Three Steps to Sowing Seeds of Intention (Part I)

Durian seed sprout. Durian is a large, highly aromatic and popular fruit in Thailand.

(Jim and I returned from Thailand just this past week. The return was rough for us both as we were dealing with ongoing colds, flus, and the stark reality of coming back to our complex lives after being abroad for two months. These are luxury problems, I know! During our travels, many seeds were planted in my heart. You can read more about our trips:  2016-17 and 2017-18.)

While the time for setting New Year's resolutions has passed, sowing seeds of intention can be done anytime and any season.

Our recent weather in Lake County isn't reflecting it, but we're still in the 'wintering over' stage of the earth's seasonal creation cycle. Seeds, while not visible, are deep in the earth's nourishing embrace, readying to germinate. It's a perfect time to mirror the outer stillness of winter, and listen for our heart's innermost desires.

We all have seeds germinating from our heart's deepest desires just ready to emerge. How can we best cultivate the conditions for their successful arising and tend to them for their eventual fruition?

It's a perfect time to mirror the outer stillness of winter and listen for our heart's innermost desires.

I believe honoring the heart's deepest intentions leads to greater meaning and fulfillment. And, as we've learned, meaning and fulfillment in life leads to greater happiness and a better chance to step fully into a life we love.

Sowing our own seeds of intention to co-create this life we love can be accomplished any time of year in three nourishing and loving steps:

1. Illuminate and distill the heart's calling
2. Set our compass (direction)
3. Step fully into commitment
   

The next few blog posts will elucidate each of these steps using one of the seeds planted during our trip to Thailand as an example. (HINT: This seed involves elephants and is now super close to my heart!) In the meantime, I'd love to know: What's germinating in your heart?

~JoAnn Saccato, MA, is a mindfulness teacher, life coach, author and consultant. Mindfulness is the popular health and wellness practice based on purposefully paying kind, non-judgmental attention to direct experience. It is a scientifically proven approach that helps reduce stress and stress-related illnesses, increases focus and attention, decreases incidences of and relapses with depression, reduces anxiety, reduces relapses in addiction, and aids in sleep and digestive disorders. It has also been shown to increase well being, life satisfaction and happiness, as well as improved social relationships.

---