Life lived Intentionally

Intentional: Done on purpose. Calculated.

Have you ever heard some of your friends say, “I live life day by day” or “all this crazy stuff just keeps coming out of no where”. Then in your mind you are thinking, “That kind of stuff is always happening to them. How are you not prepared?”

I have been having a lot of thought around things that happen in my life. How they happen and how much I want to be ready for instead of being blind sided. This thought process has taken me into many different avenues that I wanted to share and write down for myself.

I’ll start with my prayer life since it is when I began thinking about being intentional. Prayer for me is something I usually do as a reaction to life instead of prayer as a precursor. During a fast that I went on last week. I had it timed out when I would pray and it had me thinking to myself, “If I only pray because it is the time to. I AM DOING IT ALL WRONG.” Another excellent example is praying over food. If you only pray over food because “it is the thing to do”, then you missed it. Prayer should be intentional, it should be in reverence, and it also should be done with expectation.

Now for my finances. Living pay check to pay check is one of the most dangerous ways to live. Coming from poverty and now on the cusp of lower middle class. I’m at the point of can’t get medical or food stamps, but at the same time spending my last dime on hospital bills and food. This last year my wife and I sat down and got on a real budget. I made a spreadsheet on google docs and we have been following it as best as possible. We have a number for eating out, clothes, beauty, vacation, investments, and so on as the month allows. When you intentionally have plans for your money and know where each dollar is going you are setting yourself up for success. Even when a surprise like a broken phone comes along you can know that the $80 you would usually spend on a game or nails has to be held off till next month. I guarantee that by being intentional with your finances, it will take away 50% of your stresses and possible fights with spouse or significant others. I will be sharing a blank version of our budget spreadsheet later on so you can use it for yourself.
Now for the finale. Being intentional with your life and pursuits. This can be difficult, but I promise that the moment you get serious with a commitment of intentionality. Your life will change and your countenance will as well. It’s incredible what one win in life will do for you especially if it is planned and calculated. It’s dangerous to your money and life going to college without a plan for what career you want. A business fails when it has no goals or rules that it stands by at all times. Your life will be miserable if you do not have a purpose that you are in ruthless pursuit of.

Living life intentionally is only tough because doing nothing is easy. Here are some tips for living an intentional life.

1. Write down goals. 1 year goals. (Yes, I said write them down). Then do everything that you have to do to make it happen. Real goals are like breaths, you should not be able to live without it happening.
2. Talk to friends and family. This may sound easy, but intentionally being a good friend or family member is important.
3. Be friendly & polite to everyone that you meet. You may never know who you run into and the possibility of needing their help. Who wants to help a rude or snooty person?
4. Pray with boldness and expectation. When you pray over your food, expect it to be harm free and delicious. When you pray for sickness, health, travels, or whatever. Expect that God will really make it happen. May I even be bold enough to say that empty prayers, that sound like a good thing to do at the moment, are absolutely worthless and a waste of time.
5. Give intentionally. This is in all ways that you give. Whether it be money, time, or attention. It needs to be intentional. Do not give your money to charity, church, friends, family, or anything unless it brings you joy. Giving money that you expect something out of is an investment, not a gift. When you give your time, don’t give it unless it is planned out. Your time is precious and is limited. When you give your attention, do it intentionally. Attention to your wife, brother, and friends shows your character and love for them. Fake friendships, distant family, and open marriages always lead to disasters.