The Art of Intention and the New Year

As 2012 is upon us, it is a year that is coming our way in a great media flurry as a year of significance.  The reasoning behind this is the Mayan calendar is said to end on December 21, 2012, leaving behind an ambush of unanswered questions about what will happen.  Everywhere you turn people are predicting all kinds of events, from the end of the world to the dawn of a new age.  One is left wondering what if any of it is true and what to expect.  There are great papers, books, and predictions that address the subject fully, but which are true?  What is to be believed?  Is the end of the world coming, will there be a great natural disaster or will we move into an age of enlightenment and growth.  Will humanity advance and evolve, leaving behind violence and fear.   The best advice I have heard by far, it to move forward into the change in a place of love and without fear.

This may appear as an underwhelming simple statement, to the point that some may turn away from it, but in reality it is often the best approach for anything in life.   When one does not know what to expect, it often may seem the simplest solution to be un-nervered by the unknown.  However, what has transpired in my work with people is to help them embrace the unknown by helping them empower themselves through the art of intention.   Intention is a form of manifestation, a buzzword in many circles but it is a timeless concept that can be embraced and utilized at any time.  Intention with regards to future planning is the idea to create a set of guidelines around your forthcoming reality.  In essence you are saying to the universe that you want a certain event to transpire and you want it in a certain way.

Now it is quite common in this endeavor to mistake the concept of intention with the energy of control.  It is important to know the difference as intention is much more powerful than control, not to mention easier in the long run.  The main differential between the two is the energy of trust in a mutual relationship.  When you set the intention, you send your power in the form of trust into the universe and that nurtures the relationship you have in the universe.  The universe, etheric, or the unknown then becomes a loving place where anything is possible. You become empowered and begin to trust in yourself and the universe.  When you try to control, you come from a place of fear or insecurity, that you need events to go a certain way to be successful.   In intention you release the fear and allow for events to happen, in whatever way it manifests.

In reality we are creating our experience through intent all the time.  Many of us are not aware of this we very often blend the factors of control and intention, resulting in a mix of pleasure, relief or toleration.  For example, you need to go to the store, but the only time you have to do it is afternoon rush hour.  You loath sitting in the traffic and are annoyed by the prospect of having to shop at such a busy time.  When it comes time to go to the store, it is exactly what you expect, unpleasant.  However, when you work with the energy intention, you are able to create the experience you wish. Take the example of going to the store.  To create a positive trip, state or visualize clearly the experience you want to have.  State that you are going to the store and there will be no traffic or it will flow with ease.  You will find a great parking spot and you will get through the store quickly and peacefully.  You can even take it farther and state what time you want to arrive and how long you want to stay.  You have begun to create your experience.

Once you start to apply this concept to daily chores, it can be used to broaden the experience in your life.  For example, setting the intent that this is the year you start your own business, meet that special someone or live a healthier lifestyle.   New Years resolutions are quite similar, however with the power of intension you are once again empowering yourself and trusting the universe to create this experience.  For many the most challenging part of this task is not the creation of this intent, but the belief that it will happen.  Many of us are not raised to understand our strong creative potential and our magnetic abilities, but they do exist.  It is very often the goal of adults to find it within themselves, and it comes through in the energy of the intuition, premonitory dreams, amazing coincidences and many other empowering experiences.

This concept of intent is not a new idea; in fact it has been revitalized in many of the popular spiritual media of the day. For example, the book and movie The Secrete or a personal favorite The Law of Attraction by the Abraham-Hicks group have become wildly successful dealing with this subject.  While these are more in-depth and cover a range of related topics, here are a few simple exercises to get your intention going for a new year and new blessings in your life:

• Spend some time creating your intension.  The more energy you put into it the stronger it can become.
• Be positive- words are very important, they the canvas that you paint upon.  Avoid negative words, state what you want, not what you do not want.  For example, ‘I have a fit and healthy body’ instead of  ‘I am no longer fat’.  Also avoid words like, should, could, would, hopefully, or try, these words actually create doubt.
• Bring the speech in to the present. ‘I am successful’, ‘I am abundant’, ‘I am in loving relationship’, and ‘I am loved’.  Once again avoid using statements like ‘I hope to be prosperous’ or ‘I will be successful’.  Those indicate a sense of lack, and lack works against manifestation.
• Create your intension in a format that works best for you.  If you are a visual person, create an image or vision of what you want.  If you are verbal, write it down.  If you have a strong empathic quality, feel the positive events happing.  You could try a vision board, or a painting.  You may want to use a combination of techniques or perhaps something not mentioned here.
• Repetition can be good.  There is a reason that ancient religions practice malas or pray rosaries.  When you send energy into something you make it stronger.  A practice we do in my abundance workshops is to have the class move through their chakras chanting variations of ‘I am Love, I am Prosperity’.  This moves the energy to the core of your being.  However it can be taken too far when one obsesses on the intent.  Feel it, don’t over think it.

Now you may find that as you set this intension that you have a certain amount of doubt and uncertainty looming in the back of your mind.  You cannot feel positive or there is a lack of trust or fear that events will not go your way.  Even the best at manifestion have that from time to time and it can be beneficial to address this.  That nagging voice or sense of fear is coming from your own unconscious, or inner self.  It is a part of you that is unresolved and not of a higher thinking.  It could be a belief you inherited as a child, a recent situation in your life or a soul pattern from one of your many past lives.   Now there are many ways to deal with this that go past the scope of this article, but a starter solution is to spend some time sitting with these issues so you can become clear on what they are.  Then perhaps you can write them down and have a ceremony to release them, such as burning them in a fire.  You could send them into the wind, or wash them away with the water, or create a crystal grid to help you release them.  If the limitation persists, then it maybe it would be appropriate to do something different, like work with a therapist or a professional energy healer.

Creating intent can be a powerful tool for designing your life.  For those of us that want a happier, healthier and more abundant life, and with the use of intent you can bring to fruition all of your desires.  If you want to really charge your intent, try coordinating it with the moon cycles or other related astrological events.  You could also conduct a ceremony, charge the intent inside a pyramid or create your own personal mantra.  It is also important to remember you cannot set intent for others, only for yourself.  They may receive the benefit of your good work, but it is a free will universe and people must empower themselves. If it’s helpful and compassionate to send them healing, love or assistance but intending to manipulate their reality even it you think it is there best interest is not recommended. It is also important to be aware of others influencing your intentions.  Others may not understand your motives or maybe negative or fear based.  Trust yourself, you know what is best for you so use your intuition.  Always be positive in your intensions and remember you have the power to create whatever you want, even if it is a peaceful trip to the store.

Be With Love,

Beth Ann Kennedy
www.pinkhearthealing.com