Wayne Dyer ~ “Our intention creates our reality”

Melanie Votaw ~ “Manifestation: If you intend it, it will come”

Henriette Anne Klauser ~ “Write it down, make it happen”

An intention can be defined as: “a statement of purpose” or the thought behind the thought… influencing our actions.

The fact is, we move through the world with intent, whether we mean to or not. So, if we have intentions, what does this mean? What intentions are we creating unconsciously? What impact do these intentions have on our lives? (How often have you ended up somewhere by accident? Got stuck in a role that no longer serves you?) And what intentions can we consciously create to influence our behaviour, guide our actions and the shape the possibilities that are open to us.

Sometimes the unconscious intentions we hold like: “I don’t want to be dragged into…”, “I don’t want to be late”, “I don’t want to seem…”, “I don’t want to have an argument”, “I don’t want to be seen as…”, “I don’t want to be unhappy” etc, lead us to outcomes that seem to be the opposite of what we do want and leave us wondering why.

The answer is that human brain only understands positive instructions. If you give a negative instruction or create a negative intention, your brain will only process the “positive” part of the statement (e.g. “don’t think about pink elephants” or – a great one for children – “don’t drop that!”). So intend and ask for what you want instead.

~*~

I continue to be amazed at the power of intentions, even those intentions over which we have “no control” and no influence over the outcome.

Intentions are about creating the flavour and direction and might be the biggest component in creating changes in your life. If you set an intention to be “inspirational”, “loving”, “dynamic”, “successful”, “open and receptive” or “confident and welcoming”, or “present, engaged and listening” or “respectful”, or “happy and healthy” this will inform how you show up in the world, how you behave and the actions that you take. Intention comes before action.

There are two stages in creating intentions. The first is awareness; to surface the intentions we already create in our lives and notice their impact. This can be a fascinating and illuminating process. We may think we are operating from one intention, but sometimes find that we are driven by a quite different (often hidden and conflicting) intention. This can lead to struggle and frustration.

The second stage is to actively develop a practice of creating and recording positive intentions. Writing them down and creating other visual representations makes them even more powerful.

Intentions are very personal and potent force and fit for many a purpose. They can be general and wide ranging (influencing how we operate in the world on a grand scale and how we show up in life); they can be more specific (created to influence particular situations) and everything in between.

The bigger intentions we hold in life, the more possibilities that are available to us. There are no hard and fast rules, but these guidelines will help you create powerful intentions:

• Clear, simple and unambiguous
• Stated in the positive (am/can/create)
• Powerfully represented: written/drawn/pictured in a ways that “juice” you and matter to you
• Owned (I am/can/create)
• Appreciated
• Present tense

And remember, your attitude is aligned with your intentions; your intentions are aligned with values. Appreciate each experience and how you can grow from it.

“…being grounded in intention is what provides integrity and unity in your life. Through the skilful cultivation of intention, you learn to make wise goals and then to work hard toward achieving them without getting caught in attachment to outcome. As I suggested to the yogi, only by remembering your intentions can you reconnect with yourself during those emotional storms that cause you to lose touch with yourself. This remembering is a blessing, because it provides a sense of meaning in your life that is independent of whether you achieve certain goals or not. Ironically, by being in touch with and acting from your true intentions, you become more effective in reaching your goals than when you act from wants and insecurities.” Phillip Moffat

I’m passionate about sharing this practice; with friends, family, colleagues, clients and partners. I consciously use intentions in all aspects of my life and work. I create intentions for my client programmes, sharing them and often co-creating them with clients for our work together. I recommend my clients create intentions and invite you to join in. (Even when writing about intentions, I can’t help writing intentions!)

If you haven’t already started to do this, make it your intention for tomorrow morning. Keep a pad by your bed and set aside the time just before you get up to write your daily intentions. Ask yourself: What flavour do I want today? How do I want to feel? How do I want to be? WHO do I want to be? What do I want to have happen today?

If you only make one or two intentions each morning, make them good ones. Once this practise becomes routine for you, you’ll begin to notice how well it works and it’ll become even easier to do more of it. Get clear on your expected results and expect them to show up. Before you realise, life will be even better and more abundant than it is now.

So, what’s YOUR intention today?

© Adie DeCoursey & Marian Seddon 2007

Adie helps individuals and organisations who are feeling scattered and overwhelmed by the demands of the work and their life to help them break through the barriers that might be preventing them from achieving the results they are looking for, get clear, focussed and on track so that they can achieve their dreams.  He provides coaching as well as leadership, communication, fundraising, sales and other training; and consultancy across the corporate, public and voluntary sectors as owner of Quiddity Solutions, co-owner of Mari~n~Ade and as an associate with other companies.

