Intentional
Intention is something of a lost art form. I distinctly remember a conversation I had with some co-workers at my old job. We were talking about intention, and it was amazing how low their view of intent was.
"I didn't intend to shoot that guy"
"I didn't intend to flip my car"
"I didn't intend to do drugs"
None of those statements are helpful. Intention is lost to our society because our society has become so relative. One's intention doesn't matter if it doesn't fit into another's perspective.
"I didn't intend to hurt your feelings, or put you in a tough spot, or get you upset"
"Well you did"
But all of this is intention in a negative sense. I will leave that to judges and juries. Intention, in any kind of important, transformative way, comes into play in its positive form. The negative form is mainly about how, when trying for a positive result, a negative outcome resulted instead.
The positive form is simply living intentionally. To make a point to nto float through life, to do the right things, even to understand that no matter how lonely, or misunderstood, or down and out one feels, that those feelings are wrong.
We all like to justify our actions. It is hard to live without believing that for the most part, especially moving forward, that you want for the best, that your actions are good, or at least, understandable.
The correct view, and the one that draws on intentionality, is the correct view of ourselves. It doesn't justify every action, but it also keeps us grounded and keeps us from too many lows. We must understand that we are loved, but not all of our actions are.
"I didn't intend to shoot that guy"
"I didn't intend to flip my car"
"I didn't intend to do drugs"
None of those statements are helpful. Intention is lost to our society because our society has become so relative. One's intention doesn't matter if it doesn't fit into another's perspective.
"I didn't intend to hurt your feelings, or put you in a tough spot, or get you upset"
"Well you did"
But all of this is intention in a negative sense. I will leave that to judges and juries. Intention, in any kind of important, transformative way, comes into play in its positive form. The negative form is mainly about how, when trying for a positive result, a negative outcome resulted instead.
The positive form is simply living intentionally. To make a point to nto float through life, to do the right things, even to understand that no matter how lonely, or misunderstood, or down and out one feels, that those feelings are wrong.
We all like to justify our actions. It is hard to live without believing that for the most part, especially moving forward, that you want for the best, that your actions are good, or at least, understandable.
The correct view, and the one that draws on intentionality, is the correct view of ourselves. It doesn't justify every action, but it also keeps us grounded and keeps us from too many lows. We must understand that we are loved, but not all of our actions are.
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