Intention, Commitment, Devotion - Oh My!

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow ponder the threat of Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My) as they traverse the Yellow Brick Road.

Dear reader, I encourage you to swap those lyrics with the words, "Intention, Commitment, Devotion (Oh My)" as you navigate your way through the journey of achieving self-mastery.

They're all fine words, indeed. However, it's worth knowing the subtle differences between them in order to get joy out of the things you do day-after-day. Particularly some of the more repetitive and mundane tasks.

Intention on its own doesn't get anything done. It can be useful for establishing a list of things you'd like to do, but it doesn't rise to the level of must.

For the last 3 years, I've had the intention of starting a blog and writing regularly! Intention got me a bunch of private journal entries, but it wasn't enough to start the blog. Commitment is pretty awesome. It's a step beyond intention. It means you're going to do it...someday. But it also means that you're going to do it whether you like it or not. So, there's not always an element of joy attached to acts performed solely out of commitment. Devotion goes a step beyond commitment. The difference is subtle. Devotion implies that the actions we take are rooted in love. Meditate on the word devotion throughout the day. What things do you do regularly that you resent or resist that you know are good for you and good for others? If you sprinkle a little love into the activity, can you devote yourself to mastering mundane tasks because of how they ultimately serve you, your family, society, etc? When you approach the task of folding laundry as a person who is devoted to moving your body, devoted to serving your family, and devoted to taking good care of the few possessions you have - do you begin to feel joy while carrying out such tasks? When you add a little bit of love to EVERYTHING you do, you are able to eliminate/reduce the conflicting emotions that come with commitment and reap the joy that comes with devotion.