Living with Intention: Making Active Choices
Pope Francis once shared: “Becoming a saint means becoming more fully yourself, becoming what the Lord wished to dream and create, and not a photocopy.”
Isn’t that great news?! I believe it is! It certainly screams HOPE to me. Basically, what he’s saying is that you and I are significant, each with a purpose LARGER than ourselves. Without you, the world would be deprived of the gift that you are, and the gift that only you can give. Without you, your message would be left unsaid and mission left undone.
The call to holiness should, therefore, not be feared. In fact, the call to holiness cannot be talked about without appealing to personal happiness and flourishment, according to Ashley Aquino, one of the speakers of the Jesus-Centered Life Conference. To strive for holiness is to be fully alive and well. Nobody wants to live in anguish and sorrow after all. God wouldn’t want us to either. We would probably blow up at others for the rest of our lives and push people away if we were to be that grumpy and miserable. In that case, we certainly wouldn’t be able to reach our full potential and achieve self-actualization.
To seek joy is a choice. It might not be easy, but it is possible through conscious effort and constant prayer. To choose is not a passive act. It is an active daily challenge. In light of Advent season, I decided to confront this challenge by making the conscious choice to look for at least 2 to 3 things to be grateful for every time I find myself about to focus on the negative.
Today, I wake up feeling grateful for:
1) Tita Sharon (+ the cupcakes she sent me the other day!) & her lovely students:
2) The Jesus-Centered Life Conference:
3) The Daniw Study Center:
How about you? What or whom are you grateful for?
With 2020 coming to an end, why not begin to uncover what it is that brings you joy and a sense of fulfillment? Since you only have one life to live, why not bother to see what potential you have? Imagine the life you can have if you live with intentionality and gratitude!
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What are your core values?
What values would you like to have and work on?
From there, think about what hasn’t worked for you. Usually at a young age, we already know what we don’t like and want. Take note of them.
Remember this: “You can be a masterpiece and work in progress at the same time.” - Sanaiyah Gurnamal, a spiritual life coach & ThetaHealer
So, knowing your weaknesses is just as important as knowing your strengths.
To get you started, take the VIA (Values in Action Inventory) Strengths Survey:
Record your top 3 character strengths and bottom 3 character strengths. What are the core virtues your top 3 character strengths fall under? Note that each character strength falls under one of the six virtue categories: humanity, courage, justice, temperance, wisdom, and transcendence. Don’t get overwhelmed if you see 24 character strengths in your profile. You only need to focus on your top 3 and bottom 3.
After reading through the survey results (i.e. the description of your top 3 and bottom 3 character strengths), reflect on what they say about who you are, what you’re a natural at, and what you love to do. Who are you?
With only 3 weeks away until the New Year, how can you start living with intention and planning your life instead of being a victim of circumstance?
We tend to think that there is no way out of certain situations, but that isn’t true. You can always use your brain to strategize ways to get out and show up to yourself. You can re-design your life based on your interests, which can then turn into passion and eventually your life purpose. You just need to be clear on what matters to you most first and be open to trial and error as you explore, then the rest will follow.
Finally, don’t ever forget this: you are loved, and you are already adding value to this world in some way, shape or form!
*If this kind of content interests you, check out my eBook as it delves deeper into the world of positive psychology. There will be theories, concepts, and research studies available for you to look into.