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The Intention Generation: Finding Meaning Through Mindful Shifting from Expectation to Intention
Amid a haze of blue, yellow, red, and green cornstarch and hullabaloo, author Makenna Johnston stared into the abyss of jovial bodies that make up an adult summer camp and had an We're a culture mired in expectation. And despite the co-opting of intention by every coach, self-help guru, and goal setting specialist we as a culture are farther away from understanding intention than we ever have been.
The Intention Generation is a call to shift. And fast. To shift from a culture framed by expectations to a culture framed by intentions. Deeply steeped in philosophical underpinnings, Johnston exposes why being in the world from a place of soul, and allowing your vision to shine are the only answers to managing a life in an ever-shifting world.
The Intention Generation is a call to shift. And fast. To shift from a culture framed by expectations to a culture framed by intentions. Deeply steeped in philosophical underpinnings, Johnston exposes why being in the world from a place of soul, and allowing your vision to shine are the only answers to managing a life in an ever-shifting world.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2016
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January 25, 2017
I discovered Makenna Johnston's work in a roundabout way, through a Vogue article naming Makenna and her wife the new owners of La Pitchoune, Julia Child's house in Provence. I adore Julia, grew up watching her on TV, and have written about about her "late-blooming" entrée into French culinary world (she ate her first French meal at age 36). So I was curious and checked out Makenna's website.
At first I thought, "Oh no, not another new agey personal-business-coach-thought-leader." They're ubiquitous around the entrepreneurial Interwebs and usually market to women.
But Makenna doesn't fit that mold. Her educational background is spot on (she graduated from Smith College, Julia's alma mater). Her business background is solid (in both the public and non-profit sectors). Her "life experience" is diverse, as you'd expect of someone whose pure passion for cooking inspired her to buy Julia's house (with a group of investors. She tells the story in the book and it's extremely inspiring).
So to the book. The premise of The Intention Generation -- that what we call intention is usually expectation based on societal norms or thoughtless decisions, and that by moving from expectation to intention we craft a fuller and more authentic life. More specifically:
"Intention is about actions and desires. Expectation is about simply creating the thing that should be done, and without much thought."
"Intention is about seeking to create on purpose. ... Expectations, contrary to intentions, are driven by wanting and stuck in the shallows."
"Expectations are the things we don't control. ... Intentions, on the other hand, create opportunities for excitement, joy, potential, and non-attachment to outcomes...and growth."
Expectations extract. Intentions invest. "I want to make friends" is an expectation. "I want to be a good friend" is an intention.
How do we shift from expectation to intention? Makenna devotes the last part of the book to specific methods and examples.
'Intention Generation' is a quick read, but a deep one. I'm still pondering its implication in my life, and where I can transform unthinking expectations into mindful intentions.
At first I thought, "Oh no, not another new agey personal-business-coach-thought-leader." They're ubiquitous around the entrepreneurial Interwebs and usually market to women.
But Makenna doesn't fit that mold. Her educational background is spot on (she graduated from Smith College, Julia's alma mater). Her business background is solid (in both the public and non-profit sectors). Her "life experience" is diverse, as you'd expect of someone whose pure passion for cooking inspired her to buy Julia's house (with a group of investors. She tells the story in the book and it's extremely inspiring).
So to the book. The premise of The Intention Generation -- that what we call intention is usually expectation based on societal norms or thoughtless decisions, and that by moving from expectation to intention we craft a fuller and more authentic life. More specifically:
"Intention is about actions and desires. Expectation is about simply creating the thing that should be done, and without much thought."
"Intention is about seeking to create on purpose. ... Expectations, contrary to intentions, are driven by wanting and stuck in the shallows."
"Expectations are the things we don't control. ... Intentions, on the other hand, create opportunities for excitement, joy, potential, and non-attachment to outcomes...and growth."
Expectations extract. Intentions invest. "I want to make friends" is an expectation. "I want to be a good friend" is an intention.
How do we shift from expectation to intention? Makenna devotes the last part of the book to specific methods and examples.
'Intention Generation' is a quick read, but a deep one. I'm still pondering its implication in my life, and where I can transform unthinking expectations into mindful intentions.
Displaying 1 of 1 review