Power of Intention and Positive Thought

Intention

What is intention? Let's go back to the word "intend." Definitions found in Webster's Collegiate are "to have in mind as a purpose or goal" or "to have an aim or end in mind." The dictionary goes on to say that an intention "implies little more that what one has in mind to do or bring about."

What's in your mind right now? Maybe you don't say things like "I have an intention to catch my bus today," but you know that you must get to work and therefore you think about getting ready on time, walking out the door in a calm and collected manner, and arriving at work, ready to start the day. You may not go through those exact steps, or be aware you go through any steps at all, but your intentions are clear.

Or conversely, maybe you don't state that intention and you arrive at work late all the time.

For most of us, we deeply believe that life is a game of luck, chance, and random circumstances. Cancer is a lottery. Making money is about being in the right place at the right time. Finding an amazing spouse just means you got there before someone else.

Setting clear, conscious intentions goes against that in many ways. By taking responsibility for what we want in our lives, we can get exactly what we asked for. But be careful, if what we ask for is too vague or we're too shy to ask for what we REALLY want, we'll get what we intend just the same.

I had a friend who said to me, "I just want a companion." She was heartbroken that she had been single for so long and couldn't understand why. When I think of a companion, I think of an animal. She had two cats. I challenged her by saying, "Do you really just want a companion? Because you already have plenty of those. Wouldn't you rather have a boyfriend?" She understood that asking for a companion wasn't really what she wanted. But she was having a hard time asking for what she wanted directly. Who was she to get what something/someone she asked for? What made her so important?