Your Intention is Your Being?

[mercuryrising]

LOA, the Secret, whatever seems to focus on attracting certain objects into your reality. I thought it might be more powerful to focus on what you want to become.

For example, if you want a mansion, money, beautiful women and superstars hanging around you, then your intention would be to become Hugh Hefner as opposed to attracting all those things independent of each other. (I don't mean to be sexist here, it was just the first example off the top of my head).

What's your opinion?

[wolfgang]

I think that is the only real intention we can have - to be. all else is just having fun but we can't have fun if we aren't first in Being. So actually I'm taking it a step further, for IMing what one "wants to become" still is a future thing - instead of maybe IMing for connecting with Being.

Well, let me try that again. The best intention we all can have, is to be able to feel our Being or to be one with Life. Once we feel that we don't need to run around trying to be satisfied and manifest things. However, we get to manifest things to have fun. And, come to think of it, that how it works. If we are trying to manifest out of wanting things that we think we lack, that doesn't work. Only once we feel comfortable and accepting and allow, then we get to play. something like that, perhaps...

[jawillie]

I am focusing on being, too. Being abundance works for me... if you have ever seen the Angel of Abundance, you will note she is giving her abundance away... and still has a full jar (of whatever she is giving away). So one of my intentions is: "I am abundance, resources flow through me" Then I practice being that. Giving every chance I get. Sometimes that is money, sometimes it is my time, a smile, a helping hand, understanding, love, compassion.... Which brings to me the other things I am being: Love, compassion, etc... All those feel good words.

I find if I focus too much on stuff I get way off track and frustrated. (The last five days have been like that for me, until today when I had a great meditation at noon that brought me back to my true intentions).

Maybe it's because I don't believe deep down yet that I can have that stuff... I see a Mercedes sports car and I don't feel excitement. But, when I see the Angel of Abundance I feel excited. So... who knows?? LOL

I tried to make a vision board of my dream house and dream car, but it feels fake. So, I need to start over with images that actually super-charge my soul. My Abundance angel will be there along with images of nature. Those make me feel more complete than the car and the house.... I still want the car and house.. or do I?? Hmm... maybe I really don't?? Naw.. a nice house on the lake? I would love that! LOL

[Angela]

Yay! Another Be-er exists!!!

Mercuryrising, I would always encourage anyone to skip the having (the middleman) and go directly to the being. I personally don't find the possibility of being Hugh Hefner very inspiring. But he does have qualities and conditions that might inspire me -- things like abundance, sensuality, and boldness. The really good news is that you don't have to wait to "become" these things -- you can generate them right now, right this very moment.

What qualities or conditions (ways of being) inspire you?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Focusing on Being is really a win-win because all of those other things end up coming to you anyway...and even if they did not, you would be so joyful it wouldn't matter.

[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by Angela

Yay! Another Be-er exists!!!

Mercuryrising, I would always encourage anyone to skip the having (the middleman) and go directly to the being. I personally don't find the possibility of being Hugh Hefner very inspiring. But he does have qualities and conditions that might inspire me -- things like abundance, sensuality, and boldness. The really good news is that you don't have to wait to "become" these things -- you can generate them right now, right this very moment.

What qualities or conditions (ways of being) inspire you?

That is the million dollar question, isn't it? I've been thinking about it all night at work. The possibilities open up like a view of the grand canyon. It's almost too much.

You said sensuality... I've always been a cerebral kind of guy, but it's when I get out of my head and into my body that I feel inspired. If I could be anything at this moment, I would be a lover in all aspects of the word. A lover of the world and everything in it.

And as you pointed out, I can be anything at this moment.

Thanks for the comment Angela.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by mercuryrising

You said sensuality... I've always been a cerebral kind of guy, but it's when I get out of my head and into my body that I feel inspired. If I could be anything at this moment, I would be a lover in all aspects of the word. A lover of the world and everything in it.

Well, that is a very inspiring way of being to me! I think when you can express your desired way of being in a way that inspires others, you know you're on to something big.

What would be possible in your life if you were being a lover of the world? In your career, your friendships, your romantic life, your exercise/vitality, and other areas of your life? What would you be creating?

