IMAN BENET / Living With Intention
Intention is the starting point of every dream. Every desire. Every goal. Every change that has ever come to be, started with a clear intention.
Intentions influence our lived experience. Intentions set the tone for how we act, where to go and who to surround ourselves with.
Intent comes from our soul and represents our deepest desires. What we focus our attention on grows. When we set intentions, we are readjusting the focus on what it is we would like to experience in our lives. Living intentionally is not necessarily about controlling our thoughts, but redirecting them, pointing them in the right direction. The process of setting intentions declares to yourself, others and to the universe, that you are serious about your dreams and your goals. It set’s the tone for how to act, where to go, and who to surround yourself with.
“The process of setting intentions declares to yourself, others and to the universe, that you are serious about your dreams and your goals.”
Intention, or lack thereof, is what determines the outcome of our lives.
Have you ever gone into a grocery store without a list of the things you actually need? Usually, what ends up happening is you spend way more time, money, and energy acquiring things that you didn’t really want, and definitely didn’t need in the first place. The same concept applies when it comes to living an intentional life vs. an unintentional life.
If the life that you’re living is not one of intention and deliberate creation, is it really YOUR life that you are living, after all?
How do you step out of helplessness and reclaim your power to create the life you deserve?
PREPARATION IS KEY
Set aside some time and start with an open mind and a full heart. Intention setting is a sacred act. Treat it as such.
GRAB A NOTEBOOK
It can be any notebook, but I like to dedicate one specific notebook to my intention-setting alone. It helps me to be more deliberate in my writing, because I know when I pull out that notebook, it’s time to put everything else aside and get intentional. Make sure to write in permanent ink. No pencils. Being intentional with every word means erasing will not be necessary here.
SET THE MOOD
Turn off any distractions including your phone. Take a bath or a shower to wash away any old stale energy from the day, burn some sage, or some Palo Santo to clear the air. Light some candles if you wish. Do what you can to be as present in this moment as possible.
CENTER YOURSELF
Take a moment to center yourself. This can be in the form of meditation, or just taking a few mindful breaths before you begin writing, but take the time to ground yourself in the moment in front of you. Be Here Now. This is crucial. Once centered, go through these exercises:
Take responsibility for where you are at RIGHT NOW. This is where the power lies. When you can accept that your own beliefs and choices, conscious or unconscious, brought you exactly to where you are right now in this moment, you also, simultaneously except the fact that you also have the power to transform your life into what it was meant to be all along. You are the only one in the driver’s seat.
What do you intend? Be clear. Be deliberate. Be sure to phrase your intention into an affirmation. If your intention is “I will overcome self-doubt” reaffirm that into, “I am confident in all that I do” or “I am willing to look at this situation differently.” The phrase “I will” pushes your affirmation into the future. Starting off each of your sentences with “I am” or “I have” is one of the most powerful things you can ever do. Write it down. Be specific.
Believe in your whole heart that is is already yours. You already are that best version of yourself; it is only a matter of getting out of your own way and believing it for yourself. There is only one difference between a person who believes in magic and one who does not: A person who believes chooses to find magic in even the smallest everyday things, noticing synchronicities and small miracles. The others, simply do not. Both are correct in their beliefs. However, one’s experience is a hell of a lot more magical than the others. It’s that simple. I’ll say it again; you are the one who gets to choose what you experience. Make sure to choose wisely.
Let go and let flow. Once you’ve gotten clear and written down what it is you intend. Stop there. Do not over think it, set the tone and then let it be. There is no need to wait by the phone and obsess about when you’re going to get a call back from the universe. Trusting that your intention has been received is half of the battle. Let the universe do its part in bringing you what you seek, at the perfect time. I recommend doing your intention setting right before bed so that you can go right to sleep afterwards and wake up the next day with a fresh mindset. This way you can avoid getting in the way of your creations by not overthinking the details of the outcome.
—Iman
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