Each Decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.
Sharon Salzberg
Imagine then – if these intentions are sitting below the surface – driven by our ego – and essentially undetected by our true self.
This has been my mode of operation for years. To stumble on blindly not truly seeing – where I was headed or why.
Now that life gave me some shout outs and I finally woke up to the calls, I’m infusing intention wherever I can – however I can – in order to fully live the life I want to be living. A life that makes my soul one happy being.
After working in the corporate world for more than half my life – where I was more often than not on automatic pilot, I came to find myself a long way down a path that truly had very little to do with my purpose or my soul’s yearnings.
After a few years of major course correction, I am finding new a wonderful ways to infuse my “work” with intention.
Whether it be my artwork, my crystal talismans, or my writing, I am taking the time – pausing and asking myself
“What is my purpose in painting this picture/creating this talisman/writing this post?”
I have dabbled in many methods of intention infusing – and I thought I’d share with you some of what I believe are the basic essentials for creating/living with intention.
The first ingredient for the art of intention – is space – both physical and mental. The first kind – physical – requires (sometimes) much action – clearing a space and creating an environment that supports you in your work. The second kind – mental – requires the opposite of action – stillness – to empty your mind of the busy-ness of life outside of what you are creating, and to allow your intentions to rise up from within.
When creating my talismans, I like to ensure my worktop is clear of everything other than the materials and tools I am going to use. Then I add a candle and some music to set the scene. I practise a mini meditation to clear my mind before I begin.
The second ingredient is Commitment I ensure I remain present to what I am doing and am not being distracted by other people or social media. Commitment requires immersion in the task at hand. I don’t try and squeeze bits and pieces in here and there. I create best when my children are either in bed or at school. I always create each talisman from start to fininsh – by hand – by myself. I don’t set up a mini production line – as the energy of the talismans was born from a place of crystals combining to provide an intensified power – and each talisman is unfinished until the family of selected crystals is complete.
The third ingredient is Love I often create for people I know and I like to think about them as I am making their talisman. By holding them in my mind and my heart I know my creations will be energetically charged with love directly from my soul. When making a talisman for someone I have not met personally or gotten to know, I like to imagine them receiving the talisman, using it, and gaining all of the benefits. On my journey, I have discovered that we all have the capacity for more self love, more support, more insight and more protection, and it is these benefits that I envisage being infused into the talisman.
The final ingredient for intention infusing is Ritual . By formalising my process in a ritual, my intentions are set clearly both to myself and out to the universe. I love to light my incense by the candle and cleanse the talisman of residual and negative energy. I love to claim out loud “I now charge you with the intention of providing love, support, insight and protection for the wonderful person who receives my gift” as I pass the talisman through the smoke of the incense. Ritual is a great sign of reverence for the crystals that I am using and the fact that mother earth has provided us with these little power houses of energy. I use ritual to give gratitude for how fortunate I am to have discovered crystals on my path as part of my purpose.
As I complete each talisman, I often reflect on how by infusing it with intention, my own soul has benefitted – simply by being allowed to shine through and guide me on my path. I am left with a deep sense that the Universe has guided me through my creation process. And I am grateful and ready to create again.
I’d love to hear how you infuse your intentions into your work or your day to day life. Let me know in the comments below. As always your thoughts and ideas are an inspiration to me.
