Living Intentionally: Counterintuitive Principles of Living Intentionally

For the next few weeks we would like to feature some thoughts on this year's theme: The Intentional Woman. The focus will be what the author calls "the counterintuitive principles of living intentionally," which are listed in today's reading. Also featured at the end are some theme products you might consider using for your fall events.

Counterintuitive Principles of Living Intentionally

By Ellen Miller

Over the past several months, I've found truth in some counterintuitive principles. Take this one, for example: to get more done, stop working.

Once I shortened my workday, I began to accomplish more. By limiting my working hours, I became both more focused and more efficient, and the result is a far more productive workday. And not only do I complete a greater volume of work, the quality of my labor investment has improved as well. Stop working to get more done-who would have thought?

I think the concept of living intentionally is a bit counterintuitive, too. Although many of us grasp the big picture, sometimes we're a bit foggy on how best to go about living on purpose rather than just having life happen to us.

The counterintuitive principles of living intentionally include:

• Fake it
• Scrap your priorities
• Stay behind
• Break a hip
• Whine
• Be confused
• Disappoint someone
• Spend it all today

These are not topics you usually find in a self-help book, but I hope as we delve into them, you'll be able to recognize and live out some truths of living intentionally. First we'll tackle faking it.

The problem is we want to be accepted. We want to be admired. We fear ridicule-to our faces or behind our backs. Thus we create a fictional character who we believe is more engaging and attractive than our true self. But she's not-she's just the opposite. The fictional character we create is usually plastic and shallow, and an authentic woman can smell a fake before her first hello.

If you've been in character too long, you may have forgotten how to be yourself. If that's the case, here are my three best tips:

• Reveal. Tell others something about yourself that is deprecating but humorous. Others love to hear that you're not perfect, that you make stupid mistakes, and that you don't take yourself so seriously that you can't laugh at your own nuttiness.
• Respond. Authentic people listen with their hearts and respond with their eyes. Sometimes simple eye contact alone says a thousand words. The eyes are indeed the window to the soul.
• Relax. Get comfortable. A few years ago, I led a women's Bible study. As a matter of course, we took off our shoes during those meetings. Pedicure or no, together we walked barefooted through the book of Daniel-and it was amazing to watch the walls come down when the heels were kicked off.

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in theworld (1 John 4:4, NLT).

So who do you believe you are? Is she a different woman than you allow others to know? You can't live intentionally until you fake it; try being yourself for a change

Excerpted with permission from The One Year Book of Inspiration for Girlfriends by Ellen Miller, ©2009, Tyndale House Publishers.

Theme Products (Order from www.women.ag.org)

The Intentional Woman Bible study. Item #382250.

The Intentional Woman poster. Item #735481.