Will power vs. Intention

[dancer]

I've been reading 'The Power of Getting Rich', tonight and my mind went into a spin when I read: 'You do not need to apply your will to things, in order to compel them to come to you.'

I should probably finish the chapter before posting, but... I have to seriously wonder if I am using my will or am I using LOA? I want a job and I am using every bit of my will and therefore, very much applying will to my intention. Could this be an ah ah moment...

I've contemplated why I am not getting what I want when in the past I have. I've also been working on limiting beliefs. But still to no avail. When things have come to me easily in the past, I've either just thrown a thought out there or decided I wanted to do something etc. Simple. Now, I'm stressing, demanding, if you like, for the job to come to me. (Of course I'm applying for jobs.) And as my past history suggests when my will has been involved then life got tough.

Somewhere on this forum I read: add 'Universe make it happen" to the end of intentions. It felt a bit bossy, but I tried it for a while. Make it happen isn't that willful?

I hope, I make sense cause I'm... gosh, I'm not clear and am not really sure what my point is. There are a lot of people here who have read the book, have any of you given will power vs. intention thought?

I am not the only one here who is desperately wanting something and not getting it. We are all chasing our tails trying to work out what we are doing wrong and/or wondering why we are creating lives that are not making us happy. Gosh, my main intention just now, is to have a job. Fundemental stuff! Most of the other things on my list are about being a better person, love etc. My life is basically on hold cause, let's face it, what can you do if you can only scrape together money for the bills. I am not crying like a victim, I know I am responsible for my life. I'm just having problems with life's steering wheel and trying to rectify it.

Sorry for the mind dump... Very interested in hearing your comments or answers to my questions.

One more question - is there a fine-line between will power and intending?

[Acting Like Godot]

This is my opinion:

Willpower implies resistance. In other words, you want X, but you see that there are various big obstacles A, B, C, D, E blocking your way. And you need willpower to overcome those obstacles.

Whereas the book you're reading talks about the non-necessity of will. In other words, you want X, and there is no resistance because there are no obstacles. You ask, and it is given.

If you read the latest Abraham Hicks book "The Astonishing Power of Emotions", you'll see that one of its major propositions is that the optimal way to be, do or have what you want, is to relax, be positive, and let the universe bring you what you want. The attitude of relaxed, positive confidence is key.

Of course, easier said than done.

[sunj]

Lets look at it this way. Will vs Imagination (intention). Imagination will always win. Sometimes you may force yourself to do something, but you will not change yourself much at all. My personal example, fear of public speaking. I was forced to do it because I wanted good grades, all the time I viewed in my mind how bad it was going to be. I did it 10+ times, but still I would be fearful. After doing it all those times you would think that the intensity of the fear would lessen, but it was the same. Not until I saw myself doing it in my mind without picturing something bad happening that I lessened its intensity. You can do it through will power but it's a longer path, much longer.

So picture how you want it to result in your mind and just feel how it would be and don't worry about it. After you do it a several times, the next time you do what you visualized it will have a better outcome. For strong fears, it will take lots of visualizing day-to-day to lessen the fear. I have other incidents in my life where this has been the case.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

the optimal way to be, do or have what you want, is to relax, be positive, and let the universe bring you what you want. The attitude of relaxed, positive confidence is key.

Of course, easier said than done.

I've noticed this is the same advice given to people who want relationships.
The key seems to be total detachment, while at the same time expecting things to turn out well for you. So you're in a state of allowing, and feeling good, and from there, the actions you take are natural, the logical next step, and there's no feeling of exerting yourself against resistance.

It is easier said than done but it's the same answer that keeps coming up.

[dancer]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

This is my opinion:

Willpower implies resistance. In other words, you want X, but you see that there are various big obstacles A, B, C, D, E blocking your way. And you need willpower to overcome those obstacles.

Whereas the book you're reading talks about the non-necessity of will. In other words, you want X, and there is no resistance because there are no obstacles. You ask, and it is given.

Actually, I understand your opinion and Wattles to be of the same. He says that you should not project your will on others, things or the universe and that the will should only be used on oneself to overcome unbelief. Or have I misunderstood you opinion?