[donna]

this discussion brings up an issue i have been pondering...maybe at a deep level we manifest that which we believe we are. If we believe we are one with the universe, (that we are all connected), and that the universe is abundant & is, basically, love, then maybe we just need to hold that awareness for good things to flow....this seems very general, though, so is it best then to leave it at that or to envision specific desires?
I have been confused by the seeming contradiction of the 12 step (recovery model) wisdom which is based on the "let go and let god" philosophy, or, seeking to follow a higher wisdom - and the LOA model where you seek to follow your own desires - one seems to say "my will be done" and the other, "your will (that of the universe - does it really have a will?) be done".....

i am confused. any comments would be great! thanks!

[Lil Chris]

I'm intrigued by this conversation and line of thinking (but don't quite understand). Currently i'm experiencing ankylosing spondilitis (a fusing of the spine and painful arthritis). Now according to this topic I'm "being" unhealthy. How do I get to a state of being healthy...? I realize i'm living in a state of "flux" and things can and always do change and I think i'm the one in charge, but how do I take control... Am I making any sense? Please help me to understand...

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Lil Chris

I'm intrigued by this conversation and line of thinking (but don't quite understand). Currently i'm experiencing ankylosing spondilitis (a fusing of the spine and painful arthritis). Now according to this topic I'm "being" unhealthy. How do I get to a state of being healthy...? I realize i'm living in a state of "flux" and things can and always do change and I think i'm the one in charge, but how do I take control... Am I making any sense? Please help me to understand...

Lil Chris, your way of being lies in your response and your choice, not in what happens. Ankylosing spondilitis happens. And yes, being unhealthy is one way of being you could choose around that. And there are many other ways of being you could choose. It sounds like controlling is one way of being that is appealing to you right now, but at the same time, not giving you a whole lot of power.

Is there an empowering or inspiring way of being that you might take on? One way to find an empowering or inspiring way of being is to look at what you are currently being (response-wise, like controlling) and see what that's costing you and others, then see what arises out of that.

For instance, in the throes of my depression this past winter, I looked boldly and saw that I was being second-rate. (I was believing the thought that I was second-rate.) Believing that thought had me feeling powerless, sad, dead, stopped, resentful, and exhausted. It left others in my life feeling baffled, sad, unsatisfied, separate, and pulled down. The possibility that arose for me was being Free -- that really inspired me and was a way of being that I was willing to adopt right then and there. Just remembering inventing that possibility for myself has me feeling good right now. At the time, it was a wonderful platform that launched me to be free of the anti-depressants and psychiatrist that were doing more harm than good. It also had me feeling a little bit better, so that I could get up and exercise, and make good food and lots of water a priority. Most of all, Being Free was the kick in the butt that really helped me in making a clean and loving break with the job I had been doing for 5 years, but no longer enjoyed.

The way of being that will make a difference in your life is not so obvious as "being healthy." Take a look and see what you're being that has life occurring for you now the way that it does. You might see something that surprises the heck out of you.

Angela

[jawillie]

The way I understand it is that you can still BE, regardless of your outer circumstances. The body is not YOU... it is part of you, but it is not YOU. If you believe you are a SOUL (not a body with a soul, but a soul with a body) then you can disconnect even from your body. Have you ever known anyone suffer from cancer? I have been very close to some. They all handled it differently. One girl, though, she was so graceful and SHE was comforting those around her. SHE was still joyous about life even though her body was inflicted with cancer. It wasn't a "show" or a "fake joy" either... she had THE BIG JOY because she felt connected to god-source (her soul). She also told me once how she was happy about all the miraculous events she saw happen all around her that was due to her having cancer. (one example is her brother and dad made up). She was amazing. Yes she died, but to her, dying is not a bad thing.

There is a bigger picture than our human perceptions allow us to see. We can still feel joy (be joyous) regardless of our outer circumstances. And, again, not a fake happy thing.... but a deep genuine joy within because you know Who You Are.

