“The starting point of every dream is the creative power that fulfills all our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love. Intention is the starting point of every dream.” ~Deepak Chopra
It’s January 2019, a new year, a clean slate and we are all breathing that collective, I-get-a-do-over sigh of relief. Or are we? We are halfway through January now and I wonder how many have valiantly held onto their New Year’s Resolutions for 2019? Or perhaps like me you are no longer interested in making constrictive resolutions and are instead choosing to jump ship for the more expansive, forgiving bandwagon of setting intentions. I have known for some time now, setting resolutions is not the answer to setting the tone for a marvelous new year ahead. Intuitively, I have always felt there was a difference between the two. So like most looking for collective, if not legitimate guidance, I decided to google it.
Making a resolution seemed harsher somehow—a set-up for failure. After all, I just read that the success rate for resolutions is only 8%. And a 92% failure rate is bound to generate a lot of guilt and self-loathing. Not exactly the best way to start out a new year. Resolution, resolute…the sound of the words even crash loudly on the ears. Resolute – firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. Resolution – a firm decision to do or not do something. Year after year, the masses resolve to absolutely, 100% keep their New Year’s goals only to see them fall by the proverbial wayside long before February is closing the door on January.
Setting an intention seemed like a gentler route, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. I have always said intention is very important. Pay attention to what you intend. Intention is the motivation, the creative, conscious energy behind your thoughts, emotions and actions. But can we not have intention driving our resolutions?? You can and if your willpower or want-power, for lack of a better word, is strong enough, you just might achieve some of those New Year’s goals. Afterall, there is nothing wrong with a good goal. But I’ve found those goals tend to be quite lofty for most and are more about what we think we should or shouldn’t do rather than want we really want to do. An intention, on the other hand, is more of a positive call to action about something you want to do rather than something you don’t want but again feel that you “should.”
The Vedic text, more commonly known as the Upanishads states: “You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.
Setting an intention is a gentler, more subtle way of giving meaning to our lives. It can be as simple as changing our attitude about something. And in fact, attitude is very important when setting intentions. In addition, they can be set daily, weekly or monthly. Whereas with resolutions, they are set at the beginning of the year with the expectation that those changes be initiated all year long.
Here are a just a few examples of intentions to get those creative juices flowing:
- Practice Mindfulness
- Stretch your Body
- Relax More
- Celebrate Life with Joy
- Embrace Vulnerability
- Practice Self-Awareness
- Connect with Love with Yourself and Others
- Embrace Change
- Lead by Example
So intend that deepest desire. The sky does not limit you, only you limit you! And with your intentions, intend to become a better version of you tomorrow, than who you already are today. Do that, and you will be doing exactly what the Universe has intended for us all.
Peace and Blessings in this New Year of 2019!
Interested in exploring the thoughts and ideas in this article further? Please feel free to contact me at 314-502-9072 or kelly@happy-brain.com
Kelly Locker is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Hypnotherapist at Happy Brain Counseling, LLC.