Mike Will Downey

Excelling in life is difficult. Just living life can be difficult at times. You really have to own it. Along my journey I've learned many things to help with daily life. Listen up. Keep an open mind. Consider all possibilities. Look deep inside yourself. Pray to God every day. Make everything you say simple enough for a 5 year old to understand. Will what you say or write inspire someone to take action? Will it move someone? Balance mind, body, relationships, and your environment. Stand up straight even if you are looking at your phone. Be aware of what is in front of you. Be an active listener.  You've got to allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind. Do nothing out of guilt, or for prestige, status, money, or approval alone. Be generous with your words, time, and resources and give credit to others.  When people try to tell you who are you, don't believe them. Build pockets of stillness in your life. Meditate, go on walks, ride your bike ...

Picking the right intentions involves our intuition. It requires an awareness of our inner desires, the stirring of our heart. It is about bringing ourselves into alignment. The alignment is with a desired aspect of life that we are working on. Because it is about aligning ourselves, setting intentions also comes with addressing our resistances. Inner work may be required when we observe that we are out-of-alignment. Throughout the year, based on our ongoing experiences, it may be necessary to make any changes to our intents as appropriate. The process does not generate any sense of perceived “failure” or not living up to our resolutions per se. Setting intents is not a once-a-year activity; rather it is a process that naturally unfolds as we evolve. Because of this, I keep an intention-setting journal by my bedside to keep track of changes arising throughout the year. It is interesting to note how my intents have shifted to today’s. Power Words for Visioning From studying the ...