Boarding our flight in Oakland, heading to Las Vegas for Jamz Nationals Cheer Competition. We've set intentions!!
There's Something Exciting About The Thought of a New Year Ahead of Us.
Perhaps it’s that we feel revitalized by the idea of a fresh start, a clean slate. It’s as if New Year’s Day offers us permission to reset, renew, and basically, hit restart. No wonder we welcome the New Year with parties, cheers and open arms. As we breathe in the cool, crisp January air, we feel full of new possibilities.
And why not? After all, the start of a new year feels like a great nudge to get moving on that dream we set upon the shelf, to roll out the new budget plan or dive into the workout program we’ve been too busy to incorporate.
Maybe it’s just me but I’ve started off many a new year with the greatest ambition to make some profound change in my life only to realize somewhere around March that my enthusiasm had waned, motivation fizzled and what was left of that “change” was merely my handwriting on a piece of paper where I had jotted down my goal. Have you ever been like me and wondered what happened to your gusto? Your goals were so carefully selected, yet, faded silently into the days and weeks.
LET'S EXPLORE
Wikipedia defines New Year’s resolution as “a tradition in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life.” We often set a “New Year’s resolution” based on something we know we don’t want anymore. This is an excellent place to begin because when we know what we don’t want we are able to get clear about what we DO want.
Here we are, looking into the new year and we’ve made the decision to take some action. The goal, go from 0-3 miles by morning, triple our contacts or bottom line within a certain time frame, cut out all sugar, carbs and dairy 12 hours from now, end the relationship, start the class, purchase the Maserati.
With my carefully set goals fading fast, I had to ask the question why simply setting a goal wasn’t enough.
Goal is defined as “the result or achievement to which effort is directed.”
If the goal is a result of effort, I was left to wonder what that effort was all about. That’s where intention enters the scene. Intention is defined as, “an act of determining mentally upon some action or result.” Basically, an intention is the starting point of anything we do, it’s like planting a seed. Everything that happens begins with an intention, a directed impulse where you merge the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. Whether you set the intention to get up to go to the grocery store because you’re out of bread or set in motion a plan to start a new business, that action is the result of the intention you set.
Intention is more than a wish or a desire; we create reality with intention by use of our will.
What if the reason you want the Maserati is to experience a feeling of freedom and fun or maybe that car represents to you the comfort of financial stability. When we identify our intention, the feeling behind our desire, we can open ourselves up to all possibilities. What if it’s not necessarily the Maserati, but rather, a Lamborghini that will bring us exactly what we desire? Yet, if we get so fixated on the conditions we want, like a particular car, we may miss all the clear signs and pathways toward the other car (or thing) that is really meant for us. So, the trick is to be aware of what we desire, clear about the ‘why’ behind it and open to allowing how that may show up in our lives.
I began to realize that a goal jotted down, without much clarity and feeling behind it was simply an idea on a piece of paper. The moment I become clear about what it feels like to experience this goal achieved, I’ve set into motion this powerful tool of intention. Gary Zukav, author of The Seat of the Soul said, “Intention is at the heart of creating authentic power in your life.”
When we begin to ask open-ended questions such as, what would it be like to be healed, to be in a loving relationship, what would it feel like to own my own business or lose 30 lbs, the frontal lobe in our brain becomes activated. This is the creative center of our brain. It connects to different networks of neurons and pieces them together to create a vision, a clear picture —an intention.
As we welcome the new year, I like to remember that we can set an intention every single day, not only on January 1st.
It is possible to set our intention daily to see life as one big miracle, knowing that Einstein’s words have merit, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Wishing you a bright and beautiful new year! May 2020 present new opportunities for experiencing your intentions brought to fruition and living your best life. xo -a
Comments