Oprah Winfrey and I both share a common belief in the power of intention. (I’m not surprised, I’d bet we’d be great friends!)
For me, the power of intention is focus on what’s most important. It helps helps guide my actions big and small towards the purpose I have set, be it for myself, my family life, my work, my relationships, etc. And I’ve always found setting intention, vs. specific goals, is more flexible and empowering to navigate and adjust as change and life happens.
Oprah puts it beautifully:
“I don’t do anything without thinking about what I ultimately want the energy, the motivation I’m putting into it. What is the end result going to be,” she said. “I only do what I intend to do.”
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah says focusing on her intention has been the secret of her success and talks a lot about the power in her videos and articles. I find this short clip especially powerful as it has not only Oprah discussing intention but also author Gary Zukav on how intention is at the heart of owning your authentic power.
Be it for 2020 overall, or for individual relationships or experiences, what will your intention be?
When my grandparents were of retirement age they set out on a new adventure. They bought an orange VW camper in Europe and drove it all over traveling for three months. I imagine them spending hours on the road or lying in the camper naming all the places they’d like to go next and planning more adventures. They brought the camper back to the U.S. and not long after started a travel agency business.
For the next decade, they traveled all around the country and the world. Before that, travel had been limited to my grandfathers deployment in two wars and a visit to see my Aunt and Uncle during their peace corps stint. After that, my Grandmother would go on a new journey to care for my Grandfather as Alzheimer’s brought devastating loss.