Tuesday, December 1, 2009

power of intention


the mind is a very powerful tool. in fact, it has more power than the rest of our body combined. some of us set intentions for our yoga class, for our day, our week, month, even our year. in yoga we are asked to revisit the intention that we set at the beginning of class as a simple reminder to bring yourself back into the present moment. but our intention doesn't have to stop there.

your intention can change your total outlook on something. let me give you an example. at my last job there was a guy who came into our offices usually once to twice a week. i'm not sure when it happened but i got really irritated at him and hated to be in his presence. it got to the point that whenever i heard him coming down the hallway i could feel my blood pressure start to rise. if i were a dog, i'd have my hackles up for sure!! i could feel my face scrunch into a scour just as the sound of his voice although i was never this way to his face. i honestly don't remember why i felt this way. one day i had had enough of my own childish and pettiness and decided to make an intention to like him. it was hard at first because i was intending on changing my behavior (and we are creatures of habit, non?!). but each time he came in the office i asked him how he was doing and eventually i noticed that i started genuinely caring how he was. it was no longer a formality, i actually cared. for the next few weeks things got better and better and i started liking him and enjoying talking to him. all of this came about because i had intended to change my outlook on how i saw and felt about this individual.

you can really accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. if there is something you want to change or intend to happen follow these simple steps:
  • write down your goal or intention
  • share your intention with someone, blogging about it, etc. by doing this it will make you accountable and therefore more likely to stick to your goal or intention
  • take one small step towards your goal or intention today
  • acknowledge your accomplishment, no matter how big or small, and continue taking small steps toward your goal or intention
have you reached a goal or set an intention and that you have accomplished? please feel free to share.

image credit ici et ici et ici

11 comments:

Caitlin said...

My NEW intention is that Pitt will beat WVU at their next meeting :-P

Kaileen Elise said...

this post is fantastic. i love your thoughts and the saying at the top. thank you so much for sharing. i set intentions often, but it is always good to have a helpful reminder. here are my intentions for december. hugs and love, ♥kaileenelise

Emily Anne Carson said...

Great post, lovely lady!

Lisa said...

Wonderful post! I'm almost afraid to set an intention as I recognize how powerful even recognition is. Once something is out there to the universe...it sticks. Yet I also know that I'm unconciously setting intentions even now - so I might as well have a say!

Hmmm. An intention is to follow that voice inside me that knows who I am - healthy, creative, beautiful, caring, non-judgmental - and to honor, respect, and FOLLOW all of those things it tells me to do in order to remain true to those characteristics.

Big breath....

Carolyn said...

Melita,

I love how you bring such beautiful food for thought to the table. Intentions for 2010 have been forefront on my mind and your post was exactly what I needed to hear. Merci Beau Coup and many big hugs! xoxo

Karen D said...

What a great post, just what I needed to hear today. I also wanted to say thanks for your comments on my blog, I really appreciate your friendship!

Anonymous said...

melita~ what a lovely post! thank you for sharing. sometimes i get so caught up in the busy-ness of life i am ashamed to admit i forget myself and my intentions for my life. thank you for the reminder.

lots of love to you.

CherryBlossomGirl said...

agree completelly on the power of intention. i trully believe that whatever we want, we can do.

weird that you wrote about that because i just posted on this same subject. but i feel the reverse - i'm feeling overwhelmed by the many many goals i have set to myself. i want to be doing things all the time, i need every minute to count, i have a list of what i should be doing right now...

The Depressed Yogi said...

Recently I set the intention of loving my body as it is right now and not criticizing it everytime I look in the mirror. It has truly worked. Not that I love everything I see, but my intention has definitely shifted things for the better.

Sasa Peace Rocks said...

Brilliant!! I also like your pictures, so cool.

Michele said...

Wow, great post, Melita!!