Most of us just move through our days, reacting to what happens around us. I do, anyway, and I don’t think I’m that different from the rest of us. But are we really living?
Let’s face it. We’re used to reacting to what goes on: to other people’s needs, to upsetting news, to our phones, to obligations, to whatever happens next. We forget we have a choice in how we meet our lives.
Living intentionally means paying attention. And most important, it means actually choosing our response. We can do that, you know.
Yes, it means noticing where our time goes, who gets our energy, what we say yes to, and what we continue doing simply because we’ve always done it. But it also means learning to pause before we react.
When something unpleasant happens, we can feel our blood pressure rise. Maybe we feel angry. Frustrated. Disappointed. Our first impulse may be to respond in the moment, defensively, or emotionally.
Intentional living gives us another possibility: pause. Just for a moment.
We don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we can often choose what we do with what happens. We can take a breath. We can consider the impact of our response. Or if we should respond at all.
We don’t have to suppress our feelings or become passive. We can simply refuse to hand our power over to the moment. Because we’re in control.
As we age, this can become one of life’s great lessons. We learn that not every slight requires a response, not every argument needs to be won, and not every emotion needs to become an action.
We understand the difference between reacting and responding.
Reactingis automatic. Responding is a choice.
I am a big reactor, so this has been a huge lesson for me, one that hasn’t come easily.
Intentional living means we make more conscious choices—with our time, our relationships, our attention, our words, and our responses to the unpredictable things life puts in our path.
It isn’t about creating a perfect life. (Wouldn’t that be boring?)
It’s about being awake enough to be able to pause, then choose our responses to the life we’re actually living.
Reacting vs. responding is such a powerful message. We can choose how we approach every aspect of our lives, whether it be something we planned or something that simply occurred.
This is so true. I had a guy be snotty to me lately at our local coffee shop. My first instinct was to tell him off, but instead, kept my cool, and was even nice back. Later I felt glad I stayed in control.
Yes, I do try to pause before I react. I can have a temper, so what I say when I’m heated can be quite sharp. Now, some people deserve it. But there are some who deserve for me to take a beat before I respond.
This is such a helpful reminder. It’s easy to let a frustrating moment decide our next words, but taking a breath gives us time to think about what we really want to say. I especially appreciate your point that we can acknowledge our feelings without acting on every one of them.
That’s so true. Sometimes, we really need to pause, reflect, and rewind, especially when we feel like time is passing by so quickly. With our busy lives, it’s easy to forget to slow down and appreciate the little moments.
Learning to pause instead of reacting instinctively is so important. It’s something that many would benefit from learning to to these days!!! I try to Live with intention myself and have for a while x
My husband and I have talked to our boys a lot about the difference between reacting and responding, especially when it comes to things at school or with friends. I’ve taught them to take a step back when needed, cool down, then decide how to respond.
This has actually been one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2026 too: to live more intentionally. I really agree with you about being more mindful of the choices we make and asking ourselves what truly matters to us, instead of just doing things because that’s what society expects. I’m still working on it, but I’ve realized that life feels a lot more meaningful when we make choices that genuinely align with what we value.
True. The internet has enabled a lot of reactive impulses in people and so every story has its share of armchair critics weighing without giving a subject much thought. Intentional living takes effort and a commitment to pause, reflect, and regroup and then only respond to what matters.
During Covid, I got rid of my TV Cable Service and never looked back. I visit a few social media sites and spend less time than I used to.
Life is short and the more we focus on living our offline lives, the better. That takes intention and I’m all for it.
Excellent topic. I began my journey living intentionally about fifteen years ago now. And it started with looking at the stories I was living by. They weren’t really my stories – they were what I’d been told, what I’d been taught by the systems in place … Family, Religion, Education, Industry, Media — from the day you’re born there is an idea of the life you should live. My whole life shifted after I started the curious questioning.
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Most of us just move through our days, reacting to what happens around us. I do, anyway, and I don’t think I’m that different from the rest of us. But are we really living?
We don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we can often choose what we do with what happens. We can take a breath. We can consider the impact of our response. Or if we should respond at all.
I think we all need to read this one and bookmark it. It’s so easy to go through life simply reacting rather than moving in our ownd direction.
True, dat, Beth. It’s good to remember we have a choice.
Reacting vs. responding is such a powerful message. We can choose how we approach every aspect of our lives, whether it be something we planned or something that simply occurred.
Yes, it is all about choice!
This is so true. I had a guy be snotty to me lately at our local coffee shop. My first instinct was to tell him off, but instead, kept my cool, and was even nice back. Later I felt glad I stayed in control.
Yes, I do try to pause before I react. I can have a temper, so what I say when I’m heated can be quite sharp. Now, some people deserve it. But there are some who deserve for me to take a beat before I respond.
This is such a helpful reminder. It’s easy to let a frustrating moment decide our next words, but taking a breath gives us time to think about what we really want to say. I especially appreciate your point that we can acknowledge our feelings without acting on every one of them.
This is sooo true! And a good reminder that we can’t change what happens, but we can choose how to respond.
That’s so true. Sometimes, we really need to pause, reflect, and rewind, especially when we feel like time is passing by so quickly. With our busy lives, it’s easy to forget to slow down and appreciate the little moments.
Learning to pause instead of reacting instinctively is so important. It’s something that many would benefit from learning to to these days!!! I try to Live with intention myself and have for a while x
My husband and I have talked to our boys a lot about the difference between reacting and responding, especially when it comes to things at school or with friends. I’ve taught them to take a step back when needed, cool down, then decide how to respond.
Huh ~ The useful split is reacting on autopilot versus pausing long enough to decide if a reply is even needed. Thanks for this 🙂
This has actually been one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2026 too: to live more intentionally. I really agree with you about being more mindful of the choices we make and asking ourselves what truly matters to us, instead of just doing things because that’s what society expects. I’m still working on it, but I’ve realized that life feels a lot more meaningful when we make choices that genuinely align with what we value.
True. The internet has enabled a lot of reactive impulses in people and so every story has its share of armchair critics weighing without giving a subject much thought. Intentional living takes effort and a commitment to pause, reflect, and regroup and then only respond to what matters.
During Covid, I got rid of my TV Cable Service and never looked back. I visit a few social media sites and spend less time than I used to.
Life is short and the more we focus on living our offline lives, the better. That takes intention and I’m all for it.
I went years without watching any TV but in retirement I do enjoy the many streaming offerings. That said, my offline life is very important.
Excellent topic. I began my journey living intentionally about fifteen years ago now. And it started with looking at the stories I was living by. They weren’t really my stories – they were what I’d been told, what I’d been taught by the systems in place … Family, Religion, Education, Industry, Media — from the day you’re born there is an idea of the life you should live. My whole life shifted after I started the curious questioning.