COVERT COMPOSITIONS

• 

• 

• 

• 

For the last couple of years, I have been working toward living an intentional lifestyle instead of just having good intentions.  I am not always consistent in my efforts and so at times slip back into old habits. 

My journey toward living more intentionally started unexpectedly two years ago on a family vacation.  I had been working one of the most stressful jobs I’d ever had to date and had just recently promoted up into a management position.  Unfortunately, the position came with a boss who turned out to be a nightmare.  My stress levels skyrocketed to the extent that I was fully expecting to have a heart attack at any moment. 

The trip came at the perfect time as I desperately needed a break.  Family met up in Phoenix and drove up to a cabin in Show Low, AZ.  My plan was to do absolutely nothing other than relax with family, read, and enjoy the view.  Amazon happened to be running a summer eBook sale, where I randomly picked a book that piqued my interest.  That book, “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod, ended up kicking off my unexpected journey from good intentions to intentional living. 

At the cabin I took full advantage of the deck and spent the majority of the mornings and days reading and enjoying the view.   I was able to read the entire book at the cabin and come up with a game plan to implement the Miracle Morning into my daily routine (more to come in a future post).  Through the process of implementing and customizing a routine for myself, as well as all the corresponding ups and downs, I started to learn about the difference between intentions versus intention.  While it might seem like a very small distinction, it was a complete change in mindset for me. 

Part of replacing good intentions with intentional living included a new way of goal setting and affirmations (more to come in a future post).  These goals included many long-time goals like losing weight and organizing my house.  As a result of being more intentional, I finally started to take action and see success in these areas. 

Despite starting to live more intentionally, I had a long-time goal that regularly took the back burner to other more pressing needs in my life.  This was my childhood goal to write books.  In more recent years, I had a suspense/mystery novel idea to kick-off my writing.  About once a year for the past five years, I had sat down determined to start writing the novel, only to end up frustrated. 

This year I decided to be more intentional regarding this particular goal.  I just finished a writing class at a local bookstore that was titled “Jump Start Your Summer Writing Project”.  I really enjoyed the class and learned great tips regarding developing the practice of writing.  My biggest take-away from this class was to write regularly, even if initially it takes writing smaller pieces to get the ball rolling.  I temporarily scrapped my idea of writing my novel this summer and decided to write shorter pieces and build a writing habit / practice.  Thus, the creation of this blog. 

My new summer writing goal is just to take the time to write regularly and organically.  Follow my heart wherever it takes me and just enjoy the writing and the process.  I am no stranger to writing.  I have written poems, resumes, songs for weddings, as well as hold a music composition degree.  I just have never developed a writing habit. 

So what exactly does my summer writing plan look like?  That is a topic for another day :).  For now, I have signed up for another class at my local bookstore titled “Expand Your Writer’s Toolbox”.  The class will cover areas I know I could use more assistance – “tools & techniques…to help make your writing easier, polished and tight.”  I am really looking forward to this class in light of my current goals.

“The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.” Irene C. Kassorla