Struggling with anxiety and stress? It’s in how you handle the message

Before reading this essay, take three deep breaths.

Take a moment to set your intention for why you have decided to read this essay. Your intention can be anything that feels relevant and right to you in this current moment. Given that you clicked on this essay however, I’d wager that your intention is probably to learn how to reduce the amount of stress in your life. That’s a perfect intention.

I ask you to start with this, because the act of setting an intention is an integral part of getting the most out of mindfulness and living our best lives. Setting an intention is an act that engages our subconscious, which is where our immense inner potential resides.

Our true power lies not in conscious thought and our egoic desires for control, which are rigid and susceptible to shatter during times of intense stress; rather, our true potential lies in our ability to accept what we cannot control in life, and instead to be flexible and adaptable, no matter what.

As you continue reading, keep the word “acceptance” in mind.

And take a moment every so often in the future and think about what intention you might want to set — it just might transform your life, for the better.