I put my foot in the stirrup and swing a leg over. As soon as I sit in that saddle I have a purpose. Every single thing I do has meaning, an intention.
Horseback riding as taught me so much in the short time I’ve been involved in the equestrian sport. Responsibility, discipline, how to handle failure and learn from it. But mostly it has taught me how to be present. I’m constantly communicating with my horse, whether it’s a subtle weight shift or squeezing the reins with my ring finger, I’m asking him to do something. If I’m not fully present in that moment and consciously aware of what I’m doing and why, then things will go wrong…very quickly.
People often comment that I’m a detail-oriented person. I would disagree.
I’m an intentional person.
We all have routine activities that we do every day, so routine in fact, that we forget what the intent is behind the action.
For example, driving your kids to school. They need to learn and get an education, but that intent was realized so long ago it fades into the background and you don’t think about it anymore. How much more fulfilling would that drive be if you reminded yourself of the importance of it?
I want to challenge you to do things with conscious intent. The next time you go to perform a routine task at work, ask yourself why you are doing it. Does it serve a client or a patient? Are you helping out a co-worker? Will it benefit your family? What is your intention?
Living with intention gives your life a more purposeful and consciously lived direction.
I try to instill this in my everyday life, even if it’s something small like brushing a horse.