When it comes to changing our behavior, there is great transformational power in getting clear about our intentions.
Why?
Because all actions, unleashed into the world, cause an effect. This is true whether we know why we’re doing something, or whether we don’t. In other words, our actions are powerful determining forces that shape the world in which we find ourselves. When we act in unconscious ways, the world can’t help but mirror that lack of awareness back to us.
Often, our behavior doesn’t reflect the truth of who we really are because our ‘well meaning’ actions stem from a deep, complex set of intentions we don’t even know exist: We help a friend not because it pleases us to give them our time, but because we can’t bear to disappoint anyone. We act in a generous way, not because it makes us happy to give, but because we’re desperately craving external validation and praise. We spread a rumor, not because we believe that sharing the information will be helpful, but because we’re longing for connection and acceptance, even if it’s at the expense of someone else.
“If there is a difference,” Gary Zukav once said, “between who you think you are and how you behave, then the distance between those two points is how far you have to travel. That is your spiritual path.”
As soon as we start getting clear about our intentions, our actions begin falling into alignment with our beliefs. Every time we pause to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this?” before acting on an impulse or making a decision out of habit– we take a step forward on our own personal journey of self-discovery. We close the gap a little bit more. The things we do begin reflecting the deepest truth of who we are.
And when our actions change, so, too, does our world.