anyone feel repulsed or unwanted”. Sounds good, sounds simple, sounds easy enough. And then, when I contemplate the depth of such a prayer, I realize the true difficulty of such a prayer. A similar prayer echoes through my mind, “Lord, help me to return to this bed causing as little harm as possible throughout my day”. Such
Read more

Living The Label

Image
I'm not much of a label person, and maybe you're not either, but have you noticed while shopping the people looking at labels on food and products. And what about all those warning labels, stating this product can cause cancer, this one tooth decay, that one heart disease, and so forth. It is my impression that labels are out there to make our life easier, to make choices easier, and to guide us as we make decisions that are in our best interest and best for our health. In many areas, labels serve a purpose, and in other areas, they really don't. I've come to the conclusion that many times labels just state the obvious. Labels like, "smoking causes cancer", or "sweets cause tooth decay", or "alcohol may cause birth defects", just state the obvious; pretty common sense stuff. Sure, there are many labels that are helpful, especially for those of us who are counting calories, limiting sodium and cholesterol, or watching our fat intake. Other
Read more