Intentional living

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Intentional living is a term used in a variety of contexts including religious, ethical and values-oriented contexts as well as coaching, personal transformation, and leadership training practices and programs. In this sense, “intentional” is defined as “done with intention or on purpose; intended” and “living” as “a manner or style of life.” “Intentional life” is a related term used to describe an objective for personal change.

Intentional living typically refers to an individual's awareness and choice of lifestyle. However, whereas lifestyle refers to “a way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group,” intentional living refers not simply to any way of life, but to those intentionally chosen by an individual based on awareness of her/his values and fundamental beliefs. This excludes intentional living from lifestyle schemes such as marketing classifications in which lifestyles don’t necessarily involve intentional or conscious choice (see list of lifestyles). It may also be suggested that intentional living represents an individual’s or a group’s effort to live with integrity in relation to his or her conscience and environment.

Some examples of intentional living include Cohousing, Ethical Living, Frugal Living, Intentional Community, Moral community, Simple Living, Sustainable Living, Vegetarianism as well as many religious lifestyles.

While not necessarily representing distinct or actual lifestyles, many themes and areas of human interest, activity and study exist which contribute to intentional living. Examples include appropriate technology, conservation, ecology, environmentalism, ethics, humanism, humanitarianism, moralism, religion and socially responsible investing.

[edit] See also

• Cohousing
• EcoCommunalism
• Ecovillage
• Ethical living
• Frugality
• Intentional Community
• Moral community
• Simple living
• Sustainable living
• Veganism
• Vegetarianism
• World Brotherhood Colonies

[edit] References

• "intentional." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
• "living." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
• "lifestyle." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.