What Are Your Intentions?

On our journey along the river of life, intention is the paddle that steers our canoe. While we might sometimes drift with the current, this approach only works when the waters are calm. Like life, most rivers have challenging sections. Remembering to use the paddle of intention can mean the difference between smoothly navigating the obstacles or running aground on massive boulders. Like an experienced whitewater paddler, our ability to harness the power of intention improves with practice allowing us to master life's turbulent waters.

Intention is scientifically proven to influence material reality. As documented in the book "The Intention Experiment," investigative journalist and best-selling author, Lynne McTaggart, collaborated with Dr. Gary Schwartz and the University of Arizona's laboratory team to research the effect of intention on seed germination and growth. Volunteers in remote locations focused for 10 minutes on the intention that a specific group of 30 barley seeds would grow more rapidly over the next five days than control groups. This experiment was repeated six times, including one with volunteers 850 miles away in Australia. Consistently, the intended-for seeds grew an average of one-third inch more—a statistically significant result with a probability of coincidence at just 0.7 percent.

Living an intentional life means focusing on the desired outcome without getting bogged down by the specifics of how it will happen. In the seed experiments, the volunteers concentrated on the intention of growth without dictating the process. Skillfully using the paddle of intention, as Mike Dooley advises in his book "Playing the Matrix," involves avoiding the micromanagement of the cursed “how’s” since dictating the conditions through which our intentions manifest introduces unnecessary drag. Focus on what you want to achieve and let the universe align the circumstances to bring your dream to life.

Strengthen your intention setting muscles by joining my FREE Daily Intenders Club. Every day at 6:00 AM Eastern you will receive a brief reminder to set the intention for your day.