I was familiar with the noise coming from the corner of the bedroom, and trying to focus my gaze toward that area, I didn’t see anything, but could hear it. Glancing at the double windows it wasn’t even light outside, so this clicking sound had pulled me from a deep slumber.

I dozed in and out until the sky lightened, then stepped over to the corner to move my stack of pillows in search of the sleep snatcher. It was one of those small, slender, hard-shelled bugs and the clicking noise is it continually landing on it’s hard-shelled back, while trying to flip over to find it’s footing.

I’ve been listening to a meditation course on Morning Ritual and it’s helping me clarify my intention for each day. When I first heard of ‘setting an intention’, I thought it was choosing the one thing I wanted to accomplish that day. An example would be, “I’m going to write and send that email I’ve been putting off.”, but that’s doing. Intention is how we choose to show up in the day before the doing.

On the day that the bug woke me up, I was off on my morning ritual. I tried the things I normally do for myself, but on that day every move took effort. Even spending time in the yard didn’t center me like it normally did.

It was afternoon before realizing I’d forgotten my morning meditation, but sat down to listen. It was talking about setting an intention of how you wanted to show up in your day. I was hot and sweaty from being outside and my mind felt scattered from waking up early unplanned, so I set a simple intention. In that moment I wanted to show up freshly showered with a clear mind.

Setting my intention I took the next steps of a shower and clean clothes, but paused in my bedroom doorway to focus on my intention. I imagined myself stepping into the day for the first time. Easing out of the doorway and walking toward my work table I was grateful to be feeling clean and clear.