We all enter this world with unique gifts and desires, yet somewhere along the way, they can get lost in the noise of expectations – those of others and of society. We start living by the default of those expectations rather than living an intentional life that’s truly ours.
But what would it like if you could reclaim what’s truly yours? Have you ever felt that there should be more to life? Time flies, as they say. But take a moment to reflect…
Who were you before the world told you who to be?
What will you do with this one wild and precious life?
I’ve been doing the work of answering these two questions and creating as much intention in the way I live and plan for me and my family, for many, many years. In how we spend our time, the choices we make, where and how we spend our money, in the community we live, in the holidays we take, in the media we consume…and on and on.
I want to live with the end in mind. So when it’s my time to go, I’ll be able to look at both my life and death fearlessly and know that, at the very least, I lived a full, intentional life on my terms.
As we get older, we stack on life experiences; losing a job, being stressed and anxious about finances, going through miscarriages – sometimes multiple, rocky patches with your partner or family or friends, we see loved ones go through health scares, health challenges, we go through it ourselves, sometimes we lose people dear to us. And it all shows us how fast life goes by.
So I refuse to wait for ‘one day’ to start piecing together the life I deeply desire. And neither should you.
But it can be hard, so hard, to follow a vision for yourself and your family. It takes time, courage, a plan, consistency. And, let’s consider how our current social and cultural norms, particularly in North America, can keep us distracted. Long work hours, addictive social media consumption, excessive consumerism; a bombardment of external forces and factors that become our daily routines and habits and keep us from being truly tuned in and connected to ourselves and to each other.
Is this really how we’re meant to live? I think the fuck not.
This is why I started getting so very intentional about how I consider the life I’m living. Getting in touch with who I was, who I am, who I want to be. The values that are important to me. The values I want to guide how my family lives. The experiences we want to have. How we’ll impact our community. So I get clear. And set it out in a life vision, ten years at a time. I don’t expect it to be written in stone, but it is the map which I use to set the course of how I live.
Have you ever spent time visioning for yourself? We live by the choices we make, and if your choices are not being made with intention towards a larger vision, that’s still a choice to live day to day by default. It’s still a choice.
Do you want to become more food secure and grow a big community garden? Set a vision of abundant green gardens, talk to your neighbours, make a plan, set aside time.
Do you want to travel around the world? Work out a destination to start with, figure out a rough budget, how much you can save each month, and start putting that money aside.
Do you want to spend more time on a hobby you loved when you were younger but drifted away from because Adulting, Responsibility, Etc.? Look at your calendar to carve out time for YOU, find a local class, figure out where you can get supplies from, figure out how to make space in your home if needed.
You need to get clear on who you are, what’s important to you, look at the details of what it would take to make it real, put it in your calendar, and then protect that time and show up for yourself.
A ten year vision isn’t just about dreaming a big crazy fanciful life. It absolutely can be. But at it’s most basic, it is a tool to give yourself permission to live your life on your terms. Your time belongs to you and only you can decide how to spend it, from this moment to the end of all your moments.
This is your invitation to start your journey on your own ten year vision, to live your very own intentional life. The Journey Begins.
And I’ll end with a quote from one of my favourite stories…about adventure, doing the hard but right thing, staying true to yourself in the face of hardship and evil, and doing what you can with the time that is given to you.