[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by donna

this discussion brings up an issue i have been pondering...maybe at a deep level we manifest that which we believe we are. If we believe we are one with the universe, (that we are all connected), and that the universe is abundant & is, basically, love, then maybe we just need to hold that awareness for good things to flow....this seems very general, though, so is it best then to leave it at that or to envision specific desires?
I have been confused by the seeming contradiction of the 12 step (recovery model) wisdom which is based on the "let go and let god" philosophy, or, seeking to follow a higher wisdom - and the LOA model where you seek to follow your own desires - one seems to say "my will be done" and the other, "your will (that of the universe - does it really have a will?) be done".....

i am confused. any comments would be great! thanks!

I think if you hold the consciousness of being one with the universe, petty desires for the self drop away. I mean when someone gives you food, you are the person who is taking and receiving. When someone hurts another person, you are the victim and the aggressor. When you get a paycheck, you are the employee and the employer. And so on and so forth.

My dad is in AA and has been for several years. He likes to go to this halfway house where they have meetings. A lot of the people there, of course, don't have much sobriety and I asked him why he likes to go there. He said it's because it reminds him of where he's been. Another way to put it, he is both the person offering help and the person who receives it... because he is saying, "I am an alcoholic." So he is every alcoholic.

Many amazing things have happened to my father since he got into recovery. He'll be the first to tell you that he had nothing to do with making that stuff happen. To him the will of God simply means, "Help others". The miracles come out of the peripheral of him doing the will of God.

Originally Posted by Lil Chris

I'm intrigued by this conversation and line of thinking (but don't quite understand). Currently i'm experiencing ankylosing spondilitis (a fusing of the spine and painful arthritis). Now according to this topic I'm "being" unhealthy. How do I get to a state of being healthy...? I realize i'm living in a state of "flux" and things can and always do change and I think i'm the one in charge, but how do I take control... Am I making any sense? Please help me to understand...

I don't think there is any getting there. You have to start there. Like with the spinal arthritis. If you start out telling yourself, "I am unhealthy" the condition is chronic and no treatment will ever work. If you start out telling yourself, "I am healthy" then the condition is temporary and can be halted.

Like Angela said, it is how you choose to respond to what is happening. And how you choose plays an integral role in what happens.
IMO, everything happens for a reason. There is a secret in every experience. Where has your health issue led you? A friend of mine wrote this post on her blog about where her chronic back pain led her. You might find it interesting. What treatments have you sought, btw? Maybe you could send me a PM, since it's off-topic (I guess).

Originally Posted by Angela

Well, that is a very inspiring way of being to me! I think when you can express your desired way of being in a way that inspires others, you know you're on to something big.

What would be possible in your life if you were being a lover of the world? In your career, your friendships, your romantic life, your exercise/vitality, and other areas of your life? What would you be creating?

A deep sense of compassion and an appreciation of the innate beauty in all things. As a lover of the world, you see everything as a quality of your Beloved.

Practicing and teaching yoga has interested me for quite a while: a communion of the sensual and spiritual. I would like friends from a variety of paths, cultures and experiences. The romantic life would be obvious, eh? I like exercise that is more about the journey than the destination. I think being a lover of the world would create a life that is like a huge banquet or celebration.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by mercuryrising

I think being a lover of the world would create a life that is like a huge banquet or celebration.

Great! Are you willing to take on being a lover of the world? Are you willing to commit to it? Would you like us to hold you to your word on it?

[donna]

thanks for your comment, mercury rising!...
what I'm trying to get at is that there is a fundamental difference in trying to tune into the will of the universe & follow that, as opposed to living intentionally - which, as I understand it, is to focus attention on your own will (impress your own will upon the universe)...

This brings up the question....does the universe, higher power, god, or whatever you want to call it, have a will? Many thinkers characterize it as a neutral wish granting machine - which implies the universe, in itself, does not have a will, so trying to follow "god's will" seems pointless. Still confused.....

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by donna

thanks for your comment, mercury rising!...
what I'm trying to get at is that there is a fundamental difference in trying to tune into the will of the universe & follow that, as opposed to living intentionally - which, as I understand it, is to focus attention on your own will (impress your own will upon the universe)...

This brings up the question....does the universe, higher power, god, or whatever you want to call it, have a will? Many thinkers characterize it as a neutral wish granting machine - which implies the universe, in itself, does not have a will, so trying to follow "god's will" seems pointless. Still confused.....

