Integrating Right Intention in Your Life

Introduction: 
Your journey to well-being in daily life and ultimate liberation begins with right intention. Read the following article and listen to the suggested audio dharma talk, and then deepen your understanding of the teachings by contemplating the reflections provided below.
Articles: 
The Heart's Intention
Talks: 
Right Intention and Living the Dharma
For Your Reflection: 

1. Set aside some quiet time to contemplate your relationship to intention. Do you live an intention-based life? Are there parts of your life in which you do and other parts you do not? Is this a priority for you?

2. Ask yourself, “How do I discover or develop intention in my life?” Have you mostly embraced a set of values that others have suggested to you? Or have you resolved for yourself how you wish to live your life? Identify one or two intentions that you wish to live by, and then over the next week observe how your life is affected by living these intentions.

3. How do you react when something in your life doesn’t go well? Do you tend to blame others? Grit your teeth and say I’ll do better next time? Or do you have the sense of well-being that comes from living from your values and intentions?

4. Everyone gets energy from desiring to achieve a goal. Notice the qualities of the energy that comes in this manner. Then reflect on the energy that comes from staying true to your intentions while moving toward that goal. How would you describe the energetic difference between these two experiences?