Discerning Intention - Part One: Life's Purpose/Core Values
This series is borrowed from the workbook: 101 Trauma-Informed Interventions: Activities, Exercises and Assignments to Move the Client and Therapy Forward, by Linda Curran, BCPC, LPC. CACD, CCDP-D
in-ten-tion (noun)
An act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.
Purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions or conduct.
Intention is the force directing an act of will. One must be aware of his/her own genuine intentions in order to take responsibility for the consequences of his/her actions.
Take a moment to consider the following questions:
My life’s purpose is?
My personal guidelines for living well in the world are?
Core values that reflect this purpose are (eg. if your life’s purpose is to advocate for the less fortunate, you might write “compassion”, “courage”, “generosity”, etc.)?
One instance in which my core value(s) made a difference in my life was?
The concrete actions to accomplish these intentions are?
Next: Discerning Intention - Part Two: An Action Plan “Willingness”