"God" only has one will, in my humble opinion, and it is to experience all things. And it does. All things are already created and manifest in the eternal plenum of actuality/potentiality (they are really one and the same you see). But it has no "preferences". One "thing" is just as good as another "thing". We are the portion of god's all knowingness that knows growth. We are ascendant beings because of that. That is how we were created you might say, but then, from the god level, nothing was ever created because everything has always existed. It is we who perceive linear strings of events like "creation" and "destruction".

So god's will is really your will. Whatever makes you the most happy is the closest alignment to god consciousness you can achieve. And the more you hold on to that, the more you feel your connection to the whole of existence. And the more you resist it, the more you feel connected to the "hole" of existence. Focus on the whole and you see the whole, focus on the hole and you see the hole.

It literally is all good to the god consciousness. Its always sending everything out, and it is we, with preferences, that have to tune our dials to the frequency we prefer. So we go through the process of learning how to get what we want, but in the end it doesn't really end up mattering. Eventually, as we become more and more closely aligned with the greater self (god), we realize that it literally is ALL GOOD. And at that point, there is no need to filter what we want from the source because everything is exactly what we want anyhow.

[Acting Like Godot]

The commonly-cited trilogy of "be, do & have" is a convenient way to refer to different levels of your own reality. Generally, the "be" aspects would be at a more fundamental level than the "do" aspects, and the "do" aspects would be at a more fundamental level than the "have" aspects.

Simple example - consider a child who's feeling happy as she plays with her new toy.

The "have" part is her new toy.

The "do" part is playing with the new toy.

The "be" part is her state of happiness.

In IM/LOA, if you successfully manifest your "be" intentions, the related "do's" and "have's" tend to follow naturally.

If you successfully manifest the "do" intentions, the related "have's" tend to follow naturally.

But the reverse isn't necessarily true - for example, if you succeed in manifesting a new toy, you may not actually have the time to play with it and the toy may not actually make you happy.

Whereas if you successfully manifest happiness, then it tends to naturally follow that your life is filled with activities and things which keep you happy.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by donna

thanks for your comment, mercury rising!...
what I'm trying to get at is that there is a fundamental difference in trying to tune into the will of the universe & follow that, as opposed to living intentionally - which, as I understand it, is to focus attention on your own will (impress your own will upon the universe)...

This brings up the question....does the universe, higher power, god, or whatever you want to call it, have a will? Many thinkers characterize it as a neutral wish granting machine - which implies the universe, in itself, does not have a will, so trying to follow "god's will" seems pointless. Still confused.....

Well, if God were to appear in my living room and say, "Okay, listen up carefully, here's my plan for you," I'd probably grab my notebook and jot down everything He says.

On the other hand, this seems unlikely to happen. At the practical level, therefore, it seems that "tuning into the will of the universe" is really very much like "tuning into yourself".

And what you would be doing is constantly probing your own intentions to find out what you really, REALLY want .... deep down inside.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Well, if God were to appear in my living room and say, "Okay, listen up carefully, here's my plan for you," I'd probably grab my notebook and jot down everything He says.

On the other hand, this seems unlikely to happen.

Not according to that book "Disappearance of the Universe", but I guess in that case it was people from the future appearing in his living room.

Probably as unlikely as Abraham being actually channeled, but I have to look past that and just read the words, otherwise I get too skeptical.

Totally off topic I know.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Anagogy

So god's will is really your will. Whatever makes you the most happy is the closest alignment to god consciousness you can achieve.

sometimes what we think makes us happy is some form of addiction.

And the more you hold on to that, the more you feel your connection to the whole of existence. And the more you resist it, the more you feel connected to the "hole" of existence. Focus on the whole and you see the whole, focus on the hole and you see the hole.

hold onto trying to find happiness?

It literally is all good to the god consciousness. Its always sending everything out, and it is we, with preferences, that have to tune our dials to the frequency we prefer.

all good to the god consciousness - including being lost and not following god's consciousness. that is equally divine as well.

