Intentional Living: Thirty Days of Love

      Living with Intention, Intentional Living, or Living Intentionally – the many ways one might express a committment to imbue purpose and consciousness into everyday moments.  Intentional Living plays a large role in Ethical Eating.  The act of considering where your food comes from, how your food choices affect the world around you, and putting effort into making better choices for your health and your world with every bite you take is a very intentional way to look at food.

       But the concept of intentional living should not be restricted to any particular area.  Indeed, picking and choosing when to be intentional and what to be intentional about misses the point of the movement.  “Living in the now” should not be restricted to only certain now’s.

      There are a million ways to live more intentionally every day.  Refuse to zone out during a meeting.  Truly listen to a person who is talking to you.  Release your own thoughts about yourself and whole heartedly see an issue from someone else’s point of view.  Meditate.  Eat slowly and consciously.  Look around while you’re out walking; notice the patterns in the tree branches, the sound of the birds, the smell of the soil, see the ants scurrying on the path.  Be.  Be where you are.  Be with who you’re with.  Refuse to be on autopilot.

       Perhaps this seem idealistic.  Heaven knows it’s hard not to slip into autopilot from time to time.  Washing the dishes?  Why be intentional about that?  Well, because if you’re not, if you’re just on autopilot, you’re using that time.

      I am not an intentional living purist.  I still believe in multitasking.  If I’m on autopilot doing the dishes, it’s because I am talking to a friend.  Some might argue that I’m not giving that friend 100% of my attention, but it beats never having time to talk to my friends.  I put forth energy to listed carefully and intentionally even if my hands are doing something else.

      The National Thirty Days of Love campaign kicks off on January 19th, recognizing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and culminates on Valentine’s Day.  It is an opportunity to live more intentionally and to direct your energies and intention, in big and small ways, toward making a difference in the world. 

      Over the course of four weeks, I will join thousands of other people across the country to unite in the believe that Compassion and Love are the forces that will change this world for the better.  Not being a very big fan of the shallow pink hearts, toxic bouquets, wasteful greeting cards, and slave produced chocolate of commercial Valentine’s Day, I really embrace this opportunity to make that day a powerful culmination of a month of Compassion and working for better.

      Week One centers around a commitment to sustained action and service, anchored in our commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is a time to lift up those who paved the trail ahead of us—the change-makers whose leadership and inspiration inform our own worldviews and transformed our society into a more loving place. Join us in redoubling our commitment to honor these heroic legacies through our own justice-making.

      Week Two focuses on Interfaith Action.  While this blog is not really about religion, I believe my path as a Unitarian Universalist Pagan strongly informs my lifestyle and the topics I pursue here.  And having been elected to the Board of Directors for my UU Church, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t promote Unitarian Universalism just a little.  But my faith is only one of many beautiful life paths out there.  This campaign is rooted in Unitarian Universalist principles, but our spirit is interfaith and increasingly we encompass individuals from many faith traditions. We believe that each of us is connected and it takes all to achieve true community.  Let us unite with those from different backgrounds who share our common goal of a more just and loving world.

     Week Three seeks to move beyond boarders.  We live in a society of borders–geographical, sociological, and psychological. Migrants cross borders to build a better life for their families; same-gender couples navigate the boundaries of conventionally accepted love; and transgender individuals challenge the division of societally-defined gender. Some of us must reconcile our overlapping identities, and others must cross borders to embrace those we once considered “other.” Let us explore how we can break down these arbitrary barriers to achieve a more loving society.

      Week Four is the time to go out and share what you have built during these Thirty Days of Love.  Called a “spiritual journey for social justice” Thirty Days of love recognizes that making the world a better place requires centering ourselves, connecting with others, and examining where we have been and would like to go.  Make Valentine’s Day a day of Social Justice.

       If you’re interested in joining me on this wonderful and worthwhile journey, you will find a multitude of resources on the website.  You can pledge your participation in the campaign, find resources to host community events and worship services, and link up with other individuals who are standing on the side of love and compassion in person and on social media.  You’ll also find weekly activity ideas for how to live more intentionally during these thirty days, and for how to make working for Social Justice part of your every day life.