On Empty Nest and The Path to INTENT

Friends,

Over the last few weeks, I have been spiraling a bit thinking about my purpose in this next “empty nest” phase of my life.

Giving myself grace to take time to think of what I really want right now and in the coming years, I returned to the Path to INTENT (from my book) as a process.

Hopefully this summary is helpful to you as you work through your own intentions for both the short term and long term.

I would appreciate feedback, advice, and to hear your stories and process – you can email me in response to this letter.

The Path to INTENT is around the acronym I-N-T-E-N-T.

Hopefully this summary is helpful to you as you work through your own intentions for both the short term and long term.

I would appreciate feedback, advice, and to hear your stories and process – you can email me in response to this letter.

The Path to INTENT is around the acronym I-N-T-E-N-T.

I – Incubate

Incubation recognizes that we don’t know all the answers and it takes time to know what we want. Having a practice that helps you quiet your mind and tap into your deepest intentions helps.

Meditation is my safe place – anchoring me in peace from the constant chatter and questioning of my racing mind. I am meditating more regularly these days – morning

and evening – after years of trying to fit in 15 minutes once a day when I was busy running around with my kids.

I am also going for walks daily outside, mindfully getting away from news and social media which naturally sucks me in during this crazy election cycle. (Side note – my dad had a great segment on MSNBC on dealing with this.)

N – Notice

Notice is being mindful of your thoughts and actions and paying attention to what they tell you about what gives you meaning and a sense of purpose—and look for signs that can point you toward your true path.

I finally processed that my feeling of “emptiness” was exacerbated by the loss of Yoda, our sweet dog who transitioned earlier in September. Yoda was almost fifteen years old, had a full life filled with love, and went peacefully for which we are so grateful. Yoda, more so than my kids in the past few years, gave my life structure and companionship.

Every day began and ended with his walks, and he navigated around the house to sleep by my side where ever I may be. I needed to plan travel and schedules around him, and there was a responsibility in taking care of him with love. I miss him dearly.

I noticed that the loss of structure in my day has left me anchorless, and for me, structure gives me drive and purpose. I am motivated to find a new meaningful structure to my days.

T – Trust

Trust is having confidence in your inner knowing—and in the messages the universe sends you—and allow that knowledge to guide you forward.

At the end of my meditation, I am asking these four questions:

Who am I? What do I want? What am I grateful for? How can I serve?

Rather than actively answering these questions intellectually, I am letting my thoughts flow, trusting that my deepest desires will seed intents for the future.

E – Express

Express is the process of stating what you want. Intents represent our souls deepest desires.

From my open-ended questioning, some intents are taking form and I am writing them down. Some of them include:

My intent is to be physically strong and healthy as I age.
My intent is to continue learning and being intellectually stimulated.
My intent is to collaborate with others.
My intent is to stay connected to my family and friends.

My intent is to feel more confidence in my voice.

N – Nurture

Intention isn’t always a straightforward path, just like life, and giving yourself opportunities to try—and fail—is often part of, and even crucial to, the process. Nurture asks you to take care of yourself.

In Living With Intent, I shared how I learned that asking for help is a strength.

Notice (above) also involves taking note of synchronicity – random events that have deeper meaning. On the particular morning I was spiraling about what to do next with my life (very dramatic, I know), one of my mentors “happened” to text me to check in. We scheduled dinner in a few weeks, but then I decided to ask her for help and called her that day rather than waiting for our dinner. Our conversation inspired me and gave me the support I needed!

T – Take Action

Once you’ve identified an intent, or even multiple ones, don’t sit and wait for it to magically manifest; instead take the practical steps that can make each become a reality.

As I think about projects, inspired from my conversation with my mentor, I am actively reading books and getting the intellectual stimulation I so crave. I am also exploring work collaborations to bring more fun and engagement into my everyday work.

Also, as part of feeling more confident in my voice, I organized a Salon for Family & Friends for Harris/Walz and shared it with my community. Deep gratitude to so many of you who donated to the campaign – we raised a lot of money, but our call was issue oriented (less than an hour) focusing on the economy, the future of caretaking, gun violence protection, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and women in the workplace. You can watch the full video below to have more facts on these important issues. Please share with others and encourage all you know to vote!

My gratitude to all of you who are on this journey of purpose and intention! Please forward this newsletter to friends who may be interested, and for future ones you can sign up here .

I genuinely look forward to hearing from you and nurturing this community, so please do email me with feedback and your stories.

Much Love,

Mallika Chopra

Author of:

Just Be Series (Just Breathe, Just Feel, Just Be You) for 8-12 year olds,

My Body Is A Rainbow & Buddha and The Rose for the little ones

Living With Intent for adults.