[RT Wolf]

Yep, you understand an important principle of allowing there.

I mentioned that in my post here:

Mind-Manual » A Quantum Leap in Intention-Manifestation

Don’t “try”. This is a tough one for many people to grasp cause we try to control and consciously force and will things to happen. Successful IM is not about willpower or force, its about putting out the intention and then detaching from it. Let go and trust. Read the chapter called the Law of Least Effort in Deepak Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Secrets of Success for info on this. You can find that chapter online here.

I dunno if you've done sports or something like that. I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of "trying too hard". In say basketball, you're doing 3-point shots and if you haven't gotten any shots in for a while, you may start to get frustrated and you start trying harder, you throw the ball harder or higher or faster. You try to make the whole thing a lot more conscious, but that's not the right way. Your body and your mind already know how to sink 3-pointers. You just need to relax, let go, accept, be at peace in the present moment and trust that you can do it. Easier said thgan done.

For people who are stuck, remember that learning to use IM is a skill, so it can be described using this model:

Mind-Manual » 4 Stages of How You Learn!

Every day, we're getting closer to being really good at it like ALG or Paul. Take the long view of a couple of years. You keep trying and you keep getting better, and eventually you'll make it. In fact your epiphany or light bulb going off could be any day now. You could have a massive quantum leap tomorrow, who knows.

[dancer]

Originally Posted by cylon

I've noticed this is the same advice given to people who want relationships.
The key seems to be total detachment, while at the same time expecting things to turn out well for you. So you're in a state of allowing, and feeling good, and from there, the actions you take are natural, the logical next step, and there's no feeling of exerting yourself against resistance.

It is easier said than done but it's the same answer that keeps coming up.

This is too funny, because when I wrote the post, I thought about relationships and pure willpower will not get you anywhere. Ironically, it is easy to focus willpower externally than apply it internally.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

You just need to relax, let go, accept, be at peace in the present moment and trust that you can do it. Easier said thgan done.

I'm teaching myself to play piano using a software program that gives me a score on how well I play the piece. One was difficult for me, I kept tripping up over certain notes. I got frustrated and was making MORE mistakes than I was before I got frustrated. Somehow I said "oh whatever, I'm doing this just for fun anyway. You'll get it eventually" and immediately played it flawlessly, all the way through.

This is what I see as the main block to manifesting. We do things and feel good. I enjoyed playing that piece. I enjoy doing a good job at work, recording a song, having a fun conversation with friends, whatever. All of those things are technically "doing something".

So we see an alternate way of living... and we think it's going to take away the joy of "doing something" that we're used to, a sense of "I did that!" It makes us feel good everytime we successfully interact with our environment, no matter what it is.

But all the things I mentioned, that are "doing something", why are they so enjoyable? Because you weren't really "doing" anything at all. Sure you were going through the motions with your hands or speech, but the REASON it was fun, was because it "just happened", meaning it happend THROUGH you. If you were exercising "will power", you may have a good result, but where is the joy in that?

The ego is reinforced by "I did that--good for ME", but the most enjoyable things are when you forget you are doing it. It just feels good, so the physical actions just TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

I think this is the basis for the "it's called the law of attr--ACTION". People don't want to separate themselves from that ego based need to take credit for what they accomplish. We're addicted to the struggle. And we all know, addiction is not necessarily FUN.

Hope I'm making some sense here.

[RT Wolf]

Analogy!

Imagine you've got a secretary who's awesome. You just need to explain things to him once and he just gets it. In fact, he responds to your every littlest whim pretty much instantly. You totally trust this secretary.

Contrast that with another secretary, he's an idiot. You have to repeat things, or at least put a lot of emphasis and put what you want in BOLD and even then you just sorta hope. You don't really trust this secretary.

