What Does ‘Live Intentionally’ Mean?

I started this blog several months ago as an experiment. I sought to explore topics that were meaningful to me, as well as create thought-provoking content that would both challenge and encourage my readers. Out of my initial writings, I perceived a recurring theme – intentional living. Hence, I’ve tried to sum up my blog with the tag line found across the top – “Live intentionally. Change the world.” After the past year of studying various books, listening to podcasts, interacting with successful people, and mentally wrestling with the direction of my life, it became apparent that a life isn’t really a life lived unless it is lived with intention. Typically, we witness individuals changing the world for the better as they live with intention.

So if changing the world relies upon our living a life of intention, we must first define what the phrase means. I recently posed the question “What does an intentional life mean to you?” and received some wise answers.

– “Intentional for me means pursuing Life ‘on purpose’.” – Jack

– “To me it means only doing things that give me energy.” -Dan

– “Deciding what I want in my life, not being reactive to what is happening around me.” -Dave

– “An Intentional Life means that we find the optimal intentions and goals for our own lives and live them out – and even if we do not live them out, to know assuredly in our hearts what those goals are.” -Jeff

All of these answers help us to see that an intentional life is one with a definite direction. We have a specific God-given calling and purpose. It’s similar to a business that has a mission statement. If that organization remains true to its mission, then all (in a perfect setting) of the activities, resources, employees’ time, and money will be spent in pursuit of that specific mission. The mission statement does not change. Similarly, we must define the specific mission in our own lives. Otherwise, we typically end up meandering aimlessly while fending off that persistent feeling of emptiness.

I love Don Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, as he shares his own journey, progressing from a directionless life to discovering a meaningful story. If you haven’t read his book, I would highly recommend it. Throughout this work, he conveys that each one of our lives is a story, and we ultimately choose whether or not we live a powerful story that matters. He offers, “It’s interesting that in the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, the only practical advice given about living a meaningful life is to find a job you like, enjoy your marriage, and obey God. It’s as through God is saying, ‘Write a good story, take somebody with you, and let me help.’ ”

Hopefully we begin to understand that satisfaction comes from living intentionally. In order to pursue this journey, we first have to discover our core purpose, or our mission, in this world. This will be different for everyone, as God has uniquely created each one of us. Once our core purpose has been defined, we embrace the mystery before us. Finally, we must commit ourselves to take regular, specific action. I’ve found that most successful people utilize goal setting to keep their actions in line with their core purposes.

Those who seek to change the world usually don’t transform it by accident. They bring change through a life of intention. I look forward to continuing this journey with you as we seek to live intentionally!

Original post http://www.trailreflections.com/2011/09/08/what-does-live-intentionally-mean/