Living Intentionally

This is another set of buzz words that generation-Xers and Millennial knows, but can confuse older generations.When talking with my mother and grand-mother, I told them that Hubby and I are living intentionally. In other words, we are planners and are making conscience decisions for every aspect of our lives.

Eyebrows went up. Laughs kind of slipped out too...

My family was trying to understand how 'living intentionally' was different than what they did. I asked them why did they raise us the way they did. The responses often reflected back on that's how they were raised. My parents tried to do better than their parents, but they didnt add as much thought that Hubby and I have.

Hubby and I have taken so many aspects of our lives and decided what we want to do and don't want to do. We have thought through the possible good and bad of our decisions. We analyzed rather we agree or disagree with what is popular vs. weird, and chose what fits best for us. We just don't want life to just happen to us.

As Dave Ramsey would say, "Be Weird!"

Everyone will experience joy and pain and ups and downs. Everyone will have the opportunity to make a decision in one aspect of life a time or two. I had to explain to my family that I want to take a stance on my beliefs. I don't want to do what they did just because it is familiar. I want to make choices.

Hubby and I had great friends years ago that really taught us the value of planning. They looked forward six years down the road and planned out rather they wanted to be a single child family or not, the type of education they wanted for their daughter, and where they could live to make life easier on themselves. I loved their idea of looking forward rather than backwards. So Hubby and I have done the same since we said "I DO".


Hubby and I sat down and planned out our little family's beliefs, and traditions. This is what we came up with so far:

• Outdoors is the best place to be even in the worse weather. I love the snow, the heat and crisp weather of falling leaves. But I hate rain. I don't like being in it. My sinuses seem to clog up with rainy weather. However I take my son out in the rain because it is new for him. Rain cleanses the world sort to speak. Rain allow new growth. Hubby and I vow to not raise concrete children. We will continue our tradition of camping, swimming in the ocean and playing in lakes and woods.

• We are trying our best to eliminate plastic and excess in our lives. We want to get ride of clutter in our lives in 2019 too. I want my children to grow up with my great-grandfather's frame of mind of make more, buy less and enjoy more."

• We don't buy name brand items just because it is popular or because it looks like we spent lots of money. We buy things that last and are unique because that's more important. Hubby and I have opened our eyes to the type of shoes that we should be wearing, and how our clothes are being made. We want to support local (our state and country) designers, creators and engineers. 

• We don't believe that education is only learned in the classroom during the colder months of the year. We plan on adding experiences to our children's education year around. I welcome nontraditional classes and programs. We are even playing with the idea of homeschooling. We have a few years until we make a decision, but until then, we are constantly reading and introducing EJ to whole-child learning.

• We don't buy into the notion that children can't adapt, that they're immature and that we must lower our standards. This is more prevalent with our American friends than our foreign friends. We have learned that that there are other ways to raise a child so that they can accomplish age appropriate activities and be confident in their abilities. Furthermore, the parent is not in the child's way of learning, adapting and functioning.

• We believe that respect must be modeled and taught. We want to teach respect for ourselves and then other cultures, traditions, ages, and more. This is the engine of our life and our marriage.

• We believe in the power of apologizing when wrong. Pride can destroy a person. I am learning about the various ways children are taught when and how to apologize. Stay tuned for some suggestions.

• Be intentional with holidays. Celebrate the big and small. Holidays are over so the conversation is dieing, but I just want to spark a thought. If you welcomed December 26th with relief, perhaps you need to change the way your approach, your traditions or your prep. We are placing a lot more emphasis on other holidays and annual celebrations in our family. We want our son to understand and enjoy more than Christmas.

We go against the grain in this household. We eat differently and we party differently. We find JOY in the small things in life. Are you living intentionally? Are you making concrete decisions for your family to follow?
How have you been living intentionally?