I think its pretty obvious: the universe becomes the effective secretary if you really trust it and it becomes ineffective if you don't trust it, much like people. People have a strange way of doing better when they feel trusted than not, too. A potential solution might be to personify the universe. If you believe in God, that helps, I suppose cause you have one thing ot sorta focus your trust and belief on. If you don't believe in a diety, its tougher to focus on something like that, you just have to trust and believe. I also figured out why I didn't believe strongly. I was holding myself back because I was afraid of ridicule if I potentially said that this stuff was working for me, partially cause I considered myself a rational, logical person, but those are just tools I use, I am not the embodiment of an idealogy (which it really is). It also realyl didn't help to think of every intention as a test of IM, and if it didn't work I'd be wrong.

Here was my solution: I meditate for at elast 15 minutes a day now, and i'll often put out intentions when I get to a deep state. If you're interested, i start by setting an intention for the meditation (Ie, I want to meditate for fifteen minutes). I do a little mindful breathing and follow my breath for a little bit as a warmup, then do a countdown a la paul, sometimes from 50, sometimes from less. Once i get to a deep state, i set my intentions and detach from them. The feeling of detachment is like, "It'd be cool if this stuff happened, but its ok if it doesn't". The meditation, when done early in the day alost puts me in a peaceful allowing state, so it relaxes me, too, so I can see the manifestations of my intentions. If you haven't been doing meditation at all yet, I highly recommend a 15 minute meditation (the time flies, and it feels great, too, blissful) a day 30-day trial. It's really improved the accuracy of my IMing. I've been getting at least one or two synchronisities a day lately, and have a pretty good hit rate of my intentions for the same day, mostly cause I intend smaller stuff I have less resistance to, usually between one and four intentions. I'm going to start keeping stricter track of the intentions I put out and comparing them to results more once exams are over.

Yar.

[RT Wolf]

Heya cylon. I totally agree with what you said abotu doing this just for fun. We get our egos involved and go, if this doesn't work then I'll be wrong and that'll be soooo bad.

I also TOTALLY know what you mean about struggle, and posted about it here:I want challenges?. After that, I realized that for me, too it was about credit. If something came too easily, I can't brag about it. It's like picking up a piece of lint and bragging about how strong you are, or beating a 10 year old at chess.

Relax and let go and trust and play with it. Good advice.

[cylon]

I'm going to tweak your analogy, mine will be a hot chick secretary, and I think I'll call her Moneypenny.

I hear you when it comes to what other people may think. I can't exclude myself from this but most people see life as an uphill struggle, and they get their identity from it. So anything that goes against that, goes against their identity (ego). They would rather have the struggle and the ego gratifaction that comes from "paying your dues". As a human I don't think you can FULLY escape that, but are most people happy? Do most people enjoy their lives? I think they are "workin' for the weekend" and any joy they may experience is in spite of all the crap they see in their lives.

And transitioning from that mindset into the mellow dude I'm becoming, I can feel my own resistance. I've had several synchronicities, they increase, but part of me says "no--this is weird--be like everyone else and TRY HARD so you can complain and gossip".

But I have to look at the evidence, and that is, the times where I've just gone with the flow, and felt good, it felt as if things were happening THROUGH me, and in the end, the tasks I was working on came out much better than when I was working against myself. It always feels good. Not what I'm used to. My ACTION plan is to learn to get out of my own way.

I believe people have serious issues with being happy.

I've tried something similar with meditating, counting from 20 to One then repeating it. It does feel good. Time changes. And like you, when I have come out of it is when the synchronicities seem to multiply, and I embrace them. When they happen and I'm stressed out, they just scare me and make me think I'm going nuts. I'm going to try the "this would be cool" thing too.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by dancer

This is too funny, because when I wrote the post, I thought about relationships and pure willpower will not get you anywhere. Ironically, it is easy to focus willpower externally than apply it internally.

It won't. Seems that when you love yourself first, and don't really care too much if you have a relationship, is when they start happening. Part of me wants to fight that. It's scary to let go, I feel like I should be struggling at it. But it is what it is. Happy people find relationships, period.

[dancer]

Thanks, Cylon. I needed a reminder to have fun with LOA, job hunting and life. I believe in LOA and believe everyone is doing it without knowing they are doing it. My frustration is that when making a consious effort at it, I head upstream. I'm going to intend some fun for tomorrow!

