Imagine going to a restaurant (any restaurant will do). When the waiter asks you what you would like, you reply, “I’ll take whatever you have available. I don’t care.” While your results might be interesting, your experience would not likely be ideal. I know what you are thinking, “Who would do that—go to a restaurant and not choose what they want? That is absurd!” I agree.
Not choosing a desired entrée may sound odd, but many people go through life without making strategic decisions about what they want to experience—even in areas that are most consequential, like in matters of health, relationships, career, and personal goals. In many instances, people act as though they do not have a choice. While you may not have control over all immediate aspects of your life (i.e., what is required of you at your job, the mood of your children, or the color of your hair), you probably have more choices than you realize. As you exercise your ability to choose more frequently, through intentions, you will amaze yourself with what you can create.
Intentions are consciously-directed goal-oriented decisions that guide your thoughts and actions toward a specific result. An intention works like a map, providing you with a vision of your path and destination. They also act as a generator, providing the energy and power to bring your goals to fruition.
By comparison, the opposite of intention includes the following: whim, luck, chance, indeterminate, aimless, without purpose, indecisive. A lack of intention might work out occasionally, like when being spontaneous or creative. The effects of these moments sometimes make for grand adventures and memories. However, because these conditions are marked by a lack of clarity, they can have unpredictable results. Therefore, it is best not to rule them out permanently. Instead, reserve whim for the right opportunity. For most of life’s experiences, don’t wait and see what might happen. Rather, direct your life.
Intentions are a form of planning, which is both mental and spiritual. As you decide and plan your intentions, you invite the Universe to respond. You can even ask It to help you. Since you have free will, it will not intervene without your request. Having free will and support from the Universe doesn’t mean you get everything you want whenever you want it. You still have to work toward your goals. However, as you move forward with intention, you will be met with the right situations, learning opportunities, intuitions, and conditions to actualize your ideal.
Methods for Intending:
Spend a few moments every morning clarifying your intentions for the day. Perform a similar ritual for a moment or two at the beginning of each new activity. Add strength to your intentions by thinking about why you want your goal and how you can best work toward it. However, do not become too rigid with how you want your plan to unfold because the Universe may reveal a better path if you remain receptive to Its signs.
Meditation is a great tool for getting clear about what you desire and setting it into motion through visualization (mental imagining of ideal). It is best to meditate upon waking, before any major event, and before sleeping.
Written and spoken (implicitly or explicitly) affirmations, or positive statements that assert your ideal, work as powerful reminders of your intentions. They also connect you with spiritual forces that can bring the right opportunities or conditions to realize your ideal.
To create effectively, you must hold a belief in your ability (as supported by the Universe) to produce an intended effect. Intending expectantly and positively draws to you the subject of your thoughts.
Move forward with ease rather than struggle. In other words, get out of your way and try not to thwart the Universe from helping you. If you do face a problem, try to approach it constructively and then keep moving forward. Maintain a positive attitude because negativity invites problems and resistance.
Misuse of Intentions:
While intentions are powerful creation tools, it would be misguided to use them to micromanage your life 24 hours a day. Use them at the beginning of the day and when desired before your major activities of the day.
Don’t be too rigid when trying to create your intentions. In other words, maintain some degree of flexibility with your plan. Sometimes the Universe shows up to provide you with unexpected opportunities that might take you off course. These may be gifts worthy of pursuing.
Intentions should be used to guide your own life, not other people. Trying to control or coerce others can have serious repercussions. Free will is a spiritual principle afforded to all. If you want to affect others, try to inspire them positively—but don’t push.
Use Intentions to:
Intentions can be used to produce personal healings, a desired mental state (i.e., peace, happiness, motivation, fun), and external conditions (i.e., abundance, love, success, acquisition of physical items). They can also be used to inspire (not coerce) change at the collective level—from your family to the immediate community to the global community.
Examples of Intentions:
· Upon waking: I set the intention to be positive, kind, and respectful to all people. If people try to engage me in negativity, I will respectfully choose to not participate. I desire to be more positive because it feels good. By practicing positivity daily, I can build a habit of being a more positive person and enjoying life more fully.
· Work Scenario: In our morning meeting, I am going to speak up about ______ calmly and professionally. I have prepared what I am going to say ahead of time, so I feel confident in my message. I believe in the viability and benefits of my plan, so I am certain that I will meet with success. I will treat any criticism as an opportunity to make my plan even better.
· Dinner: I am preparing a meal of _____ so that I will adhere to my healthy eating goals. I like to eat healthy food because it makes me feel more energetic and focused. I enjoy feeding my body in the most nourishing way possible.
· Evening: After dinner tonight, I intend to _____ rather than watch tv because I want to use my time constructively and in a manner that feeds my creativity.
Concluding Thoughts:
If you do not intend purposefully, your desires will not likely come to fruition. You may want to get a new job, lose weight, have better relationships, achieve a creative goal, be happier, or save for retirement, but until you intend for these things to be, they will unfocused ideas suspended until some undesignated day. If you are waiting for the ideal day or time, it probably will not come. You must create it, and it starts with your thoughts—in the form of well-constructed intentions. From there, you must follow through with action. Once you get the ball rolling, you will find that establishing intentions are fun, that you can accomplish many of your goals easier than before, and that you feel completely supported by the Universe.
Using intentions reminds us that we are responsible for our choices, and are thus responsible for our results. You can choose to harness your power most profoundly, or you can ignore it and see what happens to come your way.