The moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred...
unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
”Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard.
Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh.
Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn. Do what you love.
Live as this is all there is.”
--Mary Ann Radmacher
"Inspiration is intention obeyed."
--Emily Carr
Interestingly, many of western philosophical orientation tend to pooh-pooh the importance that intention plays in effecting outcomes, and actually find comfort in euphemisms that support that line of thought. Most of us have heard some version of that which George Bernard Shaw states, "Hell is paved with good intentions, not with bad ones. All men mean well." Or of more recent vintage that which Lloyd Strom shares, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions corrupted by our fears." Whether, or not, you choose to support Shaw or Strom’s perspectives on intention is your decision. However, if you do choose to support the belief that intentions are more attune to landmines in the road of life, it may be worth reflecting for a moment whether the choice is made to justify a lack of commitment to some cause or purpose, or something you really believe. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey speaks to such decision-making, stating, "Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.” Later on in that conversation, Oprah Winfrey shares in epilogue form, “What I know for sure is that your life is a multipart series of all your experiences- and each experience is created by your thoughts, intentions, and actions to teach you what you need to know. Your life is a journey of learning to love yourself first and then extending that love to others in every encounter.”
Those of us that continue on the journey of discovery and fulfillment will undoubtedly encounter obstacles and discouragement. Such annoyances are to be expected in anyone’s life journey, especially those who have a vision, and commit to its realization. Marlo Morgan, writing in her book, Mutant Message from Down Under, noted, “When you have a thought that is not in alignment with your highest vision change to a new thought! Then and there. When you say a thing that is out of alignment with your grandest idea, make a note not to say something like that again. When you do a thing that is misaligned with your best intention, decide to make that the last time. And make it right with whomever was involved if you can.” Thomas Troward was thinking along the same lines as Morgan when he wrote, "Our repeated failure to fully act as we would wish must not discourage us. It is the sincere intention that is the essential thing, and this will in time release us from the bondage of habits which at present seem almost insurmountable."
Author Aldous Huxley was keenly aware of the challenges that might come our way as we strive toward our vision and purpose, and shared the following advice: “When life appears to be working against you, when your luck is down, when the supposedly wrong people show up, or when you slip up and return to old, self-defeating habits, recognize the signs that you're out of harmony with intention.” Sharon Salzberg reminds us, “If we fall, we don't need self-recrimination or blame or anger - we need a reawakening of our intention and a willingness to recommit, to be whole-hearted once again.” Or, in the words of Confucius, "It doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop."
Huxley’s, along with the other’s, observation is believed an important segue into the next segment of our discussion of intention in that it addresses the concept of harmony. Perhaps some see intention as weakness resulting from failed efforts in the past. Although we will address the need for concurrent thought (intention) and action (effort), the question that seems prudent at this time might be, “Was the perceived failure the result of the individual, or group’s, intention being out of harmony with the universe?” Carlos Castaneda would contend, “There's no way to put a limit on what one may accomplish individually if the intent is an impeccable intent.” For some readers that statement will undoubtedly not resonate very well since it adds caveats to the formula; caveats of quality and merit. The rational mind will revolt and align with empirical thought that postulates nature does not add judgment to cause and effect phenomena. The writer, supporting the concept of free will, acknowledges the choice to accept, or not, is the reader’s. However, rejection without investigation and consideration is but an obstinate act and a feckless gesture that reaps little in the way of positive reward or outcome.
If we are to live meaningful lives we must work to connect with the forces at work around us. Although a sense of superiority at times seduces us to disconnect ourselves from the other elements that influence life on earth, and in the universe, a trifle of humility will provide a glimpse of unexplainable possibilities that exist, if we are willing to open our minds a bit. Doing so is believed important because it will greatly influence our intentions. In The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, Lynne McTaggart writes, “Our natural state of being is in relationship, a tango, a constant state of one influencing the other. Just as the subatomic particles that compose us cannot be separated from the space and particles surrounding them, so living beings cannot be isolated from each other... By the act of observation and intention, we have the ability to extend a kind of super-radiance to the world.” Sandy Forster would add to McTaggart’s suggestion, "When you set an intention, when you commit, the entire universe conspires to make it happen." Shakti Gawain holds a comparable view, noting, “Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the Universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request and everything your heart desires must come to you.” In essence, we might have to decide to choose, or not, to do as Mike Fotheringham suggests, “Set your intention, and trust the universe to take care of the details.”
"In the universe there is an immeasurable,
indescribable force which shamans call intent,
and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos
is attached to intent by a connecting link."
-Carlos Castaneda
Centuries ago, Sir Francis Bacon understood that which McTaggart would later write about when he acknowledged, “For those who intend to discover and to understand, not to indulge in conjectures and soothsaying, and rather than contrive imitation and fabulous worlds plan to look deep into the nature of the real world and to dissect it -- for them everything must be sought in things themselves.” “Mr. Intention” himself, Wayne Dyer, echoes Bacon with much fewer words in his statement, "Our intention creates our reality." Dyer goes on to say, “The power of intention is the power to manifest, to create, to live a life of unlimited abundance, and to attract into your life the right people at the right moments….if you put your thoughts on what’s on its way, then you’ll start looking for every little clue, and every person walking into your life becomes someone who is a messenger or a deliverer of something that is going to help you deliver what you have an intention about.” Author Gary Zukav recognizes the catalyst properties of intention suggesting, "Every intention sets energy into motion whether you are conscious of it or not." Those of us who believe in the almost magical power of intention understand what Anthony Robbins is referring to when he states, “As soon as you truly commit to making something happen, the 'how' will reveal itself.”