RT, thanks for reminding me to relax. Glad you got your bike back! I haven't read Chopra's chapter yet. Too beat! Tommorrow.

Really glad I posted tonight. I feel relief and when my head hits the pillow, it's a knockout. Hopefully, I'll dream LOA and wake up energized for all the fun stuff.

Night...

[dancer]

Originally Posted by cylon

It won't. Seems that when you love yourself first, and don't really care too much if you have a relationship, is when they start happening. Part of me wants to fight that. It's scary to let go, I feel like I should be struggling at it. But it is what it is. Happy people find relationships, period.

I agree and disagree. When you switch off relationships to catch a breath, heal, grow, find yourself again, whatever, you send out a message of not being available. Then when you are feeling good and ready to get back on the horse, you flick an internal switch and start noticing people checking you out. That's how it has always worked for me. My switch is off at the mo, but I'm cool with that cause when I'm ready, I know it will happen. But, having said that, perhaps I should have some fun.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by dancer

When you are feeling good and ready to get back on the horse, you flick an internal switch and start noticing people checking you out.

Right. Feel good, notice people checking you out---meaning, you're happy, and you're open to receiving a relationship. You couldn't be happy if you NEEDED a relationship, and that would send out those vibes of not being available. Because you're not "available" really, as in, emotionally available.
When you get to that allowing state, all good things can come to you. All this is finally sinking in for me.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

You could have a massive quantum leap tomorrow, who knows.

Lol, reviewing this thread this popped out, because the other day I was reading SP's blog where he mentioned the quantum leap. This morning I was trying to take stock of all the changes that I'm going through mentally, emotionally, spritually, and I was thinking "hey maybe I'm about to make a quantum leap here!" So it's cool to see you mention that.

edit--it's in your sig too, I remember reading that part of your blog. QL's for everyone!

[Jennihul]

I am not the only one here who is desperately wanting something and not getting it.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Bingo!

What are you feeling? Desperate. What do you get? More reasons to feel desperate.

I'll forward my bill.

Jennifer

[RT Wolf]

Sexy Spanish accent: Manifesting somezing is like making love to a fine woman (or man).

Be cool--not care. Do not try too hard! Women are like animals! They sense fear and desperation--turn off! If somezing does not manifest, zen what is ze worst that could happen? Be careful! If you cannot stand it not manifesting, you will have trouble detaching and zen it really will not manifest--my name is Enrique!

Seriously though, there's a surprisingly number of correlations between how the universe works and how people work. One of the pet peeves of everyone I know is if they have a partner who is needy or desperate.

Spend some time thinking about your last job, or another job nad the good aspects on it. See, every day, you are constantly observing nto having a job, and that's not useful because observation is creation. Try getting up at a time you would like to go to your job, putting on clothes as if you were going to work and then spending a "work day" doing stuff.

[dancer]

Thank you everyone for your advice and support, I have a better understanding, now, not just about LOA, but about me, too. I'm still mulling it and am confident I'll be practicing it more and more.

Jennihul, yep you were spot on. 'llI pay your bill with an insight sometime in the future.

RT, thanks for your links. They helped a lot.

I also realised I don't visualise so much. Actually, I worry about where the next dollar is going to come from and why I'm not getting what I want. So, this adds to the desperation and I am left with the result I have. Ha! But, it is all cool, as it is a heck of a learning lesson.

[robc]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

"It'd be cool if this stuff happened, but its ok if it doesn't".
Yar.

- here's a question, doesn't telling the universe that it's ok if it doesn't happen manifest that. You're telling the universe that it's ok if the intention doesn't manifest so it gives you exactly that. I thought the LOA principle was to ask for what you want, get into alignment with the intention and believe that you will receive it - just don't question how long it takes and in what manner it comes. I can understand removing focus but saying that it's ok if it doesn't happen pretty much invites what you're asking for.

- Am I thinking this too much?

[RT Wolf]

That's detachment.

Mind-Manual

The Law Of Detachment

[Acting Like Godot]

See, typically you will put a lot of thought energy into your desire.

