How to Be More Conscious & Intentional in 2019…

Anxiously HUMAN

But what does it mean?

The only way I can think of to explain what it means to live more consciously and with intention is to give some personal examples. Here are a few changes I am making based on my ever-growing awareness of the world around me…

~Being aware of what is going into my body.~

No, I am not going vegan, calm down. However, I do feel between the major issue of factory farming and the manner in which slaughter animals are treated, we need to evolve. So I am no longer ordering meat from random restaurants, buying meat from regular supermarkets, or eating any meat that I don’t know where it came from.

Sound daunting?

Well think of it this way: if an animal is tortured or suffers greatly before you ingest that meat, what do you think the effect will be on your body? BAD ENERGY. SICKNESS.

I’ll call a local butcher and attend restaurants who list the farms they source from and feel good about what I eat. That’s just me.

~Not being a lazy consumer.~

Plastic is BAD. Between the plastic bags ending up in the oceans and the small plastic particles and pieces ending up being ingested by animals…we gotta do better.

We have alternatives, why don’t we use them?

Paper bags (which can be recycled), reusable bags, products made with recycled paper or plastic, biodegradable containers and products. GET A RECYCLE BIN FOR PETE’S SAKE. It’s 2019 people, get with it!!

Unless you’re a sadist then you don’t enjoy pollution and the poisoning or death of other beings. So just be more conscious of what you use and throw away.

~Realizing it’s not all about YOU.~

We all do it from time to time: we forget that other people are struggling too. That shitty waiter you just refused to tip or were mean to? Yea, his mom just passed away.

That stranger you refused to look in the eyes and acknowledge? They are incredibly lonely and have been having suicidal thoughts.

Do you really think you have it that bad?

I have news for you, you don’t! If you’re reading this you have access to a computer or smartphone, which much of the world’s population doesn’t. If you have a home, a job, a car, and a few people who care…YOU’RE LUCKY AF.

Steps I’m taking to make others feel more acknowledged are making eye contact and some form of friendly gesture (small smile, nod, wave), asking people how they are doing even if they’re just taking an order or doing their job, and making an effort to reach out to those in my life that I want to know I care what is going on.

~Listening to understand, not to respond.~

Many, MANY people do this. It is probably the reason for 90% of arguments. As human beings, we want to feel understood. We want to be heard. So if the person we are trying to communicate with is simply calculating a response instead of listening to our actual words…it can be frustrating and disheartening.

It’s a shitty habit, and you have to WORK to break it.

Pausing before I respond has helped me recently. Although I am not terrible at this, I could be better. However, I’ve experienced it on the receiving end and it sucks. Give others the respect they deserve in conversation, because after all, you’re choosing to talk to them so you may as well listen, right?

~Set yourself up each day to accomplish 2 things important to you.~

This is about being INTENTIONAL. Setting just 2 important tasks each day that will make you feel accomplished and good about yourself will dramatically improve your life. You will have other small tasks as well, but the top 2 will take priority with the rest being done as you can.

I have ridiculous adult ADD due to my restless mind and occasional anxiety. I must make lists. Otherwise I am a scatterbrain who gets almost nothing substantial done. Short attention span means simple tasks will all be complete, while the more time-intensive ones will get half-assed.

Do you want to make moves this year?

Then you have to set yourself up for success each day. Organize and execute. You’ll find that after a week your confidence in your abilities will be through the fkn ROOF.

So those are my personal thoughts and manifestations of how to be more conscious, aware, and intentional for 2019. Yours may look a little different, but hopefully you can see the tone I’m trying to set, yes? I wish all of you reading a safe and healthy New Year, and as usual, I appreciate your time and attention.

xo….G