Great Success Rarely Comes Without Mindful Intent

A spin of the wheel for this week’s photo challenge.... assignment: photojournalism/ documentary… yikes. My best attempt--and what stuck with me the most is that in ANY documentary or photojournalism piece, you must have Mindful Intent; be patient, engaged, and have at least a general idea of what you want the outcome to be. Example here... not a bad photograph, interestingly processed, but lacking a strong sense of story, why.... because my heart and mind were not in sync; not within myself, and not with my surroundings; there was no Mindful intent, I was in auto-pilot. How often do I rush around on auto-pilot taking care of my “assignments”. Assignment to drive to work, assignment to complete my daily tasks, assignment to eat dinner, do laundry, spend time with family. Wait, what? Yes, assigning time to spend with family, not because they are a chore, or a duty, but because I have so busied my life with things to get done, I have to assign the time.

Realizing this does not make me feel good, but sometimes awareness isn’t there to make me feel good, it’s there as a pivot point; a place for me to stop, rest, evaluate, and choose direction/ outcome. This pivot point reminds me of what is important; can I auto-pilot laundry - definitely; can I auto-pilot commute to work – sometimes, I could even auto-pilot my family, but much like this photo, without Mindful Intent, my relationships would be “not bad and lacking a strong sense of story”.

After taking pause, I realize that assigning time with family is ok, I am making it a priority, it is a Mindful Intent. I have patience to savor each moment of what we share, I participate, I’m engaged, and I definitely know what outcome I want. I am vested; heart, mind, and soul to a connected, loving, and sometimes crazy family. Do I need to practice more Mindful Intent in my day-to-day assignments, absolutely; and I’m learning, but for today, I know that my family relationships are Mindfully Intent and in sync; they are soulful, they are my heart, and that feels good. Take time to be grateful for the pivot points in life, take time to rest, evaluate, and most of all, take time to be gentle with yourself and celebrate your successful endeavors, for that is where your Mindful Intent creates Great Success.