Designing Your Own Life: From Reaction to Intention

Looking at my desk today—a chaotic, creative mess of pens, notebooks, and a smiling bear figurine—I stumbled upon an old note I had scribbled in my journal:

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

My creative desk, where every detail is a choice and every note is a reminder to live with intention.

At the time, I was trying to be positive, reminding myself that I could take control even when things felt out of my hands. That mindset got me through a lot, but as I reflect now, surrounded by the tools of my trade and the sketches of my ideas, I realize there’s another layer to it.

What if life isn’t just about reacting?

What if life is actually 100% designed by your intentions—whether you’re aware of it or not? Every choice, every thought, even the ones we barely notice, shapes the world we experience. Consciously or subliminally, we are the architects of our days.

This desk, for example, didn’t just happen. Every pen, every doodle, every quirky object is here because I put it here. My creative chaos is a reflection of my inner world—sometimes messy, sometimes inspired, always intentional.

So today, I challenge myself (and you) to go beyond reacting. Let’s design our lives with intention. Let’s take responsibility not just for how we respond, but for everything we invite in, everything we create, and everyone we choose to share our journey with.

Because in the end, life isn’t just what happens to us. It’s what we make happen, every single day.