Earlier this summer, a colleague and I sat down with an incredible leader who was doing massive efforts to promote and enact conflict resolution. We were also impressed with all of the partnerships that he’s building.
“Intention is everything,” he said.
I still find myself thinking about that.
This week, I had the opportunity to tour a new facility with an amazing neurology unit and epilepsy monitoring unit. Over and over again, I heard about choices that had been made intentionally. Much of this was designed to create a smooth, comprehensive, and effective system for monitoring patients, capturing what they needed to discover on EEGs, and doing this with a keen eye on safety.
But in addition to all of the medical pieces, so well thought out, there were so many intentional choices about decor, helping people feel calm and supported in a beautiful place. Even the color schemes were designed to connect with the colors of Michigan, alongside images of nature from around the state.
All of the systems had been well thought through. All of the care had been well thought through. And the physical settings had been designed for patient and family comfort, as well as support for staff.
Intention is everything.
It makes me wonder how often I go on autopilot when I could be more intentional. And it makes me wonder how we might find some sense of comfort in the intentional decisions we make — to design a home or a workplace, or to create opportunities for relationships to flourish.
This will stick with me for a while.
Intention is everything.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 