Why Intentional Life is the Best Self-Care
Everyone is searching for ways to offload their excess stuff. You can see it with the rise of Marie Kondo, the popularity of places like The Container Store, and the sections of the bookstores devoted to organizing.
At the same time, we live in a world that pushes us to purchase more stuff. I mean, who doesn’t need a french press coffee pot with olive wood accents? Never mind that you already have a coffee press pot large enough for a group and one reserved for making coffee for just you. You didn’t even know this existed and now you’re glad I linked to it.
That doesn’t make you a bad person. Heck, it doesn’t even make you sort-of bad. It just makes you typical.
We live in a world full of advice. Influencers, advertisers, acquaintances, friends, family – all telling you that you NEED this thing or you should LOSE that thing. They advise you on how to live and how to work and what to do in your time off. Find peace by getting rid of your things. Or by going on a meditation retreat. Maybe by purchasing this new improved version of this thing you already own!
What does it mean to be an intentional life person??
Making the choice to live intentionally means only allowing those things into your life which support your values and beliefs. Living in this way often brings a deeper meaning to your life, giving you joy each time you engage with one of those things. Sitting in a carefully chosen chair that embodies the comfort and beauty you value while also supporting a small handmade furniture studio is very different from sitting in a chair from a big box store. The soul which reverberates through the handmade chair warms your heart and causes you to consider the gift that you’ve given to that small studio with your purchase.
Living intentionally gives you that peace of mind since each action supports your being physically, mentally, and spiritually. Once you’ve decided that an object or an experience or a person adds value to your life and supports your values and beliefs, then the true value of that thing becomes clear. And you will know that you will not regret adding this thing to your life.
By making the decision intentional life, we actively engage with our values and beliefs. We fill our homes with treasured items, not clutter. Our vacations truly rejuvenate us.
And we finally do find that peace that we crave.
