Audacious Intention

New Year. New start. New intentions.

True transformation is brought about by two qualities inherent in consciousness. Attention and intention. Attention is what we focus on, and Intention is a clear vision of our desired outcome. When you harness the power of attention and intention, you can change your life in unimaginable ways.

You are known by who you surround yourself with. The old adage of us becoming the average of the five people we spend most time with. Which is why it’s critical to intentionally surround yourself with positive, encouraging, and inspiring people who lift you up.

I started my new year with an adventure with my 4PC tribe, enjoying inspirational conversations, and engaging in an unusually memorable event at The Burnt City, Punchdrunk’s latest show in London. ?Immersive theatre on an epic scale.??Three hours of walking, immersing into an incredible light, sound and physical performance that challenges your senses and perceptions. A story about the Greek legend of the fall of Troy, where actors and spectators all become one.

I had no idea of the plot. Or what to expect.?Phones were taken away.?We all had to wear full masks, so you couldn’t easily recognise anyone. Especially in the darkness of the corridors. We got separated from the group.

I was in for a surprise! In the first five minutes of the performance, as we were welcomed into this dark room and everyone was told to go through one of the doors, the “King” asked me to stay behind. He whispered in my ear – “Let go of fear. Lean into your desire”. And pointed me to another door. On my own. In the darkness. No signs anywhere. Just corridors. And doors. My heart was beating fast. I kept slowing it down through slow movements. Intentionally. I was walking like a snail. Paying attention to all details around me. When I entered a room with pictures of Greek Gods and Goddesses on the wall, I slowed down to read it all. ?Focusing intensely on the character pictures. And their story. It felt like an eternity.

As I kept walking, with no one in sight, I kept repeating to myself – “desire, NOT fear”. Like a broken record. And when I finally reached the huge dark warehouse with lots of masked people, where some of the acting performances were happening, I watched the whole spectacle from a corner. Rather than following the crowd. Observing the show and people running around, trying to make sense of it all.

My insight? The human mind searches for meaning and connection at all times. And fear creeps in when the mind can’t find either.?Especially in difficult moments of discomfort. When we have no control on the outcome, no idea of direction and no one to guide us. All we have is our senses, our internal chatter, and our choice of hope and self-belief. Following all those dark mysterious corridors, where I was trying to quieten down my own internal dialogue, I was submerged by mixed feelings of sensory overload and peace, surreal and weird, uncomfortable and freeing, exhausting and uplifting at the same time. I still have no clue what the story was. ?Yet, it’s not the story plot, but all those mixed feelings that I’ll cherish and remember. ?My most favourite part was that first part. Paying attention to slowing my heartbeat down. And setting the intention to have a great time, despite the feeling of being lost and out of control. Having no friend to call…

After the performance, I saw how mixed the reviews were on the scale of 1 to 10.?With many at the two edges of the spectrum – truly outstanding or over/underwhelming.?I realised that we all make the experience what we want to make it.?

When we are open to absorb a completely different experience, visual delights, and infinite possibilities, we create our world, the way we want to. You can chill out in the theatre Peep bar, ?get into the heart of the action by chasing an actor down a corridor or have your breath taken away in a dramatic dance off. ?Dancing with these narratives, in your head, as well as during the show will determine how you experience it all. Without context, you must surrender to your senses and the surroundings.

That’s no different to our day-to-day life. What doors, corridors and experiences are you willing to open up to? What do you see and pay attention to??And what do you miss because you looked the wrong way? Or intentionally or unintentionally avoided them?

As we left the theatre, we were all given an epistle with a message. Mine was PEEP.

So, my intention is to keep paying attention (or peep!) to the abundance of joy, love, health, compassion, and success that’s all around us. And surround myself with fun, happy people!

What will you choose to focus on in 2023? And what audacious intention will you set for 2023?