Intention, Attention & Action – Part 1

These are the three ingredients for success in life and the means to achieve happiness!

INTENTION is the seed,

ATTENTION is how you nourish that seed,

ACTION is the harvesting of that seed.

Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love. Everything that happens in the universe begins with intention.

Deepak Chopra, MD

If you have an intention, it means that you are ready to do something. You may not have everything planned out, but you know what the end goal is, and you have made a commitment to achieve that end goal.

Floundering would be the opposite of setting an attention.Someone going through life without setting intentions is like a sailor floating aimlessly at sea with no destination in mind.

Sometimes we don’t have a clear intention, but we have an image of something we want. That’s the place to start. That’s the beginning.

How does someone set an intention? What’s the process?

Deepak Chopra, MD, describes the 5 steps to set an intention:

1. Slip into the Gap

The “gap” is described as the state of pure awareness, when we quiet the mind, temporarily halting the “noisy internal dialogue”. Meditation is one of the tools to achieve that quieting.

2. Release Your Intentions and Desires

In order for your intentions and desires to take root, you need to release them by planting them. This is best done right after you have finished meditating. You plant the intentions and desires simply by not questioning them anymore. Repeat this step in the process every day for a few days.

3. Remain Centered in a State of Restful Awareness

Rather than seeing the intention as something you lack or need, stay centered in the awareness that everything is all right, even though you may not yet know how or when the intention will manifest.

4. Detach from the Outcome

You can believe in the power and wisdom of your intention without becoming attached to a specific result. Part of the intention is instilling the belief that everything will work out as it should. That detachment will allow the opportunities to come your way more easily.

5. Let the Universe Handle the Details

By remaining focused on your intentions, you can trust that the outcome will be in your best interests. Our monkey minds tell us that we must stay “in charge” in order to get anything done. You have done the work to identify your intentions and plant them in fertile ground. Release your need to control when and how they will bloom.

To aid you in setting your intentions, listen to this meditation on a daily basis: