The Two Aspects

It is my view that there are two aspects to every moment.

1. Decision
2. Presence

Mastery of these two aspects is key to living an intentional life.

We exist in this universe in a constant state of observation and interaction. To be intentional with these two abilities is what it means to live.

I. Decision

We decide how we spend our time. Even right now, reading this post is a decision you are making. Are you being deliberate with that decision?

Pause for a moment and decide if you think reading the rest of this post will be valuable for you—if it will improve your life.

Be intentional.

Making that decision is the first principle of intentional living. To be certain in the decisions you are making—how you spend your time.

Decision leads to taking deliberate action. Being deliberate with actions will give you great conviction and confidence in how you are spending your time.

Through this practice, you will always have a clear answer to the question “Why?”

You might make mistakes—some decisions will turn out to be wrong—but nonetheless, you act with conviction.

What does it feel like when we’re not being deliberate in our decisions?

It feels like living life on autopilot—not being conscious of our actions, merely coasting. It feels like being an observer of our own lives. A side-kick to someone else’s protagonist.

Without deliberate decision, we are living our lives in the passenger seat.

II. Presence

Since you’ve started reading this, have any questions come to mind?

Are you thinking about an email you need to respond to? A birthday that’s coming up? Are you really focusing on these words, reflecting on them, and integrating them into your perspective? Or, are you distracted or consuming without consideration?

Take a breath. Take a moment to write down all those thoughts that are polluting your mind. All those things you’re afraid to forget.

Take another breath. Make sure that you are engaging with these words. When we consume without consideration we experience only a fraction of what life can provide us.

Clear your mind and focus on the action you’re taking—on the decision you’ve made.

Try to read the rest of this without distraction. Be present.

Once you have made a decision, you must now observe it.

With strong enough confidence in your decision you should feel no doubts, and with no doubts polluting your mind you can focus entirely on the moment at hand. Enjoy it.

You should aim to be mindful. Present. Conscious.

What does it feel like when we’re not being present in the moment?

It feels like wading through muck. Like our mind is being polluted and we’re being bogged down. It can feel manic, or it can feel overly relaxed.

Sometimes we can hardly focus because we are so distracted by other thoughts.

Sometimes we can hardly focus because we are consuming without consideration—our brains are shut off.

III. When all is right

What does it feel like when these two aspects are in harmony?

Flow.

You should feel accepting of yourself and those things outside of your control. You should feel confident in the decisions you are making. You should feel like you are doing what you’re meant to be doing. And you should feel focused in the moment.

This state is hard to maintain over long periods. Our minds have the tendency to fall into routine—stability. We have the tendency to avoid the overhead of being present in our decisions and actions.

The first step is being aware when we’ve fallen back into unconscious experience.

Once we’ve mastered that we can focus on engaging with this world in a far more intentional manner.

2021-06-26