Intentionality Essay By Rich Harwood Turning Outward is fundamentally an orientation – it is a stance we assume, a posture, a mindset. Only when you are Turned Outward can you truly see and hear others; only then can you have reality in your line of sight. It is only when you are Turned Outward that you can discover our shared aspirations and we can make progress, together. But nothing is automatic. Many of us have chosen to turn inward, away from one another. Sometimes this happens without us even knowing. The concerns and hopes of people in our communities can get obscured, even pushed aside. The desire to position ourselves or own organization or group takes priority. Our daily lives become consumed by creating long lists of activities. At times we lose our sense of purpose. All of us are in search of a path that allows us to make a difference in the world, become part of something larger than ourselves, and bring meaning to our own lives. But to find that path – and to make it real – you must Turn Outward. After all, you cannot pursue your true desires if you are facing in the wrong direction. But once you Turn Outward, then what? Here my answer is clear: you must become more intentional in the judgments and choices that shape your actions. Each of us must decide whether we will pursue business as usual or take an alternate path? To go down this alternate path requires we make intentional choices. For instance, will we authentically engage people, or simply offer lip serve to such engagement. We will focus on issues that matter to people, or concern ourselves only with those matters that advance our own agenda? Will we produce positive impact in people’s lives, or become consumed by activities that offer little change? This alternate path is about stepping forward and accounting for the pledges and promises you make. Thus, being intentional means becoming more deliberate in your actions. It is to make choices about whether to take one course over another. It is to be more attentive to your surroundings; that you hold a greater awareness about who we are, who we want to be, and the kind of change you seek to generate. In these ways, being intentional is about being more directed. But I am moved most by the following definition of intentionality, which comes in two parts. The first involves what I think of as “wakefulness.” I love this word; and I encourage you to consider its meaning and potential for your own engagement. Wakefulness suggests that we are alert, that we come to the world awake! Our eyes are wide open, our hearts (continued on the back) Try another Harwood in a Half Hour: Aspirations, Turn Outward, and Sustaining Yourself © 2013 The Harwood Institute | Visit Us: theharwoodinstitute.org/harwoodhalfhour  IN A 1/2 HOUR Intentionality Essay are open, and we are willing to see and hear that which is around us. In being wakeful, we stand ready to engage, to be with others. Such wakefulness stands in direct contrast to the blinders we sometimes put on so we don’t have to worry about certain issues or matters, and the great lengths we sometimes go to take-in only that information that confirms what we already know or believe. Wakefulness is the opposite of inwardness. It is about being present, especially for those things we do not like or want. The companion to wakefulness is “moral accountability.” Our actions do not come free of strings attached. There are consequences and ramifications to what we do. And so while we cannot control everything in our lives, we must recognize – and embrace – that we exercise power over much of what we do – not absolute power, of course, but enough that we must see the obligation or responsibility to account for our actions. We must know that we have the potential to positively or negatively impact people and our surroundings. That each of our small efforts matter and have ripple effects. So, it is with each judgment and choice you make. One reason why I so cherish the notion of moral accountability is, that when we live into it, we begin to see our own potential to shape the world around us. We become actors, not mere spectators; shapers, not bystanders; builders, not complainers or claimants. The idea and practice of intentionality lives throughout the Harwood approach. It is about what we choose to make of ourselves; about what we choose to do with ourselves. It is about how we bring our full selves to be in relationships with others. In this spirit, when I speak of intentionality, my goal is not for you to adopt wholesale my ideas – or anyone else’s. That would be the very antithesis of intentionality. Instead the process of deepening your own intentionality requires you to take ownership of the judgments and choices before you. You must find, and declare, your own sense of purpose. You must choose your own course of engagement with those around you. What I am asking you to do is to seize this intrinsic power within you. (continued) 
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:46:54 +0000
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