Wayne Dyer recognizes for the potential power of intention to flow in our lives, the plumbing of our hearts and minds must be unclogged. Dyer notes, “By banishing doubt and trusting your intuitive feelings, you clear a space for the power of intention to flow through.” Dorothea Brande realizes that for intention to work its power, the forces addressed above cannot remain static, but must be put into motion. Brande suggests, "All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face that turns us from failure toward success.” As Charles Kettering advises, “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal.
Live this day as if it were your last.
The past is over and gone.
The future is not guaranteed.”
-- Wayne Dyer
Not ready to buy-in to the above postulations just yet? That is quite okay. A reasonable dose of skepticism is seldom fatal. However, to avoid cerebral paralysis resulting from prolonged skepticism, how about at least considering what William Temple, Sr. suggests: “Good intentions are at least, the seed of good actions; and every one ought to sow them, and leave it to the soil and the seasons whether he, or any other, gathers fruit.” Lloyd Strom, also utilizing the “seed” metaphor, adds, "A good intention is like the seed of a tree whose fruit we do not know." As with anything else in our lives there are “conditions” attached to planting the seeds of intention, i.e. good intentions as the cobble stones along hell’s highway. Gremville Kleiser suggests, “Let your intentions be good - embodied in good thoughts, cheerful words, and unselfish deeds - and the world will be to you a bright and happy place in which to work and play and serve.” Peter Abelard, connecting intention with action, qualifies that union stating, "We call an intention good which is right in itself, but the action is good, not because it contains within it some good, but because it issues from a good intention."
”A good intention clothes itself with power.”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lest we have a grievance filed that the writer is but a Pollyannaish pimp soliciting customers for a union without possibilities, we need to examine the relationship between intention and action a bit closer. Caroline Myss addresses the issue noting, “You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you’ll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless.” Intention is often construed as being the same as a stated objective or goal. If looked upon as such, one can begin to understand the negative thinking surrounding the value of intentions. According to Denis Waitley, “The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”
Frequently, the objective or goal is stated in the form of an affirmation – as if the goal or objective is already happening. T. Harv Eker believes this is where we might fool ourselves into grabbing onto the tar baby. Eker states, “An affirmation states that a goal is already happening. I’m not crazy about this because, often when we affirm something that is not yet real, the little voice in our head usually responds with “This isn’t true, this is BS…On the other hand, a declaration is not saying something is true, it’s saying we have an intention of doing or being something. This is a position the little voice can buy, because we’re not stating it’s true right now, but again, it’s an intention for us in the future.” But, recognizing that intention is guiding us into the future – a plan to follow – is not enough. We still must move, or put into action, that idea or intention we have formulated in our mind. As Walt Kelly reminds us, “It is not good enough for things to be planned - they still have to be done; for the intention to become a reality, energy has to be launched into operation.”
"Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be."
--Henry David Thoreau
While we can buy into what Kelly is suggesting, there is still much to be gained by stating our intentions in some formal statement, or goal. Because, as Sharon Salzberg was quoted in the January 2004 edition of O Magazine, “Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.” Therefore, as John Rogers suggests, “Choose your intention carefully and then practice holding your consciousness to it, so it becomes the guiding light in your life." Then, to become more tangible, Deepak Chopra considers the translating of thought, or intention, into something more concrete, such as written statements, is vitally important. He notes, "Intentions compressed into words enfold magical power." It is also important that we understand as we enter the realm of manifesting intention, that there will likely be times when we want to turn back; to give up on achieving that which we know deep within us defines our purpose for being. Ralph Ellison wrote, “It takes a deep commitment to change and an even deeper commitment to grow." Most of us can say a big "Amen" to that statement.
"Speak from your heart and don't worry about how
it's going to be taken and ask with the intention of it
doing the highest good for everyone involved.
-–Dr. Gary Arthur
Like most other ventures in life, living with intention and being committed to our intention(s) does not always have to be a lonely journey. Certainly, one needs to be prudent in who they select to be fellow journeymen, but it is often worth the effort to seek those rare individuals who understand our need to become who we were meant to become; our purpose on this earth. As Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton warns, “It is difficult to say who do you the most harm: enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best.” Similarly, Wayne Dyer advises that we, “Choose to be in close proximity to people who are empowering, who appeal to your sense of connection to intention, who see the greatness in you, who feel connected to God, who live a life that gives evidence that Spirit has found celebration through them.” Alone, or in the company of others, we must not allow our fears and doubts to dissuade us from transforming intention into form. As we have seen many times through our journey in this publication, we have two basic choices in life; to fulfill our destiny and our dreams, or to accept something less. We must believe in ourselves and we must believe that we are here on earth for a much greater reason than to simply put in our time, wither, and die! Charles Kettering reminds us, “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”
Where are you standing in terms of responding to your intentions? Are your dreams fueled by intentions that are as wistful as a thermal breeze at sunset, or as solid as that which Blake speaks of below:
“Does a firm persuasion that a thing is so, make it so?
He replied, 'All poets believe that it does.'
And in ages of imagination, this firm persuasion removed mountains;
but many are not capable of a firm persuasion of anything.”
--William Blake
Actually, we could best sum up what we have been addressing in this chapter by considering the words of Rumi, "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." Are you living a life of intention? Are your intentions in alignment with your personal life vision and mission? If not, why not? What is holding you back? What are you waiting for? What do you intend to do about it?
"Although actions may speak louder than words,
it is our intentions that reveal our soul."
--Hal Elrod
"I am not an island
I am not alone
I am my intentions
Trapped here in this flesh and bone."
--Melissa Etheridge
"TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
