Day 329 (Three-Hundred & Twenty-Nine) of 365 days
As humans evolved, stacking one floor above another on the neuroaxis in the brain, our horizons expanded. We gradually extended the time between stimulus and response, and the space between our actions and their outermost ripples. The wider your view, the wiser your intentions. So it’s good to ask yourself: How wide is my view? It’s natural to spend most of your time focusing on what’s right in front of you, but every so often it’s worth considering questions like these: What good and bad effects will my lifestyle today have on me 20 years from now?
What do I do that helps and harms my planet? How do my love and my anger affect others? What could be the long-term results of intensifying my psychological growth and spiritual practices?
I’ve never heard a good reason. But like just about everyone, I keep forgetting this and losing my way in the sheer busyness of life. Further, the lower floors of the neuroaxis naturally pull us toward aims that are immediate and concrete – not because the brainstem, hypothalamus, and limbic system are base or sinful, but simply because they are more primitive in an evolutionary sense. Then your horizons shrink to the next few months and the small circle around you.
Intentions are effective when they are grounded in reality, in what is true. Non-harming is a central principle in ethics, morality, and virtue. Fundamentally, it’s enlightened self-interest. Since we’re all connected, not harming others decreases the harm that would come back to hurt you. Similarly, not harming yourself reduces harm to others. Intentions can be positive (do) or negative (don’t). Positive statements are more informative because they spotlight the bullseye rather than just tell you what to avoid hitting. But negative statements are more powerful since they draw on the intense, “lower floor” withdrawal and freeze circuitry of the brain. That’s why they’re used so often.
For your intentions, it’s natural to use both forms. The positive one breathes inspiration and life into moral conduct; for example, “be generous” is a joyful balance to “do not steal.” And sometimes it’s necessary to have a very clear NO sign in front of certain actions, like being very clear that you just never lie to your mate, no matter what.
Setting and living your intentions allows you to focus on who you are in the moment, to recognize and live your values, and to raise your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy. Many entrepreneurs are excellent at identifying their values and know that living within their interpretation of them is a powerful way to achieve success, and more importantly, happiness. Daily intentions can help you do that. They also provide a roadmap and reminder for how to live out each day. Intentions give you purpose, as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve your purpose. The practice of setting daily intentions can change your life.
