Being a practical girl, I haven’t always believed in the power of intention. Extraordinary stories always grab my attention, though, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s more practical to apply intent than to dismiss it as gibberish.
The word intention is used in many ways. The best fitting dictionary definition reads: “intention is the conception of a thing formed FIRST by the direct application of the mind to the individual object, idea, or image. It is an extension or inclination of the mind towards an object.”
Other words that are often used interchangeably with intent are “prayer,” “positive thinking,” or “manifestation.”
Fundamental to INTENT is that “thoughts shape reality.” What we focus on in our minds ultimately gets reflected in our reality. If we intend to first attract the ideal employee in our minds and BELIEVE that the person will appear, right? Okay, yes. I have seen clients do this over and over again. The opposite also is true. If someone believes that the ideal employee is going to be HARD or impossible to find…that person is more likely to experience difficulties in finding him. Your thought patterns shape your reality.
Another fundamental assumption is that “everything in the Universe is connected in some way.” This is true even though we cannot see that connection.
The best image that scientifically validates the notion of intention is the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto. Dr. Emoto conducted a series of studies in which pictures of tap water were taken before and after people had positive or negative intentions. The water that received thoughts of love or gratitude transformed into beautiful crystal structures. Engraving the words “thank you” or “silly” also resulted in two jars of radically different water structures, demonstrating the positive effect of thought on water.
See the photos for yourself. it is remarkable http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/nov1/cwater.htm. The interview goes into more detail about his findings and corroborates the effects of intention.
As paraphrased in “What the hell do we know?”, “If our thoughts can do this to water, imagine what impact thoughts have on our lives.” We are 70% water.
Maximize the power of intention: If you want to increase the effectiveness of intention in your life, the following tips offer guidance.
1. Be SPECIFICALLY CLEAR about your wishes. Would you like to receive an extra $5,000 next month? Are you looking for the perfect new employee? Do you want to heal a pain in your body? Do you want to attract your ideal relationship? Whatever your desire, intention can speed up results. The more CLARITY you have, the better.
2. Connect. Realize that you are not separate from your desire. Imagine and experience yourself receiving your intention now. How does it feel? The more you associate with your intention, the better. When we say, “I want a new car” and we stay very disengaged because we don’t really believe that it’s actually going to happen.
3. BELIEVE. Your thoughts shape your reality. If you don’t think the “intention” can work, it probably won’t. If you don’t think you’ll be able to attract your desire, you probably won’t.
4. Let go of the HOW. Once you have set an intention, it is time to establish trust and faith. When you put a cake in the oven, you don’t question that it will bake. You also don’t have to understand how the dough is transformed into a dessert. Have faith in the process and KNOW that the field of consciousness is working its magic.
5. Don’t worry about the result. Allow your desires to unfold at the perfect time and in the perfect way. When we are ATTACHED to a specific result, the energy is restricted and we cut off the natural flow of energy. It’s also helpful not to be attached to a timeline. Everything unfolds in its perfect order. Many times you will receive something BETTER than what you imagined in your mind. One of my clients wanted to sell his car dealership and almost instantly it attracted several buyers. When the first “perfect” buyer swooned at the last minute, instead of getting discouraged, he went through all the options again and just gave in even more to the process. Although he wanted to sell the dealership, he was also willing to keep it. A couple of days later, an even more perfect buyer appeared.
6. Be OPEN to receiving. Often an intention can be blocked energetically by an underlying belief. Do you feel that you are truly worthy and deserving of RECEIVING your intention? This is not a question to be answered too quickly. If that “something” has not appeared in your life, there may be a blockage to clear. Some people see material things as “unspiritual” so they instinctively repel desired objects from their life. Do you have room energetically to RECEIVE your desire? Sometimes receiving your intention can be disruptive to your life, and subconsciously a part of you might be repelling it. Everyone is challenged in expanding their ability to receive. Experience yourself receiving your intention, KNOW that you are in fact serving and create space for your desire to enter your life.
A FINAL NOTE: Does every thought we have manifest into reality? Are we really in control of our own lives? While many teachers talk about the power of intention, know that this is not the whole story. There are many, many, many thoughts that will NEVER happen in reality. Both David Hawkins and Byron Katie laugh at people for believing that we are 100% in control of our reality. Each of us ARE co-creating our realities. Our intentions and thoughts have an effect on the field of consciousness. We can set positive and empowering intentions, or let the negative influences of the world shape it for us.
While writing this article, I have become even more aware of my intentions and thoughts this past week. My experience is that the more attention you put on the intention, the more magic appears. I encourage this practice.
SOUL CHALLENGE: Set intentions every day and throughout the day for the coming week. Play with intent as if you are discovering it for the first time. Apply the above principles. You can even purchase Wayne Dyer’s “Getting in the Gap” and use his CD to guide you through Japa as you set intentions daily. Notice what happens.
