in·ten·tion
/inˈten(t)SHən/ noun a thing intended; an aim or plan
/inˈten(t)SHən/ medicine natural healing process
When I jotted down the first notes on the topics rolling around in my head, the word intention was the last thing I wrote.
I had no idea that the word also had a medical definition at the time. The word choice couldn’t have been more appropriate.
This month has already been a lot. It’s a WTF year, and well, #truth!
Watching the horrific tragedy unfold in New Orleans was heartbreaking, which was compounded by the news coverage featuring businesses and streets that had hosted moments of joy and happiness in my own journey only a few months prior.
Shortly after, news coverage shifted west to the wildfires, which are still raging and will forever change not only the physical landscape but also the lives of so many.
Those are the big things. The things that capture our attention, as they should.
We also each live in our own place and space, and every day is filled with small things.
There is a specific place that seems to hold some magical power in my slice of this universe.
It’s a small section of concrete that has seen me experience devastation, joy, and fear. I walk this path often, so statistically, that’s not particularly significant. What does matter is the extreme nature of the emotions.
A full and complete breakdown.
The realization that the dark energy and negativity finally diminished and joy had returned.
The second time in less than a week that someone decided stalking me and my home was an appropriate decision.
Today, I walked that path again. Today’s emotion was a gnarly cocktail of disappointment and anxiety.
Fortunately, the remedy for that emotion was a message feed filled with photos from amazing people that I have the honor of calling friends. They are convened to attend to a very important decision.
Earlier in the week, I spoke with one of them about a bunch of things, and we talked about defining excellence as part of a decision-making process. We talked about a specific person whom we both respect as the bar for excellence.
This person is decisive yet fair.
This person is honest and direct, yet compassionate.
This person acts with courage and integrity, regardless of who is or isn’t looking.
That conversation made me reflect on my own journey and what I have learned over the past year and, by extension, the past decade.
Specifically, I learned what parts of me I don’t want to bring with to the next chapter.
Which leads me to intention.
The path I frequently walk is filled with lessons. It was the source of a natural healing process, and it's filled with thoughts, ideas, and dreams of what's to come.
January 17, 2025
p.s. stalking people is super f*d up; so is cyberbullying!
