Using Now for Our Benefit

Every action that we take right now should be with beneficial intention. With every step, with every breath we must believe that it will yield beneficial results. This seems simple, but the simple seems more out of reach now for the majority. Let’s take this slow.

1)      Do no harm

This seems the simplest of concepts, yet, we often make decisions and choices that we know lead to our destruction, short-term or long-term. Sometimes, we truly don’t know how our choices will affect us now or down the road. Often, though, we are our own Wizard of Oz.

We should be the first to expose ourselves and our intentions for what they are, a means to our own end.

2)      Beneficial Intent

Intention is at the heart of every action we take and every word we speak. Despite our intention being for ill, we can still create something positive. A huge corporation that is polluting the world can donate millions to charities that do amazingly beneficial acts. Or, we can have good intention for not. A good Samaritan wants to help a cause, donates some money to a not-for-profit. That money is then stolen by a criminal within that organization.

Simply having the intention to do benefit, to us or to others, isn’t the same as actually creating a benefit.

3)      Beneficial Action

Beneficial action is when we act on our intention and follow it through to an end benefit. This isn’t as simple as following the money donated to the humane society to the specific animal at the shelter.  This is taking the dog out of the shelter and feeding and caring for that dog for the rest of its life. It is a huge responsibility. Our actions should be thought of in that same context.

The responsibility is ours to make certain our actions create real benefits.

4)      No Negative Mental Intention

As we take a spoonful of chicken soup, as we take each step on a walk, we should be thinking “this is making me better, this is making me stronger.” If with every sip, with every step we’re thinking how sick we are or how much pain we’re in or will be, we’re poisoning our own actions. The way we think about what we’re doing affects what we’re doing. It actually changes the cells we’re creating in our body. The power of mental intention is that potent, it changes our cells. Another example is an artist. The way an artist feels you can see or hear or experience in their art.

With all that we do, we must believe that it is for benefit to either our self or to others.