There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela
In a world where you are primed never to question the status quo, it’s time to take back control of your thoughts, actions and spending habits. You are what you choose to consume.
You aren’t just what you eat, but also the TV shows you passively watch, the social media you unconsciously scroll through, the adverts you’re bombarded with that you didn’t even ask for, and the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Your comfortable lifestyle is so far removed from the realities no one wants you to see. Whether it’s the people making your clothes halfway across the world, devastating environmental destruction, or the factory farms hiding the suffering of animals – it’s all conveniently packaged to be out of sight, out of mind.
If you ever find yourself feeling uneasy, stressed or lacking purpose in the face of 21st-century culture, then you’re not alone.
Intentional View was created to help you regain control of your life. When you dig deep and do the inner work, you build solid foundations for a life well-lived. And, when you understand your why, you not only design a more fulfilling life – you contribute more positively to the world at large.
My Intentional Living Catalysts
Personal Growth Lost my job & ended a long-term relationship
From Directionless & Unfulfilled, to Building a Life of Intention
On my thirtieth birthday, alongside the looming threat of another national lockdown, I had just ended my engagement, lost my job, and sold my house to move back in with my parents. This was a far cry from the happy-ever-after I’d envisioned.
But if you’ve ever been (un)lucky enough to hit rock bottom in your life, then you’ll know that there is a silver lining. With the rug pulled out from under my feet, I was faced with a terrifying yet intriguing blank slate on which I could start again.
For years, I recognised that I had been empty, unfulfilled and disconnected, so I’d consistently tried to fill my time with temporary distractions. Whether it was an hour disappearing as I scrolled through Instagram or the late-night splurging on ASOS, I was doing anything to avoid confronting that niggling feeling that I wasn’t living up to my full potential.
My journey to intentional living was born out of a desire to understand myself better and a commitment to personal growth. I didn’t want to keep filling the bottomless pit of unfulfillment with trash TV, junk food, social media or fast fashion. There had to be a way to live with purpose and clarity, and I was determined to find it.
Growing Social Awareness
Personal development, as the name itself suggests, tends to focus on the individual. How can I better myself, be more disciplined and reach my goals?
This is no doubt a great place to start. However, in my own experience, once you identify your values it becomes more and more difficult to mindlessly consume. When you critically evaluate your life and begin to pay attention, you naturally become aware of your impact on the broader world and the interconnectedness of all living things.
Looking to improve my personal health, I stumbled across plant-based living and all the wonderful health benefits it has to offer. My growing curiosity quickly led me to a documentary film called Earthlings – a graphic and unflinching commentary on human beings’ treatment of animals. I went vegan in the space of one and a half hours and I’ve never looked back since.
Around the same time, I also became interested in minimalism. At first, I’ll admit that it was solely with the aim of simplifying my life. After working in the fashion industry for years, the dark side of mindless consumption only truly hit home during an overseas sourcing trip where I was forced to confront the not-so-glamorous reality of my purchasing habits.
We live in a culture that is obsessed with stuff, so it’s no surprise that we begin to treat people, planet and animals like commodities – a means to an end for our personal pleasure. It goes without saying that this unsustainable and disconnected way of living can never lead to true happiness.
How Can Intentional Living Help You?
When you put all of the pieces of the puzzle together, you start to realise that personal growth, minimalism and veganism are intricately connected because they all require you to take responsibility – showing respect for yourself and the world around you.
In essence, living intentionally means making conscious choices based on integrity. Or, simply put, consistently pursuing the right choice over the easy one. It means being the change you want to see in the world and taking charge of the only thing you have any control over – your own actions and behaviour.
Here at Intentional View, I will help you to:
Improve your personal health & well-being, one small habit change at a time
Start thinking for yourself
Identify your values, rewrite limiting beliefs & challenge social norms
Build a life that feels good on the inside rather than just looking good on the outside
Embrace minimalism & veganism in an accessible & achievable way
Be a force for good in the world
Make more informed purchasing choices by introducing you to ethical brands
I hope that by looking at the world through an intentional lens, you too will be able to ditch the distractions and underpin your life with strong, value-based foundations that give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment for the long term.
I’m so excited to undertake this journey with you!
Intentional living is self-improvement with a social conscience. We take things for granted about how life has to be and how the world has to be. But we have more power than we think! When we live by our values and show respect in the way we treat ourselves and others – whether people, planet or animals – we can achieve inner peace and fulfillment that is sustainable in the long term.
If you’re unsure where best to start, then check out the following articles for a solid foundational framework that will help you to start living with intention:
There’s a misconception that minimalism is an extreme process of owning as little as possible.
Whilst it usually does involve letting go of things as you come to understand what is really important, it’s more about the process of mindfulness and conscious consumption.
For example, rather than throwing away a disposable deodorant every month, you could make the kinder choice of purchasing a non-toxic, refillable and planet-friendly option. I hope it’s valuable to share my research with you and help you to make more informed choices, too.
It’s completely normal to feel disillusioned, but don’t let perfectionism be the enemy of the good!
When it comes to change, it’s tempting to lump all of the responsibility onto large businesses or else wait to see what people around you do before taking any meaningful action yourself. But in truth, we have so much power to change the world as individuals – simply by being mindful of how we choose to spend our money.
Growing Social Awareness
How Can Intentional Living Help You?