So we go through the process of learning how to get what we want, but in the end it doesn't really end up mattering. Eventually, as we become more and more closely aligned with the greater self (god), we realize that it literally is ALL GOOD. And at that point, there is no need to filter what we want from the source because everything is exactly what we want anyhow.

but if it's all good, then why the need to be more closely aligned? if ultimately our will is the same as god's, then why do we have ideas about being more in alignment?

confused too

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by donna

thanks for your comment, mercury rising!...
what I'm trying to get at is that there is a fundamental difference in trying to tune into the will of the universe & follow that, as opposed to living intentionally - which, as I understand it, is to focus attention on your own will (impress your own will upon the universe)...

This brings up the question....does the universe, higher power, god, or whatever you want to call it, have a will? Many thinkers characterize it as a neutral wish granting machine - which implies the universe, in itself, does not have a will, so trying to follow "god's will" seems pointless. Still confused.....

yeah, which is it?
1) we need to tune into the universe and let thy will be done
2) or we get to put our order into the universe to manifest

[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by Angela

Great! Are you willing to take on being a lover of the world? Are you willing to commit to it? Would you like us to hold you to your word on it?

I'm willing. I'll commit to it. And you can hold me to it. I could use all the help I could get.

And thanks, Angela, for taking the time to guide me here.

[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by donna

thanks for your comment, mercury rising!...
what I'm trying to get at is that there is a fundamental difference in trying to tune into the will of the universe & follow that, as opposed to living intentionally - which, as I understand it, is to focus attention on your own will (impress your own will upon the universe)...

This brings up the question....does the universe, higher power, god, or whatever you want to call it, have a will? Many thinkers characterize it as a neutral wish granting machine - which implies the universe, in itself, does not have a will, so trying to follow "god's will" seems pointless. Still confused.....

I believe that God is life, that which animates everything. You and I know from experience that certain ways of being increase/enhance life and others do not. That is God's will.

For example, love increases and improves our lives. So it is God's will for us to love each other. Drinking, smoking, and addiction give a temporary happiness, but they deteriorate our life energy. So that isn't God's will. We have a choice as to how we want to play it. And ultimately, everything rolls back around to life.

Intention and doing God's will aren't at odds with each other necessarily. If you consider any intention you might have for yourself, they are all ways to enhance your life. It's the method you use to get there. Forcing my will on people never manifested my intentions. It's a matter of getting out my own way.

So basically, I believe you have to align your will with the Universal will to manifest the life you want. Some people are too passive and act like they don't have a personal will. I think we have an ego for a reason. And other people don't realize that the means they are applying don't really get them what they want. Experience is the ultimate teacher, not a book or a forum.

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

sometimes what we think makes us happy is some form of addiction.

I've experienced addiction once or twice in my life, and to be quite honest it never made me feel "happy" or "self actualized". It may have relieved a certain amount of anxiety that builds up when you refuse to "give in", but I don't think I would personally categorize that feeling as "happy".

Addiction rewards the impoverishment of thoughts, which results in diminished awareness, which in turn leads to less freewill (as you cannot make a conscious choice that you are unaware exists in the first place). What I consider to be happiness is more like self actualization, or fulfilling your potential to be all that you can be. Self actualization rewards the enrichment of thoughts and expands one's being, rather than constricts it.

Originally Posted by wolfgang

hold onto trying to find happiness?
all good to the god consciousness - including being lost and not following god's consciousness. that is equally divine as well.

Is is actually. There simply is no way you can act against the creator. Our existence precludes that possibility. There are choices to be made, to be sure, but all contingencies of choice have already been planned for. Now, we can offer thoughts that RESTRICT or impoverish OUR awareness of the "big picture" and this in turn leads to suffering (the perception of negativity or resistance), but the god consciousness (or totality of all mind) does not experience what we call "pain" as negative in nature -- just another experience to be had.

Originally Posted by wolfgang

but if it's all good, then why the need to be more closely aligned? if ultimately our will is the same as god's, then why do we have ideas about being more in alignment?

From one perspective, the source desires to know or experience all things. Growth is one of those experiences that cannot occur with complete conscious omniscience intact. So we create an experience where we seem to start with a smaller identity and grow into a larger one. We are provided with a carrot to chase after -- to facilitate the growth experience. That carrot is our emotional state. Things that make you feel happy are EXPANDING your state of being, and things that feel bad are CONSTRICTING your state of being. So we are here, growing into the awareness that we are god -- that we are source energy. This is the alignment people seek. We aren't trying to attain oneness, because we already have it. We are just trying to become conscious of the connection.

