“Intention” is becoming kind of a buzzword, it’s practically jargon for the new-age.
I wouldn’t say it’s cliche, because it’s foundationally important for any healing work. But I think we need to focus in on how we think about our intentions, and how we set them, because if we’re going to make the world a better place, heal the wounded, heal ourselves, make a better future for our children and fix this gawdawful mess we have inherited from a capitalist world gone mad, we need to be really clear about how we set our intentions. Make ’em count.
First rule: You’re not asking, you’re declaring what already is. A weak intention would be, “Please make me well.” A strong intention is, “I am strong, vital and move through the world with grace, ease and energy.” Prayers that beseech, plead, query, whine, beg, or try to cut deals are likely to be ignored. Statements of intent that say, “This is what is, period,” are likely to become.
Second rule: Be damn careful what you put out there as intention, because the Universe believes what you tell it. So tell it what you want to be true. Sometimes that’s really hard to do, like when you want to lose weight. If you say “I want to lose 10 kilos,” the body hears “10 kilos” and sometimes you find yourself gaining instead of losing. “I weigh exactly 59 kilos” tells the body what you actually want it to do, in a way that it can understand. “Oh, you believe you weigh 59 kilos, okay, I can work with that!” And then the journey can begin in earnest.
Same with violence – you can’t really pray to “end violence” because “violence” is the most powerful word in the statement. You have to pray to “spread peace.” “All American children are well-fed and healthy.” “All women walk in safety and peace.”
Third rule: Believe.
I may have mentioned before that if you don’t believe in what you are doing, your results will be sketchy at best. Shoot for the moon and expect miracles, otherwise, what are we doing? Why put forth all this effort if you’re not convinced it will pay off? Believe it. Know it. Visualize it so clearly that you have no doubt that it’s not only possible, but inevitable. See what you want, and make it happen with positive, affirmative language and actions.
This is especially important if we practice healing, coaching or counseling for others.
I cultivate an atmosphere of comfort and trust, and an attitude of nurturing mastery. Clients come into my space and immediately they relax and brighten up, sometimes they feel better before we even start. When we set our intention for a healing session, I ask, “How do you want to feel when you walk out of here? How do you want to feel tomorrow?” and we base our intention on that. “I am calm, confident, and at peace.” “I sleep well every night, and have energy to do everything I need and desire to do.” “I feel satisfied for hours after breakfast, lunch and supper.” “I love myself enough to put my well-being first.”
Same with a Tarot reading. Instead of having the client ask a question, I have them set an intention for clarity. That same question can be used, “How do you want to feel when you walk out of here?” Questions like, “Will I get a new job?” or “Is someone sabotaging me?” are pretty low-vibration. Instead: “I have clarity about my living situation.” “I am confident in my relationships.” “My job is the perfect situation for me.” Tell them what you want, and the cards can help you see how to get there.
Set an intention for your day, every day.
“My day is filled with beautiful synchronicities, fun, and peace.”
“I am surrounded by high-vibration people and we all nurture and support each other in our goals.”
“I feel healthy and powerful, and move with ease, comfort and grace.”
Do not focus on what you do not have or you will never have what you actually want. That is the 101, we should all be at that baseline – but I’m shocked to say so many people I meet have no idea that this is how it works. We create our world with our awareness. If you pay too much attention to things that disgust or depress you, then you’re going to spend a lot of time feeling disgusted and depressed. Yes, we must be aware of what is going on around us — but in the bigger picture, that stuff is nothing.
Every Master, Guru, Teacher, Holiness, Arch-Whatever worth their salt says, “The most important work you can possibly do, is to focus on freeing your soul from the endless rounds of rebirth and suffering.”
The more you work to make your life better, the better life gets for you and the people around you, and the more inspired the people around you get to make their lives better, which impacts the people around them, and so on to infinity. Ripples, people. We are drops, Life is a river, and the Soul is the Ocean. Focus on the best possible outcome for every day, and that’s what you will start to get. If something bad happens, react with grace and reflect upon the lesson. Silver linings are hard to hide from those who always look for them.