The Supremacy of Intentions
Photo by Norbert Buduczki on Unsplash
Setting a strong intention is essential if you want to get unstuck or change a bad habit. Strong intentions provide the necessary motivation and focus to overcome the resistance and obstacles that arise when trying to alter an entrenched way of thinking or behaving.
When you set a strong intention, you are making a commitment to yourself. This commitment creates a sense of purpose and clarity around the goal, which helps to keep you on track when you’re working through the change process.
For example, when you sit down to meditate, you intend to watch your breath and limit the time your mind wanders. Without that skillful intention, no one would improve their capacity for concentration. The mind has a habit of wandering. When it inevitably does, because you primed yourself to limit mind wandering, your subconscious will wake you up out of the reverie more quickly.
Intentions work the same in daily life. My daughter has a cat that I’m not in love with. When it’s hungry, it yells at me with loud, angry, and incessant meows, especially in the morning. Oh, how I hated waking up to that cat screeching at me—not a peaceful way to start my day. Finally, turned this situation into a spiritual challenge. I strongly intend to just watch, breathe, open to the screeching, and calmly make my coffee. After having metaphorically put on my own oxygen mask first, then I’d feed the cat.
It took months before the reflex to unclench my teeth and relax my body was replaced by a calmness that allowed me to just witness the experience without emotion. The cat hasn’t changed one bit. But gratefully, I have, which has made all the difference.
If you want to change or get yourself unstuck, setting a strong intention will also help you cultivate a positive mindset. By focusing on the benefits of changing difficult circumstances, the mind becomes more receptive to change. This can help to reduce resistance and make it easier to adopt new habits and behaviors.
Setting strong intentions is crucial when trying to change anything. It provides motivation, focus, and clarity, helps to cultivate a positive mindset, and makes it easier to overcome resistance and obstacles.
What habit or circumstance do you want to change? Email me. Tell me what you want to change and what intention you plan to set to help you achieve your goal. I’d love to hear from you and offer support.
Yours truly,
Mark