4 Guidelines for Setting Your Intention
According to a university study, 8% of people accomplish their New Year’s resolutions.
This is because having the intention to change is not enough to cause change. How wonderful it would be if we could simply choose to be different!
We are the way we are, with the heart qualities we have and the problems that accompany such hearts, for good reason.
The desire to change is certainly necessary, but it is not sufficient. To create change, your desire must be consciously declared as a specific intention, and then the intention must be carried out by a method appropriate to that intention.
Choosing an intention has certain rules, and accomplishment has different rules. Let’s review the four guidelines for forming an intention:
1. Is your intention so clear that you have an objective end-goal? That is, will someone else be able to verify that you’ve satisfied your intention? If you set an intention that no one else can confirm, how will you be able to throw a party to celebrate your success?
2. Is this intention worthy of you? Are you worthy of it? Does it offend your idealism in some way? Would it make you proud? Doing something small will make you small; doing something big will make you great.
3. Would you really love to follow your intention? Don’t intend to become an elephant-trainer if you don’t love elephants. To succeed, you’ll be spending a lot of time with this; you might as well choose something that you love to do.
4. Is your intention achievable in nine months or less? If not, it wasn’t conceived correctly — it was too big, too vague, or unprepared. Scale back, and make it better defined.
The universe is designed to respond to you; you are the active agent, and the infinite resources of the universe are at your disposal. You program the universe by holding a specific intention.
The more specific and whole-hearted your intention is, the more quickly the universe will arrange itself to assist you in its accomplishment.
Blessings on your meditations,
Puran Bair Chancellor, The University of the Heart
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