If a "higher" or more aligned consciousness were to inhabit a human body and its arm were chopped off, it would feel a variety of sensations associated with the human body being drastically changed, but it wouldn't experience the signal we call "pain" as negative. Just another interesting experience. Eventually we will all reach a point where things need not be avoided because negativity won't be able touch you regardless of any outer circumstance. Obviously, most of us are not there yet. But learning is fun regardless.

All that exists is knowledge.

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by Anagogy

We are just trying to become conscious of the connection.

All of this is just a sleeping God in the process of waking up, in a manner of speaking?

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by Wax Frog

All of this is just a sleeping God in the process of waking up, in a manner of speaking?

You could say that, and it would be accurate from a perspective of being. But, it may be more accurate to say that an absolutely awake consciousness contains the thought form of growth within it, and so that thought form plays out and has always been playing out and always will play out, eternally.

The very knowingness of an unlimited being takes that knowingness to existence. In actuality, there was no "taking it to existence" because existence is all that has ever been. There never was a state of nothingness, or a state of lack followed by a state of abundance. Creation doesn't happen the way most people seem to think it does. Abundance is all that has ever been. It's like carving a boat out of a block of wood. That boat was already "in there". So from the perspective of your ego, you simply forgot everything that was not the boat. This is how creation actually happens.

Consciousness is the reservoir of existence -- the continuum of knowing. It knows all. God is complete. The nature of consciousness is to be aware, to be conscious. It is the TEMPLATE for knowledge itself.

What is the difference between the perfectly simulated experience of something, and the actual "something". Do you see? There actually is no difference. "Things" have no reality in and above there ability to be experienced. They simply ARE experience. There is no need for the thing and the experience, just the experience. It *IS* the thing. And that is the reality of the situation. We are God's knowingness of what is like to "BE" us. At this level, the difference between "actual" and "potential" is moot. They are one in the same.

This is intelligent infinity.

Some people wonder why a ostensibly perfect being would need to create "lesser" intelligences if it was indeed perfectly complete. And the answer is it didn't, and doesn't. We ARE that being. The thought form of growth or expansion is a manifestation of THAT being's all knowingness. Growth cannot exist in the presence of omniscience. Ignorance and enlightenment are opposites -- they can't exist in the same place at the same point in "time".

You could say our seemingly separate existence maintains and enriches the perfection of the creator. At least, in the sense that the sphere of infinity could not be complete without the knowingness that we identify as our "personalities" or "souls" or "points of consciousness".

Hope this helps to facilitate your expansion into infinity.

[cylon]

Originally Posted by Anagogy

There never was a state of nothingness, or a state of lack followed by a state of abundance. Creation doesn't happen the way most people seem to think it does. Abundance is all that has ever been. It's like carving a boat out of a block of wood. That boat was already "in there". So from the perspective of your ego, you simply forgot everything that was not the boat. This is how creation actually happens.

I love analogies like this, they really help me to "see" these concepts more clearly. I think this will be a big help to me.

[Wax Frog]

Anagogy, why would the 'Complete' need to engage in a growth exercise, let alone one involving an illusion of being less tham complete? Not being contentious, I really want to know.

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by Wax Frog

Anagogy, why would the 'Complete' need to engage in a growth exercise, let alone one involving an illusion of being less tham complete? Not being contentious, I really want to know.

Don't worry, I don't think you're being contentious. (*shakes fist angrily*) Asking questions is a good thing.

The answer is:

It's not engaging in a growth exercise. That's just how your relative consciousness perceives the perfect knowing that is god's imagination.

What is the one thing an all knowing being does not know?

You see, that is a trick question. It's knowing is so perfectly absolute, that in "knowing everything" it must also know what it is like to "not know everything", which leads to the simulated experience of separation. This is a growth experience for us, expanding outwards or inwards into All That Is. But from the "god level" as it were, it is simply a fact of existence.

Our experiences are simply the outer edge, dimensionally speaking, of that all encompassing knowingness that is Intelligent Infinity.

[Wax Frog]

I look forward to escaping the bonds of ego, because all of this is making my head hurt...