Phrasing your intentions

[Lil Chris]

I started this thread as a companion to the "what are your intentions...?" thread.

It was politely pointed out to me that when I first phrased my intention that their was a better technique. In short I phrased my intention as:

I would like to invite into my life the means/ability to heal my physical body. Make it so...

Annie was kind enought to point out to me that using the phrase:

I AM inviting into my life the means/ability to heal my physical body. And so it is!

Has a better effect. So this thread was born to answer questions and have discussions about the "what are your intentions...?" thread

[annie]

I'll just throw in my 2 cents.

I have been using affirmations/intentions/ whatevery you want to call them for about 17 years now. And when I say I use them...I mean on a daily basis.

What I have learned is that stating them in first-person, present tense, AS IF they have already happened is the way to go...just more powerful!

I want...is a weak statement. I don't know exactly why...but it just hasn't worked as well.

One thing I know is that the phrase "I AM" is probably the most powerful phrase in the human language (we can argue about that later . First of all, it's a term of deity...therefore incredibly powerful. But "I AM" is also, first person, present tense and is and should therefore be used frequently in intentions.

When I set "intentions" I also create a visual picture of what I intend, complete with motive. MY BIG "WHY" if you will. Somehow that also connects to the Law of Attraction, reminding me of WHY I want it and therefore my subconscious "crew" gets to work to manifest what I desire.

Is it late? Because I'm starting to ramble.

[Lil Chris]

Thank you for you guidance...

[Adam]

One thing that many people do is put a standard set of phrases in the intentions. This helps to make the intention into a mini-ritual, which has several advantages and a couple of disadvantages. Some of the phrases that I've noticed are "In perfect love and perfect trust," "In an easy and relaxed manner, in its own perfect time, and for the highest good of all," and "of myself I can do nothing." (The last is a very ego-aware statement that puts the ego in the back seat for the purposes of the intention.)

The advantage of this is that, since it is a ritualistic behavior, it puts your mind into a frame of reference where you feel the intention going out or taking form. This is a very powerful tool, because the belief in the intention is as important, or even more so, than the words themselves.

The disadvantage is that people tend to ignore things that they have repeated too often. Instead of thinking of the ritualistic parts of your intention, it gives your mind a moment to wander.

Together with Annie's point above, we can combine these statements to form some more effective phrasing that helps with the beliefs behind the intentions. First, though, saying phrases like "I am a millionaire" tends to throw up red flags in the unconscious, simply because we are not yet millionaires... That hurts our belief in the intention, which tends to be a bad think. If we re-word it to include both "I am" and a term that we're more likely to see as true, then we'll believe it all the more, which helps the intention tremendously.

An example of putting it all together would be "In an easy and relaxed manner, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all, I am well on my way to becoming a millionaire."

[annie]

When the Intention if "really out there" and mostly unbelieveable, we need to tone it down...just like you mentioned.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Ati]

Yes, beautiful. Just this start looks to me like we have the opportunity to do something really powerful here.

I agree with all that's been said along the lines of how powerful (that word again!) subtle nuances can be.

Lil Chris, may I use your phrasing to suggest something which one might consider as a next step along the line of positive phrasing?

Hoping it is OK with you, and just as an example...

You've changed "I would like to invite into my life the means/ability to heal my physical body. Make it so... to..

"I AM inviting into my life the means/ability to heal my physical body. And so it is"

Now what would happen if you went further to say something along the lines of:

"I AM using powerful means and abilities to heal my physical body every day"

I agree with what I understand Annie has said. To paraphrase--if I articulate something which implies I don't have it, then I am straight out saying that I don't have it. This tends to inadvertently attract "not having it" (I don't want to "not have it") at the same time as I think I'm concentrating on what I do want.

Also putting things into the active and present day form.. now you are USING powerful means, not just inviting them and you are using them EVERY DAY, not just someday when they come around.

Does this make sense? Thanks for all your thoughts

Ati

PS I agree Adam that having a ritual has both the advantages and disadvantages you mention, for sure! I guess the right sort of introductory ritual is working for me because I also meditate and it seems a lot like a meditation to me. So that keeps my mind from wandering. It's kinda like a good song to me. Knowing oneself though is key, so that might just be for me.

[Lil Chris]

Ati,
Yes it's quite ok with me and makes quite a bit of sense...
I've come here to ask questions, learn, experiment and experience...

As far as phrasing, I guess I should stick with what feels right for me. I mean I understand what your saying about putting things into the active and present day form and Adam had suggested "In an easy and relaxed manner, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all, I am well on my way to becoming a millionaire." but this doesn't quite click with me (no offence Adam) I think I like the direct approach. As soon as I started telling my self "Money comes Easily and Frequently" It's really quite amazing, i like the scratch off lotto tickets, of the last 6 i've bought 5 have been winners. Small ammounts to start but a noticable improvement over doing nothing before...

So let me ask you guys this, How important is putting feelings into my intention...?

The reason i ask is that it seems i've been more on the side of logic for quite some time (very limited feelings) does this make sense...? I've been told that i'm just a "thinker"... does anyone know or can relate to what i'm talking about...

[TIK]

From what I have read, but admitedly, not managed to demonstrate sucessfully through any meaningful manifestation, is that emotions are really important. They are the fuel that drives the machinery.

A guy named Gregg Braden wrote in one of his books that the feeling of joy at having received the answer to one's prayer (and in this you can also include intention) is trust in the universe/God/Source )or what ever works for you). With this trust and emotional guidance that tells you how you would feel if your intentions actually manifested, you are priming the pump for delivery.

A point to be made though is that feelings of fear or lack, bring those things as well. (This is where I get stuck). One needs to try to feel gratitude for what one has, but then simply add what else you would like. Braden's book refers to a Native American who during a drought, expressed gratitude for what he was given, but then chose "new medicine" in the form of rain. He imagined the feeling of rain, the smell of rain, the thought of corn crops groing and how then felt as as he walked through his future corn crop. That was his prayer; an emotional experience of rain and all of the wonders that follow. Id did rin a few hours later; it rained a lot apparenelt!

This "prayer" or intention does not require a lot of time. Just pure focus on what you desire with the WHY and the feeling of how great it will be when it arrives.

Hope this helps. Again, this is what I have read and see much agreement on in many authors. I think I have proven this to myself on occasion, but as one who thinks too much as well, my thinking becomes my undoing, since I try to attach metrics to everything... sigh...

[fellowtraveler]

Originally Posted by TIK

From what I have read, but admitedly, not managed to demonstrate sucessfully through any meaningful manifestation, is that emotions are really important. They are the fuel that drives the machinery....

I heard a good analogy - that a thought is the frequency, but emotion is the amplitude.

[TIK]

Originally Posted by fellowtraveler

I heard a good analogy - that a thought is the frequency, but emotion is the amplitude.

YES, Exactly! I think I read that someplace as well, but I cannot remember these eloquencies any more... There are many more of course...

Thanks for sharing that!

TIK

[fellowtraveler]

Originally Posted by TIK

YES, Exactly! I think I read that someplace as well, but I cannot remember these eloquencies any more... There are many more of course...

Thanks for sharing that!

TIK

I heard it from a guest on Deepak Chopra's radio show. I believe he was a scientist from India.

[TIK]

Originally Posted by fellowtraveler

I heard it from a guest on Deepak Chopra's radio show. I believe he was a scientist from India.

Deepak was trained as a physician. He specialized in endocrinology (study of hormones) intil he got fed up with his boss. Ended up being an emergency physician in a small hospital and loved it. I guess it was sometime after that tht he began working on his spiritual path more fully...