When it doesn't manifest, you will tend to put a lot of thought into why it didn't happen. Which means you're focusing in the opposite direction (bad, bad).

It's much preferable to simply detach and say, "I'm ok if this doesn't happen", and get on with your life.

Because you probably won't put a lot of thought energy into "I'm ok if this doesn't happen". YET it will serve the critical function of preventing you from swerving into the opposite direction (of focusing on your lack).

In other words, it is best to focus positively on your intention. It is worst to focus negatively on your intention. If you cannot do the best thing, you should still avoid doing the worst thing. Just drop the focus completely and go do other stuff in your life.

Remember, the positive intention you'd earlier placed into the universe is still out. Leave it alone, and it may still do its job. Negatively focus, and you will just kill it completely.

[bf1983]

Yes, this is right. Maybe we should all be a bit more patient and wait for things to turn out alright in the end as we hope they will.

Surely LOA will come good if only you can give it your all whilst not focusing on it too much either (if that makes sense!).

[robc]

[QUOTE=RT Wolf;166614]That's detachment.
QUOTE]

Quoting Steve Pavlina:
"If you want to achieve a goal, you must clear out all the “hopefully” and “maybe” and “can’t” nonsense from your consciousness. You cannot allow yourself the luxury of a negative thought, and that is an intention to manifest what you don’t want. This takes practice of course, but it is the essential art of learning to use your consciousness to create what you want. When you are congruent in your thoughts, your goal will manifest with ease. But when you are incongruent in your thoughts, you will manifest conflict and obstacles. As within, so without."

That's the part that is fuzzy for me. I can understand removing focus from the original intention, just put the intention out there with emotion, put yourself in alignment with the end result and trust that will come about. But making part of the intention "it's ok if it doesn't happen" seems like it sets you up to not receive what your intending. Being "congruent" with your thoughts as Steve put makes more sense - if you want something, intend it and make it clear is how I understand it from Steve's perspective. If I say "I would like this but it's ok if I don't get it", doesn't that somehow have me sitting on both sides of the fence and so if I don't get it, I've intended it because I said I'm ok if it doesn't happen.

I think I'm thinking too hard about this, aren't I.
Forgive me, I'm still a noob at all this, with a voracious appetite for all of this subject matter - it's just so powerful & intriguing.

[aabbcc]

Originally Posted by robc

But making part of the intention "it's ok if it doesn't happen" seems like it sets you up to not receive what your intending.

Maybe think about it this way ...

You aren't saying that you don't want your intention to manifest. You are saying that you are happy with your life and you are keeping your vibration high. By saying that you are okay with things the way they are, you aren't stressing over your intention and building the resistance that will keep it from manifesting.

[dancer]

If using "I'm ok if this doesn't happen" feels wrong then don't use it. Find something else that feels less stressful.

If you are obsessing and checking in with the status of the intention 100 times a day, well aren't you trying to micro manage it? The micro manager, in reality, is saying I don't believe it is going to get done on time or at all, and I don't trust you can do your job. Instead of assisting you in getting the job done, he just creates a whole lot of stress for you and for himself. FEAR & TRUST. Acknowledge that you might have some fear related to the intention and surrender to it. Be aware of what other thoughts come up and accept whatever it is you are feeling. Don't push it away or pretend those feelings are not there, cause it will just come back with more intensity. I've been experimenting with surrending to my negative emotions/thoughts and am experiencing positive changes. I really recommend it. Not only will you increase the chance of the intention manifesting, you also create a more relaxed and peaceful life.

Recently, I experimented with putting an intention into a pink bubble and watched it float off into the universe. I totally forgot I did it. When reading this post, I realised the intention did manifest. Try it,

[richloaguy]

"will power" is pretty ambiguous.

I personally take "st.Johns wart" vitamin because it aids willpower.

I also meditate as prescribed by Wolf (thanks wolf).

It takes willpower to meditate. Yet you can meditate for willpower.

isn't it all willpower. Willing your thoughts vs. Intending your thoughts?

The answer I will give is that LOA is magic in the merlin sense. Hard work is only part of the equation if you make it so. This is your reality. choose wisely.

wayne