Probably like 11 years ago, when I was home on maternity leave with Hannah I watched this daytime reality show called Starting Over. Anyone out there remember it?

Six women live together for 10 weeks as they try to make significant personal changes with the help of `life coaches’ and other experts. 

The women all came from different backgrounds but all needed some serious helping moving on from whatever they had been through. One of the life coaches on the show was Rhonda Britten. She had been through some serious tragedy in her own life, but managed to overcome and move on. I remember so clearly ‘getting’ the idea of intention from her. She would ask the women what was their intention when saying something, or making a choice, or doing something. It is something I have thought about ever since and is such an important concept– What is my intention when I get involved in something, or say something, or share something?

I truly believe that no one wakes up each morning with the intention to hurt someone else. We all say things, think thinks, act in a certain way to achieve what we believe is right and sometimes we lose sight that we are not the center of the universe. We all have different filters and it’s up to us to evaluate the filters of those around us and adjust how we react and what we say so that we get closer to what our original intentions are.

Many people out there get involved in situations they should not be in, simply so they can stir the pot. They know that sharing certain bits of information or some info about someone or something will add fuel to the fire of a situation. Why? The next time you hear some gossip or find out something that may put someone else in a bad light, before sharing it with someone else – ask yourself what is your intention?

• Is it to rustle up more trouble?
• Is it to hurt the person?
• Is it to seek revenge?
• Is it to sincerely help resolve a situation?

Being aware of how you communicate and why you are communicating can go along way towards finding your own inner peace. Many times getting involved in the fray or being the pot stir-er only holds you back from your own goals or is a sign that something is not in balance within yourself.  If your intentions are not true and solid, then don’t do it, don’t say it, don’t get involved.

Rhonda shares her thoughts about living with intentions in her Fearless Living BootCamp workshop

Feelings. Whether we like it or not, or acknowledge it or not, THEY RUN OUR LIVES. Yet, unless we know it, we can’t do anything about it.

See, unless we are AWARE of how we feel, we can’t select something different.. When your feelings aren’t aligned to where you wish to go, you can’t find peace to put them aside and MOVE FORWARD.

Intention matters. Intention is what we CHOOSE to concentrate on in any given day. When you live with intention, your primary focus is the process rather than the end result.

So next time you are about to gossip or get involved in a situation or relationship that you have no business getting in, ask yourself Why? What is your intention for doing what you are about to do? And make the decision that helps you progress into being the person you want to be.