On my 302 meditation session (yes, I am counting them). I came across the concept of Intention, Attention and Attitude. This is new for me, and quite powerful I have discovered. A sort of mantra for daily life engagement. Think on this – how often during the day do you just go on autopilot? Probably more often then you think. For example, when you get hungry, you go into this mode where you are almost not thinking about what you are doing. You will eat that chocolate chip brownie no matter what. You get up and walk over to where that brownie is at and now you are eating it and you eat it really fast and you really did not enjoy it, but you did it anyway. You are on autopilot. Or someone says something to you that you react negatively too. You get all defensive, you start attacking back, your emotions flare and you start fighting. You are in autopilot.
I imagine that if you really think about your day you are in autopilot all the time. In fact, you might find it rather difficult to even remember exactly what you were doing and thinking about yesterday. Sure, you know the activity you were involved in, but what exactly were you thinking. Cannot remember? You were on autopilot.
This is the root of bad habit, of destructive behavior. You become mindless, under control by external forces. The recipe to break out of Zombie mode? Intention, Attention and Attitude.
Intention – when you have the INTENTION – you are deliberate. You decide, with pre-planned purpose to focus on something. You are keenly aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it. You do not lose sight of your key goals and objectives. You intend to achieve them and each activity you focus on is designed for that purpose.
Attention – when you are engaged in a goal achieving activity, you pay attention. You focus. You do not allow distractions. You choose what to focus on and go all in. You have faith in the fact that what you pay attention to will get you the results that you want.
Attitude – you are deliberate about your attitude. You decide to be positive. You decide to be a positive force for change in your life and the lives of those close to you.
These three things will help you resist auto pilot mode. Doing things just because you are doing them. So having said that, I am going to go run now. I am intending to run the best I can, I am going to pay attention by staying in the moment and I am going to have a positive attitude about it, even though it is going to suck. Running never gets enjoyable. It always sucks.
Stop being a Zombie. Remember Intention, Attention, Attitude.
Guy Reams (571)
