Intention vs Assumption : The Power Play
It was a casual Sunday morning drive to the neighborhood superstore that turned into an episode of learning, self-discovery, and in the end, a moment of contentment. I want to edit it.
Last Sunday, I went to the grocery store in my neighborhood to pick up our usual supplies. As I stepped out of my car and started walking towards the store, two young, decent-looking men approached me from the side. They introduced themselves as a team working with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization – Not For Profit organization) which supported kids who had lost their families due to COVID. Today, they were looking for some help from me.
As they introduced themselves, my natural inclination was to help them with whatever they needed. But while they were asking for my help, I sensed an inner conversation in my head telling me that whatever they were saying could be fake. Many negative thoughts about this whole thing being a setup started to crop in my head. Self-aware of the inner conflict, I chose to continue with my intention and asked them in detail about their work. They explained how they helped those children with food, clothes, books, etc. They were currently facing a shortage of food items and needed my help procuring some food grains and cereals.
As I listened intently, my mind kept returning to the thoughts that they were scamming me for my money. My assumptions about many of them being frauds tried to take control of my mind. It kept telling me that they would not aid the needy but instead utilize these food grains for their benefit. But at the same time, my intention was still there to help. That intention wanted to come to the forefront and grow stronger. I consciously paid heed to my intention and tried to understand their operations more. They showed me pictures of things they were doing, how they were running their operations, and other relevant details about the program, which was reassuring.
The battle between intention and assumption continued for some time until I chose to go ahead with my will or intention. I took them with me to the store and bought them whatever they needed. It was essentially some pulses, grains, and cooking oil that they needed. As we kept picking the things they wanted, I increasingly felt a sense of fulfillment with every step I took. After buying things, they clicked some pictures with me and had more conversations about the program. By the end of it, when they left, I was standing there with a strong sense of fulfillment within me. After a day or two, I received some pictures from one of those men who showed how the NGO was using the items I supplied. They thanked me enough for the help that I offered that day. Seeing my small act of kindness being fruitful and my intention proving right gave me a sense of contentment, peace, and happiness.
What happened to me on that Sunday morning is something that happens to many of us. We come across situations in life where our intentions and assumptions are not in sync. We may intend to do something, but we build many assumptions on it. And when it is time to choose, we don’t step in for our intentions but instead, follow our assumptions. We do not realize that assumptions are not the reality. They might have come due to some past experiences and maybe there to help, but they are not the complete truth. Your intentions always matter more. They are a reflection of your true self; thus, the more you go with your intentions, the more fulfilled your life feels.
In my case, the assumptions kept knocking every few minutes. Probably, my past experiences wanted me to be warned. But, as I peeled through my assumptions, I started stepping deeper towards my intention which was naturally to help. And because I went with the intention, I felt content in the end.
If you desire a more satisfying life, a life where you feel you are achieving its purpose, it is essential to be aware of your intention. It is important to keep stepping in towards your intention despite your assumptions trying to dissuade or divert you. You must stand by your intentions and take responsibility for it. Like in my example, while I knew my intention was to help, my assumptions wanted me to be cautious. Thus, I kept taking necessary validations on the way. But these validations were not done to prove the correctness of the assumption; rather, the idea was more about validating my intent. This positive approach towards my honest intentions turned this episode into a beautiful life lesson. Since intentions are the reflection of our true self, the more we are one with them, the more we are with our true self. Stepping in towards intentions is a magnificent way to lead a fulfilled and content life.