The year is flying by! We’re already halfway through February and Valentine’s Day is already almost upon us. This is traditionally a time of year when we spend time looking at ourselves, our relationships and where it’s all headed.

Many people will say that we don’t need one – heavily commercialised – day to show ourselves and our loved ones what they mean to us, but it’s a good excuse to do so and to have some fun in the process. However, we’re all busy people and sometimes showing how we feel can slip a bit. Valentine’s Day gives you the chance to spoil yourself, spoil the people you love and be spoiled with all the little gestures that might have got lost during the year. And it can kick-start you into more loving practises.

It’s almost mandatory to spend this time of the year focussing on love and on the special people in our lives. Each moment is a gift, that’s why they call it the present and being present with your loved ones and yourself is the best gift you can give anyone. Actions speak louder than words and we need to spend time together to stay together.

Straight from the heart

A great way of keeping love alive is to have more Valentine’s Days. Simple gestures – sending love letters, cards, articles and pictures that connect with our loved ones out of magazines – are great ways of showing that you care. It doesn’t have to be everyday, or even every week, but keeping the spirit alive is a fantastic idea.

Passion in Action

We all know how busy life can be. Many of us spend long days commuting, in the workplace and way from home and this can leave us too tired for passion.

Get fit. Stay fit. The fitter you are, the more easily you’ll be able to keep the action in your passion. Exercise makes us happier and gives us more energy… energy we can use to keep the fire in our relationships. They say that even the AVERAGE 20 – 30 year old makes love two or three times a week, the AVERAGE 30 – 40 year old once or twice a week and the AVERAGE over 50 year old goes BACK to two or three times a week!  (Who wants to be average?)

Making love is an integral part of showing love. It’s important for retaining the warmth and closeness with your partner and for maintaining intimacy. It’s hard to beat that feeling of connection after a night of passion.

Smile and Kiss

Did you know… kissing relieves tension? A proper passionate kiss is like yoga: a fantastic technique. When you’re engaged in a passionate kiss, your eyes close and your breathing deepens, which is what happens when you relax. When you shape up for a kiss, your mouth is in a shape similar to smiling and it’s almost impossible to hold tension while you’re smiling.

Kissing also prevents tooth decay. According to Dr Peter Gorden, dental advisor at the BDA: “Kissing is nature’s own cleaning process. It stimulates saliva flow and brings plaque levels down to normal.”  And it’s free!

Where Are You?

Did you start the year resolving that things were going to be different? Were you planning to start a new activity? Give up a habit? Get fit? Did you want to make a change in your life?

If reports are true, over 80% of people who made New Year resolutions have already failed. One reason for this astonishing statistic is that people often fail to address what really motivates them, focussing instead only on their behaviour.

Many of us experience that gap between our hopes and reality. Many look for answers outside themselves. The truth is - if you know how to look - the answers are within. With the year ticking away, are you any closer to achieving your business and personal goals?

If the answer is “no”, or “dunno”, it’s time to take action. Contact me for a free – no obligation – questionnaire to that will help you gauge where you are and quantify the gap to where you want to be.

Fourteen Tips to Show Some Love

Valentine’s Day isn’t all about showing love to others. If you don’t love yourself, it’s really hard to show real love to others. Even if you’re currently single, apply these tips to yourself as well as the important people in your life.

1. Do three random act of kindness for strangers and don't get found out.
2. Write a love letter – or try your hand at a poem – to your partner, detailing what you love about him/her. If you're currently single, write to yourself, detailing everything that is great about you.
3. Remove things from the bedroom that are not for getting dressed, loving or sleeping and change the sheets.
4. Light candles around the house.
5. Decide if you want to spend Valentine's Day by yourself, with friends, significant other or family.
6. Plan where to spend Valentine's, and make reservations and think of a fun way to get to your destination.
7. If you are having dinner at home, decide on the menu, make a nice dessert and clean up the house.
8. Find some uplifting music to play at home or in the car. Start listening to it now.
9. Compliment your love and yourself at least three times a day.
10. Get some extra exercise in today; try some yoga moves.
11. Take a nice, long bath. Exfoliate your skin, and make sure you smell and feel great.
12. Do three nice things for yourself and your significant other today.
13. Pick up an uplifting movie, flowers, card (bought or home-made) or anything else you need.
14. Send a virtual valentine.

"May this Valentine's Day be filled with love, understanding, and contentment as you journey through life with those you hold dear" ~ Darly Henerson

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and keep the spirit alive throughout the rest of the year.

Adie DeCoursey

p.s. Please feel free to forward this as an e-mail to your friends, if you think they might find it interesting.

 “Come to the edge”, he said

     They said: “We are afraid!”

            “Come to the edge”, he said

                   They came

                          He pushed them

                                 And they flew.”