I have a very exciting announcement to make before we get into the nitty gritty this week – we are less than a week away from the official start to season two of my podcast, Level Up! With Shay!
I am so grateful to my first season and the 24 amazing guests I had on who shared their story and how they’ve leveled up. And I am so excited for the stories and journeys that will be shared from the talented and insightful guests on season two.
If you aren’t aware of my podcast, it is a place where I share my journey of leveling up, the lessons I’m learning along the way, and I interview other artists and creatives who share their journey and the wisdom they’ve gained through leveling up.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in listening to (since you’re on this email list, it’s more than likely!) check the first season out wherever you listen to podcasts,follow me on Instagram @levelupwithshay and look out for the first episode of season two to be released Monday, April 4th!
Thank you for giving me that time for some promo!
Now…what you’ve all been waiting for. 😉
(Psst. This is part of an email series I send out every Tuesday. It’s got more goodies like funny videos sure to bring you some laughs! Sign up here!)
This past weekend I asked my community on the Level Up! With Shay (LUWS) Instagram what their intentions were for this week. I realized I hadn’t set an intention yet and wanted to do so knowing that I was going into a new, never to be experienced again, opportunity-filled week.
I intended to stay present and grateful every moment I could.
And you know what happened from that??
Not much.
There were a few times I remembered and was aware of my presence and showed gratitude for the moment. And it felt great to do so. Then I was onto the next thing. But nothing magical came of it.
And that’s ok.
Sometimes I think we take for granted the small things we can do that have the ability to create major shifts in our life, like setting an intention, just because they seem so “small.”
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits has a quote that says “A very small shift in direction can lead to a brand new destination.”
But what even is your intended destination? Is it 5pm when you’re done with work (or whenever the end of your shift may be)? Is it the end of the week so you can relax on the weekend? Is it the end of this email so you can get on with your life? 😜
I’ve heard people say “My goal today is just to get to the end of it.” or “I’m just trying to get through the day.”
Even by changing the wording to “I intend to get to the end of today” shifts the meaning and gives off more of an inner strength that you know you will get to the end of today.
I used to set goals all the time and rarely set intentions. Which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
That’s like setting a goal to eat an entire pan of lasagna but never setting an intention to enjoy every bite.
You get to the end of the pan and you’re like “Well, I did it, but I don’t really remember it. Also, I feel terrible because I just ate a whole pan of lasagna.”
Maybe a weird example? 😂 Also, now I’m hungry for lasagna at 9 in the morning.
Let’s still set goals, but how can we be more intentional with the moments that lead up to those goals?
As human beings, we have the ability to set an intention for each moment of our life. And the longer we can hold that intention and the effects of it, the more alive we can feel. The more in touch and in tune we can be with ourselves, our source, and the world and people around us.
You can set an intention for the moment you stop reading this email before moving onto something else. You can set an intention for a meeting you have later today. You can set an intention for the rest of your week, your weekend, the month of April, the rest of 2022, and I’d even go so far as to say, you can set an intention for your life.
And keep in mind, these intentions can change along the way. The more you learn about yourself and how life works, chances are your intentions will shift.
My intention for my life is to get to know myself and love myself more and more. To know and understand my emotions, my feelings, my past, my triggers, all while learning how to love myself fully along the way.
And I’ve already begun realizing through that process.
One of my biggest struggles in life has been speaking up for myself. And I am finding myself recently in circumstances which call for my growth in that area.
I’ve experienced at times when I have to initiate a serious or vulnerable conversation face-to-face, I pretty much black out. (Jk but not really). My heart starts racing, my palms get sweaty, and I run away as soon as it’s over, not even certain that the conversation went well and was effective.
That, right there, is far from perfection, but it is growth. It is knowing, understanding, and loving myself more to actually put myself out there and TRY.
Before, I’d always leave the conversation thinking “UGH! Why did I do that?!”, I’d get mad at myself and then say “never again” just to do it again in the future.
But as I have set my intention in life to know myself more, life has given me more opportunities to do so.
I can now step back and say “Hmm…why did I do that? Why did I respond in that way?” without being so hard on myself.
I can show myself love and forgiveness “Shay, it’s ok that you responded in that way. No need to beat yourself up. You are forgiven.”
And then I can set an intention for the next time. “Now, let’s reflect on why you responded like you did, what you want out of the interaction moving forward, and how you can approach the situation differently next time.”
I no longer search for the perfection of having a conversation with the highest of confidence, an average heartbeat and no sweaty palms.
Instead, I intend, in every moment, to be a more realized version of myself and show myself gratitude and love every time I notice it.
“I don’t have any control over what actually happens except for that I have full control over my will for myself, my intention, and why I’m there.”
SZA
What is an intention you’d like to or have set for the day? For the week? For the month of April? And maybe, for your life?
Leave a comment and share your intentions!
Here’s to growth 🥂
Talk to you next week…
Shay ❤️
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