8th Mindful Monday Word-Intentional
Original art by Joni
Today’s word in “Intentional” it is food for thought. Intentional. Stop to think about yourself for a moment. This word always speaks to me, because being intentional has a lot of layers. Your words. When you speak are your words intentional? When one is angry, our words are usually hurtful. When one is filled with happiness, our words are usually joyful. You get the picture. Now, what about being intentional about our actions? I’m sure you’ve heard the old cliche’, “Never go to be angry?” Why? You’re stewing over something, something that you or someone else said or did. As we get older we get wiser, this is a true statement in my opinion! When we were first married, we were young, and I can’t tell you how many times we went to sleep angry, how many days were wasted in anger and how many ill feelings and thoughts were shared. Now, wiser, we address the issue, however, we address it with intention, intention not to hurt the other person, but, to bring up the issue and discuss it, learn from it and move on. You get a goods nights sleep when you’re intentionally trying to work your anger or frustrations out and resolve them, or at least know that you’re trying to. Being intentional in simple terms to me, means that we define our priorities, what’s important to us and we find a balance and are very intent about the choices and decisis that we make. Whether we are just becoming aware of our choices, or they have become good habits. An intentional life is about making conscious daily decisions which will shape the bigger picture of your life. Quite frankly, as we grow, we learn to be more intentional about our conversations, our time, our relationships and our choices and the decisions that we make. But, how do you emphasize this in our children, to be intentional? To make good choices? To want to learn or to be better at a task? Honestly, I think encouragement goes a long way in a child. That’s a good place to start.
Our character Self-Esteem Elephant teaches our children to like who they are, be proud of their accomplishments and to be confident. This takes intention. Intention to be brave at a new or difficult task. It takes intention to be like who you are. Focus on the things that you like about yourself and being aware of the things you would like to change, takes being intentional. Nobody is perfect and we all could use growth in certain areas of our lives. Self-Esteem Elephant has an activity book to help with this called, “I AM!” It’s a confidence building affirmation coloring book which you can work on together! After all, being a role model is important, engaging with your children is critical and intentionally being there for them, is priceless.
Intentionally Building a Positive Mindset in Children
When I was a little girl, it was just a part of life to feel sad, overwhelmed or lost, I don’t ever remember hearing the words mindset or intentional. As a matter of fact, years ago a Home School Magazine asked me to write an article on Character and it made me think that we never used this word while growing up. There were the good students, the jocks, the burn-outs, etc. That is how they were known. Like the Harley riders, one never knows them unless you know one, and you know what, each of these groups were just like you and me. The difference being our mindset. You see, the over achievers, the goodies as we called them, wanted to be better, wanted to be the best. The burn-outs, they thrived on the fear of others being afraid of them, when deep down, once you got to know them, they were just like everyone else. Same with the jocks. The thing I’ve learned now is that they had the mindset for what they wanted to achieve, to be know as or to become. It just wasn’t discussed like we discuss things in our world today.
You see, how we think about our life, about the choices that we make and the decisions we make or we don’t make, is all a mindset. When we can teach our children or students to have a positive mindset, their entire attitudes change. When we can teach, show and involve our children and students in activities, intentionally, they grow, they learn. This is something I’m learning to embrace later in my own life, but, it works. When I AM intentional about my daily tasks and activities, I do get a lot more done and feel a sense of accomplishment. I’m proud and building my own confidence so that I can be better, do better and share the lesson with others. When I do it with a positive mindset I can hardly wait for tomorrow to complete what I had not completed on this day. I am intentional, about a task, a project and I want to learn from things I engage in and people I engage with.
I think by now we’ve all seen videos of a parent using positive words to their children to encourage them? I think we’ve all seen videos of young children saying to themselves, I Am Brave, I Am Strong, I Am Talented, etc. These are words a parent intentionally used to help build a positive mindset in a child, at a young age so that they internalize them, grow with them and believe them. Self-Esteem Elephant’s Confidence Building Affirmation Coloring Book is available on Amazon, on Barnes & Noble and in Books-A-Million. May I suggest that you color with your child and discuss the word? Go a step further and make this a Journal Cover for an activity book of their own. For example, I Am Brave. Color, staple copy paper behind this and make it a cover. Then, take it with on journey’s for your child to draw and write in, or, leave it in a space where they will engage in filling the pages because they know they are brave, what they did was brave, etc. By years end, you’ll have a lot of journals, and a lot of confidence will have been expressed by your child and they will learn to have a positive mindset and let’s hope they pass it on to others.
TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I remember, INVOLVE me and I learn. by Benjamin Franklin
As a wife, a mom, an educator and the founder of this organizaiton, no truer words speak to me than these. I leave you with this thought; to really embrace an intentional life, one must explore what words for you in order to nurture a positive, healthy mindset. If it’s journal writing, reading, writing, painting, walking in nature, listening to music, etc. whatever brings you to your ‘happy’ place will open your thoughts, your mindset and bring intentional action to your day.
““Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us.” (Richie Norton)”
Graphic by Jen Downey