Choosing a life that matters
It will only be wise to start off this article by defining what intentionality is. Intentionality, according to Google, can be described as the fact of being deliberate or purposive. I was never really familiar with the term—Intentionality until I received a book (Intentional Living) authored by John Maxwell, as a Christmas present. Once I got acquainted with what the word meant, and the book as a whole (which took me about a year to finish, sad to admit), it completely transformed my life, and I will like to share a bit of that wisdom with you today.
Intentionality is a term that can be applied to every aspect of our lives.
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For you to get the most out of life, you have to be intentional. Success doesn't just occur overnight, it takes years of consistency, practice, intentionality, focus, perseverance, and failure for you to become successful. For you to be able to thrive in the workplace, you have to be intentional about how you spend your time.
Anything you leave to chance, or are not committed to, will eventually fall apart. If you are a parent, you have to be intentional with the time you spend with your kids, if you are married, you have to be intentional with the time you spend with your spouse, if you want to be physically fit, you have to be intentional about it (note to self).
One of the most essential and misused gifts we have been given is time. We can attribute most of our successes and failures to how well we spend our time. There were days when I just stayed home doing nothing. I hoped and dreamed of a better life, but did nothing with the gift of time I was given, and guess what? I got nothing in return. Now I look back on all those years I wasted, and wish I could turn back the hands of time just so I can do something meaningful with the time I left behind.
The most influential people that we see or hear about today are those who were intentional with the time they have. They spend their time dreaming and then spend more time staying committed to those dreams. They discovered the power of intentionality and stuck with it; they saw a need in the society and were intentional about doing something about it.
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I will end with a story found in John Maxwell's book (paraphrased)—There was a certain lady who worked a 9-5 job and was still plagued with the desire to help those in need, to make the world a better place. She then contacted six charities she knew about and asked them what they would do with $1000 if they were given that amount of money. They opened up to her, telling her about the areas they were deficient in. She then hatched a plan (intentionality) and came up with a campaign, to raise $6000 for the six charities, hoping to give them $1000 each. Then she sent out this campaign titled—The Global Good Fund, to everyone on her email list.
People responded, and she got the amount she needed, with a little extra to give out to these charities. After this act of good deed, that she performed, she felt fulfilled. Then one day she got an unexpected response from a man who wanted to donate to her cause as well, they had met briefly at a networking function, and she barely remembered who he was. He said he wanted to give $1,000,000 to her cause, and asked where he could send the check made out to The Global Good Fund.
She was confused, thinking it was a scam, and also didn't own a charitable foundation. She had just come up with the name before she sent out the emails. She explained her concerns to him, and he agreed to meet with her at a familiar place, during the day. They met up, and he asked her how she would spend the money, and she told him what her dreams were (she had no idea he would ask her that question).
He handed her a bank-verified check, and she quickly went back to work and asked to see her boss. She told him what had happened, and he asked her to start her foundation, and also he decided to match the $1,000,000 donation because he believed in her dreams. She couldn't believe it! She then quit her job and started her company—The Global Good Fund , which now identifies high-potential leaders and provides the coaching and capital to accelerate their social impact.
Now that is the power of intentionality! Sometimes, we may be full of all these fantastic hopes and dreams, and then do nothing about it. If you don't take that first step, nothing is going to happen. This young lady saw a need and decided to be a solution to the best of her ability. Never in a million years did she dream that she will be handed a check of not just $1,000,000 but 2 million dollars! She never knew she had a millionaire on her email list. She just took a chance and started living the life of her dreams.
Don't put off to tomorrow what you can accomplish today. The world is eagerly waiting for you to step out and shine! And be who you were created to be. You will not be able to achieve the life you want if you don't tap into the power of intentionality, which is you just simply being intentional about everything.
Who else is going to practice intentionality this week? I know I am. Hope you enjoyed today’s Wisdom Weekly article, please always remember to comment here (and not in my inbox—note to friends), like, share and subscribe to never miss an update. Have an amazing weekend!