From Idea to Reality: the Power of Intention

What are intentions?

One definition is, simply, direction. It’s a plan, a specific desire that directs the mind. That’s how dreams become reality – from an idea, to a commitment to the idea, actions and finally manifestation. Your intention is your compass to guide your actions to make dreams happen.
You can’t manifest anything without setting an intention. If you want a bowl of soup, you create a mental image of soup in your mind, and decide you want some. And then off you go, in whatever manner you make soup, to fulfill that desire. You wouldn’t make soup unless you wanted to eat it (or feed someone else) – the idea, the intention, came first.
We set dozens of intentions every day. Some are easy to achieve. Setting an intention to have or do something you’ve never had or done before is not easy until you learn to overcome any negativity in the form of conditioned mental habits.
The trick to the big dreams is that your intention is probably in conflict with your conditioning; otherwise, you would have no problem at all manifesting anything you desire. Consciously, you might think, “I am setting the intention to become a master chef.” Aaaaaand… then the negative chatter starts up – the pre-programmed reasons and rationalizations why you can’t become a master chef: “You can’t cook, you burn water! You don’t have money for culinary school! You’ll have to slave away for years as a short-order cook before you can move up! You won’t like cooking anymore when it’s a job…” and so on.
You may think, “Okay, those are valid points.” So what separates the people who seem to be able to set an intention and manifest what they want, from people whose dreams are perpetually dreams and never reality? Depending on your level of commitment to the dream and how willing you are to do the work to overcome your limiting conditioning, you will either walk away from the dream and rationalize why, or you’ll go for it. The challenge is to believe in your intention, in the face of reality.
Think of it this way: reality is a good starting point.
Here’s how to take an intention and make it reality using three key components: DESIRE, BELIEF and EXPECTANCY; these involve your ability to visualize, to overcome self-limiting beliefs and to know the art of enjoying the process and receiving.
1. You ARE a creative being. That’s what your mind is for! Develop your creativity with the Silva Method visualization exercises such as the Mental Screen and others http://www.silvamethodlife.com/better-visualization-with-the-silva-method/.
Many of us are taught that “seeing is believing” – but if you want to manifest something that only exists in your mind, you have to believe first and then you’ll see the fruits of your labors. That’s easy when the ingredients are right in front of you, as with the soup: this kind of manifestation is called ‘construction’. Manifesting something when the ingredients are not present requires ‘creation’ instead of construction; or, taking no-thing and making it into something.
The ONLY limitations that exist are the ones you agree to. Believe in your dream, and use the Silva Method to reprogram your conditioned limiting beliefs. Practice visualizing and feeling your intentions until they become normal and accepted ways of thinking and all traces of doubt have been removed. Your desires and your beliefs must be aligned; or you will self-sabotage.
2. Listen to your intuitive guidance. Hunches and gut feelings are your mind’s way of bringing information into your awareness. Think about your intuition this way: if something were not important for you, you would not have become aware of it. Act on your intuition and be grateful that your amazing mind is so capable of digging into the vast resource of your memory bank, as well as immediately honing in on relevant information in your environment. You won’t get a text message from your mind with a juicy tidbit of information; only a feeling or a hunch.
3. Set your intentions with an attitude of gratitude. You want more, you want better – but if you cannot appreciate what you have right now, your intentions will be tainted with the mindset and energy of lack. In other words, if all you can focus on is the fact that you don’t have enough money, you can set “more money” intentions all you want, but since you are focused on LACK of money, then “lack of more money” is what you’ll get. It takes practice but you can become sincerely appreciative of every situation, no matter how bad it seems. Look for the hidden lessons and the benefits.
4. What you focus on, expands. Or, what you think about, comes about. So be very specific not only about what you ask for, but how you ask for it. Phrase and visualize your intentions in the present tense. “I am” is a powerful manifesting phrase; say it and feel it often.
5. Learn to receive. Many of us are good at giving and terrible at receiving. But if you keep pushing away compliments, money or gifts by saying, “you shouldn’t have” or “that’s not necessary” then why would anyone want to keep giving you anything? You’re saying you don’t want something (even if you do); and you are denying the giver the joy of giving. Inability to receive is a sign of low self-esteem! Work on your self-reprogramming using the Silva Method; and transform your mindset from ‘I’m not worthy of receiving,’ to happy, cheerful, expectancy that what you set your intention on, WILL come to you.
And relax! Anytime you try to force the process, it will backfire because you are projecting doubt. Keep yourself from tugging at the seedlings by being in the moment. The journey to get to the destination is more fun anyway. Be fascinated with the process; keep visualizing, keep acting on your intuitive guidance, keep working on yourself, and LET GO. Have some fun with your creative genius power of intention!