The Power of Intention
Mike wants to become a profitable trader. After investing several thousands of dollars in his education, he wasn’t sure if it’s possible for him to be successful. He is continuing to focus on his mastery.
Travis wants a long-term relationship. Content for years to be a “lady’s man,” he recently recovered from a life-threatening illness and is now clear that he is ready for a lifelong partner.
Doug wants to feel happy again. Under the weight of a huge personal and marital crisis last summer, he attempted suicide. He’s not sure whether his marriage will make it, but he knows he wants to live.
The common but invisible thread that connects these three people is this: Each person has actually declared an intention, rather than wistfully wishing for things to be different.
“Conscious change is brought about by the two qualities inherent in consciousness: attention and intention,” writes Deepak Chopra in Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. “Attention energizes, and intention transforms. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life…. Intention, on the other hand, triggers transformation of energy and information. Intention organizes its own fulfillment.”
When you declare an intention, you gain the support of your subconscious mind. Here are some suggestions for how to work with intentions in order to bring what you need into your life.
Get clear on what you want and why. It’s not enough to know what you don’t want. You can’t get what you want until you know what that is. Steven Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, writes that all things are created twice. “There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.”
Imagine it. See it as happening. “Your imagination creates the inner picture that allows you to participate in the act of creation,” writes Dr. Wayne Dyer in his best-selling book The Power of Intention. “Your willpower is much less effective than your imagination, which is your link to the power of intention.”
Act as if. Life your life as if you have already achieved the desired result. Make decisions based on the idea that you already have the skill, funding, team, client base. Do not let your current situation limit your action.
Keep yourself receptive. Exercise, eat healthily, play and relax. Stress, exhaustion, anxiety, etc., become “static” that interferes with the “frequencies” of what you’re wanting to bring into your life. Take up a hobby or sport, something you really enjoy. “It’s important to have harmony in every area of your life”, declares James Ray in Harmonic Wealth.
Take action. Intention isn’t about sitting back and waiting for it all to come to you. For example, Mike joined a high-impact trading group to improve his consistency; Travis became involved with a social organization and took relationship classes to overcome his fear of dating; Doug began working with a therapist to examine the feelings of emptiness that led to his suicide attempt. When we commit to a thing by taking action, it’s often surprising how quickly our intentions are realized.
Surrender control. This means to let go and trust God. Let go of the particular way in which things will happen. In other words, forget the “How”. Let go of fear, doubt, worry and disappointment. Focus only on what you want, and let go of the notion of struggle. Trust that the outcome will turn out right, despite the unknown journey.
