Health & Wellness Article - August 2008 Living with intention
“Wherever You Go There You Are ”
Is the “science” of living with intention hocus-pocus, or does it make a difference in the quality of life to use focus, positive thinking, and conscious change to create one’s destiny? Actually, there is a large body of research that looks at the whole connection between purposeful living and a life that relies on chance, others, or circumstances.
Most of us know about the famous changemakers who chose mindful responses to life challenges—Gandhi, Buddha, Jesus, and other spiritual leaders. In 2008, however, the scientific community is looking at “ordinary” people and tracking their outcomes and experiences based on journals, interviews, and interactive technology to see what happens when they face crisis and chaos that comes from circumstances beyond their control.
The research group at Berkley, Tufts, John Hopkins, and the Mayo Clinics all agree that people can become more resilient, happy, and experience whole-person wellness as they age as a result of steering their own course through choices, changes, and intentional decision making. Lynne McTaggart, the author of The Science of Intention (Harper Paperbacks, 2003) writes about “harnessing the creative power of our thoughts” and has developed the curriculum for scientifically based training of academics and other health professionals to quantify and qualify the commonly held belief that we can experience happiness and satisfaction at a higher level by purposeful living.
At Touchmark communities, the Life Enrichment/Wellness program focuses on providing social environments where residents, families, and staff can develop relationships and avocations that bring greater life satisfaction and fun. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to choose the activities, events, and relationships that lead to personal contentment and happiness.
© 2008 Touchmark