Getting clear and watching for signs

“The great secret of getting what you want from life is to know what you want and believe you can have it.”

-Norman Vincent Peale

2022 certainly was a year of challenges, but upon reflection, each one carried within it a seed of success.? I am especially grateful about one type of learning I am putting into practice the more I get tired of seeing the same results from the same actions. This skill is as old as time, but it was new to me.??

Curious?

Some call it using your intuition. Others call it alternative ways of knowing. The list goes on. But the result is always the same – fast problem solving without unnecessary effort, old behaviour patterns, or negative thought loops. This is how it unfolded for me…

During my morning routine, I frequently write what I want to happen in a notebook, but over time, I became more specific. At first, I would write a page or two of complaints, which felt better but didn’t create change. I also created lists which left me feeling like the day was short and the list longer. So I started to make written and spoken “demands” for what I needed that day or week.? Although I call it “making demands” it would be more accurate to say that I formulated a clear intention, not attached to any unpleasant emotion such as anger or frustration. It was just a strong, clear intention. Something like “I want an answer to X question today, in a way I can hear it and understand it. Make it happen.”

Then I just believed it would happen. Over time, I became better at detaching myself from a desire to control the outcome and more specific about what single action I needed to take to fulfill my part of the give/get equation. Then something quite amazing would happen. After clearly writing or speaking my intention, I would get an idea, think of a name, or feel strongly about an action I felt compelled to take often within seconds. At first, I just ignored these prompts, but I now know to pay attention. I act on the idea, then go on with whatever I need to accomplish for the day.

As a result of this practice, it has become routine to have random things happen exactly when I need them, or for what I had written down to unexpectedly occur. I guess you could also call this the power of confirmation. Set your intent and be alert to confirmations. I have found this quite practical. The key is to act as soon as you receive the idea, even if it is just writing it down, so you release the momentum creating power into the ethos so to speak.

Here's an example. I wrote in my notebook that I needed a contract to close by the end of the day, then went to take a shower. Within an hour, a potential client sent the signed contract. In another context, I wanted my daughter to feel she was loved. A ping on my phone with a text from my daughter came saying she was thinking about me, giving me the chance to tell her I love her.

I don’t expect everything to come out exactly as I imagine it, but I do believe an answer is coming, which replaces doubt and anxiety with certainty. There is an orientation towards seeing the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end. The result is patience with the journey, confidence in the outcome, and attention to the people and details that come up along the way.

A few months ago, I felt confident enough with the process to start teaching this to my coaching clients who, not surprisingly, are getting results. Here is one inspiring story to give you a taste of how one person’s life got much better!

Feeling marginalized and powerless in her job, my client felt loss of confidence and poor focus. Her unsupportive workplace did not recognize her competence. When she stopped telling herself old victimization stories, and started to look for confirmations of her expertise, she was offered not one, but three dream positions at the company she had been so adamant she was ready to leave. But until she was clear about her strengths and what she actually wanted; this could not materialize. Shortly after she wrote down a description of her ideal job and explained it to me with certainty, opportunity knocked. Although she was prepared to start job hunting, she hadn’t even applied for the positions she was offered from inside her current company. They came out of the blue from one of the highest authorities in her company.

And this, my friends, is the power of combining clarity of intent with intuition. I would be happy to show you the ropes. So, if you feel compelled to contact me after reading this, act and watch for the confirmation!

https://calendly.com/marieshiftworkplace/30-minute-coaching-discovery-call

About the author

Marie Gervais, PhD, CEO, Shift Management specializes in helping employers train their supervisors to lead, get their workplace learning online and interactive, and coach for emotionally regulated performance. She has a background in integrating and managing the diverse workforce and in creating culturally responsive curriculum courses and programs for industry. Marie’s book, “The Spirit of Work: Timeline Wisdom, Current Realities” to understand the deeper processes behind workplace issues and find inroads into creating healthy and vibrant organizations is available on Amazon and other online book stores.