Setting Intentions To Reclaim Your Power
Intentional Living for Clarity and Confidence in Everyday Life and Beyond
Hello! I’m Kate, a therapist sharing weekly Letters from Therapy. If you enjoy my writing, make sure you’re subscribed! Join a movement of authentic humans who bring light to the world through the work of self awareness, acceptance, and deeper meaning by upgrading. You’ll get enriching discovery tools, worksheets and journaling to improve your life and relationships. Now read on…
Reclaim Your Power With Intentions
You can’t help but get intentional in the therapy room. The whole point is to slow down and intentionally take a look at yourself. On a meditation retreat many years ago, the teacher asked us what our intention was for that meditation. It brought me clarity, just like in therapy. Of course, it’s not just for therapy, or meditation, it’s for every day life, and your whole life ahead.
I’ve had clients come to me in their 60s, bewildered, having never really understood themselves or their life. Filled with anxiety they were unsure where to turn. They had been swept along by the river of life and ended up in a heap.
Something I wrote in a recent post was own it, choose it or change it, kindly shared and reminded by
in a recent note. We get to make choices, though some of us hardly realise our life is our own until late in life.If our autonomy is not fully developed, or if we shy away from our true self, we don’t learn to trust ourselves. We can find ourselves easily persuaded, unclear of our own boundaries, letting others interfere too much, and adapt to internalised, subconscious ‘shoulds and musts.’ We have no clarity. Our life doesn’t feel like our own. We loose our power. We get swept along. This can lead to the sense of meaninglessness and panic that characterises the start of therapy for some.
What Anxiety or Low Mood Can Tell You
We can use up huge amounts of psychological energy fighting the voice of our true self that’s trying to speak. Many therapists believe that many cases of depression, anxiety and low self worth stem from this unconscious internal conflict.
Think of the last time you overstuffed a cupboard with all your things and tried to close it. Now imagine doing that all. the. time. Exhausting!
To clarify intentions is to honour and to believe in yourself
It’s Not About Productivity.
It’s about shape.
You have an opportunity to shape your life, yes, within confines, but a shape of your own, nevertheless.
Clarifying your intentions focuses your energy on what matters most to you and reclaim your power.
The Beauty of Intentional Living
Intentional living gives us greater meaning to our lives, actions and relationships. It reveals how we really want to show up in the world and who we are from one day to the next.
We are what we do every day
When we live intentionally, we increase our confidence as we give ourselves permission to be who we are. We align with our true self. Intentionality helps us let go of what doesn’t serve us, creating more spaciousness in our lives.
Intentionality Improves Our Relationships
By being more intentional, we love and honour ourselves more deeply. Then we can love and honour others well too, and improve our relationships. When we are intentional in relationships, we shift out of blame, and into responsibility.
Setting Intentions Brings Clarity
Often setting intentions can give more structure to our lives, bringing a greater sense of peace and order, reducing stress, rather than reacting to the chaos around us.
Our life becomes our own work of art.
Intentions As Boundaries
Boundaries are a frame for your Rembrandt. The tin for your cake to bake. The roof and walls of your home. We can’t be or do everything. We have confines too, boundaries not of our own making, our location, financial situation, family commitments may shape our life, and these shift over time.
Setting intentions puts your stake in the ground. Intentions are your anchor, enabling you to channel your power into creating a life you love and thrive in.
How to Set Intentions for Your Beautiful Life
I wrote 16 therapeutic journaling prompts to help you reflect more deeply on various aspects of your life and self, so you can get clarity on your intentions, and reclaim your power.
Setting Intentions for today
Setting an intention can make or break your day. I set an intention every morning. You decide where to put your energy. Everything else can fall away.
Examples of Daily Intentions
Intentions are sometimes about cultivating feeling, sometimes it’s about being, sometimes it’s taking action. Sometimes my intention is simply to take good care of myself. Other days are take care of home days, others are productive writing days, or days for honouring and sending out my jewellery orders. I loved this post from
about spending the day pottering. Sometimes it is a be there for my daughter day. Or today, I’ll make all my decisions from love!There is no right or wrong.
Someone grappling with chronic illness will have different intentions to someone in full health going for promotion. For someone else, it might be to care for their children as best they can. Another might need to let go and party all night!
Perhaps you’ll honour your boundaries today. Perhaps you’ll watch your self talk. Perhaps you’ll be present today through breathing. Or maybe you’ll honour your body with better nutrition, stretching, exercise or rest.
Today, my intention is to press ‘post’ on this letter, whatever happens!
Reclaim Your Day
Take a few deep breaths and notice what’s around you, to bring you into the present moment. What’s your mood like right now? What sensations can you feel in your body?
What is your intention for today?
Let me know in the comments.
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What is your intention for today? Mine was to post this letter so I’m feeling pretty smug!
My intention for today is take my morning mental health walk. I haven't gone in a few days. The winter came back and I got drmotivated to put winter gear on after wearing a sweater with a vest hahaha but today is the day!