Harnessing the Power of Intention - from Deepak Chopra's blog, published on 6 January 2012

http://www.chopra.com/

Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love. Everything that happens in the universe begins with intention. When you decide to buy a birthday present, wiggle your toes, or call a friend, it all starts with intention.

An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that contains the seed form of that which you aim to create. Like real seeds, intentions can’t grow if you hold on to them. Only when you release your intentions into the fertile depths of your consciousness can they grow and flourish. In the book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra, the Law of Intention and Desire describes the five steps for harnessing the power of intention to create anything you desire.

1. Get Clear on your Intentions and Desires Most of the time our mind is caught up in thoughts, emotions, and memories, and it’s easy to fall into the grip of our ego’s fears and demands. It is therefore important to remind yourself – day in and day out – of your intentions, desires, and spiritual purpose. Many people find it helpful to write down their intentions and review them each day, just before meditation.

2. Slip into the Gap Once you’ve reviewed your intentions and desires, let them go – simply stop thinking about them and begin your regular meditation practice. In meditation you experience your true Self, which is pure awareness, pure potentiality, and pure being. When you’re rooted in the experience of pure potentiality, your intentions can spontaneously manifest with effortless ease.

3. Remain Centered in a State of Restful Awareness Intention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from a sense of lack or need. Stay centered and refuse to be influenced by other people’s doubts or criticisms. Your higher Self knows that everything is all right and will be all right, even without knowing the timing or the details of what will happen.

4. Detach from the Outcome Relinquish your rigid attachment to a specific result and live in the wisdom of uncertainty. Attachment is based on fear and insecurity, while detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. Intend for everything to work out as it should, then let go and allow opportunities and openings to come your way.

5. Let the Universe Handle the Details Your focused intentions set the infinite organizing power of the universe in motion. Trust that infinite organizing power to orchestrate the complete fulfillment of your desires. Don’t listen to the voice that says that you have to be in charge, that obsessive vigilance is the only way to get anything done. The outcome that you try so hard to force may not be as good for you as the one that comes naturally. You have released your intentions into the fertile ground of pure potentiality, and they will bloom when the season is right.

As we begin a new year filled with unlimited possibility, take some time to consider your intentions, your desires, and where you want to focus your attention in the months ahead. Thousands of years ago, the Indian sages observed that our destiny is ultimately shaped by our intentions and desires. The classic Vedic text the Upanishads declares: “You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”