Square Peg ● Round Hole

HOME

ABOUT

BOOKS

BLOG

RESOURCES

CONTACT

I can remember my mother reciting, “the path to hell is made up of good intentions”.  I had no idea what that meant at the time, but yesterday, I realized that I might be the poster child for intentions that aren’t leading to hell,  but instead aren’t going anywhere.

While looking for something in a drawer located in my bedside table, I found two journals that put me on heightened alert.    You see, when the boys were born, I bought journals where I would write inspirational messages to them, so that when I was dead, they would refer to them often and remember me as the mother who took time to write.  Well, I haven’t written in them for over ten years.  Even when I did write in them there were lapses in them.   My good intentions of providing a written legacy led to nothing more than a few messages.    It is quite possible that I spent the time actually experiencing those moments lost from those journals, but nevertheless, my commitment fell short.

Even with my health goals, my intentions get blurred.   Last night, I made a comment, in passing to my spouse, about missing a local ice cream establishment.  It had a drive-thru which made it even more convenient.    My commitment to my weight issue has been to not eat anything after 8 pm.   I drank a bottle of water and was content until my spouse came back from a meeting bearing a salted caramel milkshake topped with whipped cream.  This was at 8:45.  My initial reaction was to scream that I can’t possibly have that, but then I remembered that his intention was to do something kind for me, so my intention took a hiatus and I enjoyed that creamy slice of heaven until it had disappeared.

I think setting an intention is great as long as you don’t become rigid about it.   The reality is that my boys probably wouldn’t have spend a great deal of time mulling over my written legacy to them and I certainly won’t gain 50 pounds at the hands of one delicious milkshake.     The path to happiness is set with realistic intentions that can blend with whatever life throws at you.