What does it mean to set intentions for a successful life?

What does it mean to live authentically?

Here are 8 tips on how to set intentions for an authentic life. As you answer the questions, consider what it means to live an authentic life and how mindfulness—present moment awareness—helps. These tips are based on 20+ years of training and experience as a mindfulness and meditation teacher, my own career re-births and journey from trauma, PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome to happiness and health, and conversations with experts. I share my own reflections only as an example of how to apply tips.

1. Identify your values. Keep this simple. If you have one week to live, what’s most important to you? What people, places, experiences do you want in your life? Simply, what is most important to you during this limited time frame?

   For example, I value my closest family and friends, my communities and sharing the hard-earned knowledge that I’ve gained healing my own body, mind and heart. I value most serving others by sharing what I’ve learned to promote health and happiness.

2. Get present. Use mindfulness techniques to connect with who you are and what you think and feel, right here, right now. Mindfulness is interpreted many ways. For me, the easiest way to think about it is, “What are you noticing right now?” Try some of the meditations below to connect with your present moment experience. This helps you let go of past conceptions of your identity that may no longer fit who you are today.

   In my case, I genuinely wanted to be an attorney. Following my education and licensure, I worked as a lawyer and faced a serious illness. I then re-evaluated how I wanted to spend my professional efforts. When I originally wanted to be an attorney, I wasn’t wrong, I simply outgrew that interest. Today, I continue to be passionate about sharing what I learned about healing and creating health and happiness.

3. Feel it in your bones. Our body is constantly giving us information. We’ve all had that ‘gut feeling’—the sense that what we’re doing feels right to us or not. When we’re living authentically and in harmony with our values and purpose, we feel connected physically and emotionally.

   As Oprah Winfrey says, “…ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it’s right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.” To read more about the mind-body connection, go here.

4. Honor your potential. My mother reminded me as a child that all peonies are beautiful, but even, among themselves, each peony is unique. Read more here. Observing the ways of the natural world offers much insight. You are the beautiful unique expression of you and the only you on this planet. Even identical twins manifest individual uniqueness. Honestly assess and honor your potential.

   Ask yourself if what you’re identifying as your intention offers the possibility for you to realize the fullness of what only you have to offer.

5. Dream big. A faculty member at Stanford Business School is known for encouraging students when brainstorming to ‘forget gravity’. Yes, gravity is an immutable natural force, but it’s helpful when imagining possibilities to let go of all limitations. Factor limits in later.

   In other words, say, ‘YES!’ to fulfilling your passions and your innate abilities.

6. Take small bold steps. Life is not theoretical. We can think as much as we want, but at the end of the day, our life is the sum total of our experiences. Once you determine your values, strengths and weaknesses, identify and take actions to put them into practice. This is when you start setting goals and strategies. Assess. Does it feel right? Is this something you’re willing to do, even in the face of fails? Because even fails are meaningful and important, if done in pursuit of a heart-felt task.

   In other words, before you go far on your path, check. Ask yourself, do these ‘actions’ resonate with my values? Do I feel this ‘in my bones’? Is this realizing my potential? Mindfully sense whether you’re on the right path for you.

   A small step does not mean a ‘safe’ step. It means, step mindfully with full awareness of the excitement of uncertainty. And, take one step at a time.

   Living authentically and setting intentions is not the same as setting goals. A goal, for example, is writing a book (I’ve written 16). An intention reflects heartfelt values. My intention is to inform, support and serve people to live happier and healthier lives. Living authentically and manifesting my potential would be using my innate talents for teaching, writing and speaking and my education to realize my intention to serve others.

   Ask yourself, does this activity ‘feel right’ to me? Am I acting consistently with my highest purpose in service of what matters most to me?

7. Be kind. As you honor yourself, be supportive of yourself. Life is not perfect. Mistakes can and will happen. You will stumble, perhaps fall. Give yourself compassion. Offer kindness and compassion to others. Surround yourself with kind and supportive people. As you honor yourself, you are also creating space for others to honor their own selves and to manifest their unique potential.

8. Enjoy life. Life is a balance of work, play, relationships with others and a relationship with yourself. Enrich your life by setting both small and large intentions. For example, as a small intention, I will do my best to be kind to my husband today. A larger intention may be to work on strengthening relationships among each of my step-children with their father and me. Remember to find happiness in each day as often as possible.

To help with living with present moment awareness, I'm sharing some guided meditations. The first is a 10 minute guided meditation, the second 5-minute podcast you can listen to increase awareness of the mind’s activity and the last is a 15-minute guided meditation for compassion for your self and others.

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