Clarify Intentions, Then Set Your Goals

This is an update and expansion of an earlier post that I noticed was being read quite a bit at this time approaching Christmas and the new year.

Shakti Gawain in her  book Developing Intuition, Practical Guidance for Daily Life, gives a good introduction to working with inner guidance. A portion that resonated with me is on page 146 in the last chapter:

In the process of learning to trust intuition, some people go through a period of time where they feel like their life is falling apart. Relationships may end (yes) or change dramatically, you may move (yes,) change jobs (yes, yes) or lose interest in familiar pastimes (yes!) These are indications that you are letting go of  certain aspects of your old identity. If you tried to hold onto it, you would limit or imprison yourself...

The yes’es are mine. She then goes on to talk about new forms that will emerge. I know some of you can relate to this, and this edition is from 2000! Ten years ago. Many of those changes are happening more rapidly now.

The universe is shifting us to do work that is meaningful, joyful and that will allow us to experience Sri, prosperity appropriate for this time as well as provide needed service to other beings.

Today in my self reading of the Goddess & Osho deck that I use for intuitive readings the emphasis was on the ability of manifest clear intentions into reality:  I got the goddess Rhiannon.  When I have successfully manifested my dreams into concrete reality this has been my method:

INTENTION SETTING
Setting intentions, is an early step on the Yoga of Manifestation. It’s a clear concise understanding of what you desire to manifest. I wrote 3 sentences of minimum requirements (goals) for a new apartment. I put it away and a week later realized that the place I had since found fit exactly.  An intention comes out of a place of CLARITY.  I had gotten really clear on my intentions by seeing apartments that did not meet my needs.  So that’s a previous step.   Setting an intention can be a precursor to setting goals. An intention is broader than a single goal.  Realizing an intention to get healthier so you can have more energy, is a first step;  then one needs several concrete goals in order to to manifest that state into your life.

STEPS TO CLARITY:

DROP THE FEAR
This is huge, a huge process-some recommendations to begin getting clear on what you actually want are:

• Acknowledge what you don’t want. For example, “I don’t want to work in retail any more!” Ok that’s negative, and no clear directive to the mind and higher conciousness of what you do want.  But at least mentally state it. We are pretty clear on what we don’t want and what we don’t like. That’s part of the problem.  DO NOT FOCUS & RUMINATE ON ALL THE STUFF YOU DON’T WANT.  A really good analogy is this:  if you were to find yourself walking quietly in woods on train tracks and suddenly a train is bearing down on you-would it be wisest to turn and stare at the train (awesome in it’s power though it is) or is it better to focus on a response-ie. jump out of the way.)  Many of us, and I include myself here tend to fixate on the train (the problem)-even though it’s not helpful. Don’t feed the reality that you don’t want. Your next steps will develop out of that clarity though.
• Exercise. Exercise can push out stagnation-mentally and physically. Ride a bike, go for a brisk walk. A recent article mentioned that in studies people felt most refreshed after walking in a natural setting as opposed to down city blocks. (That this is news is sad and shocking to me.) So find some green.
• Meditate. Get a book, a video, take a class, but it is the key to quieting the mind enough to get answers.  Also it allows us to break the cycle of rumination on the negatives, the what if’s.  Often meditation is easier after exercise when the fidgety quality of our bodies has been worked out.
• Get psyched find motivating books, music whatever to help you not get depressed or hopeless.
• Clarify Goals: Sit down and write out the five-ten changes you would like to see in your life. Work quickly and use phrases in the positive.  Such as “I now have a job with friendly coworkers, making a great (specify min.) salary.”
  • Contemplation: I would also spend some time honestly in contemplation about the past year.   This is often a missing key.   What did we do the in the past year that either hindered or  helped us.  Be honest and look back as what was successful and what was difficult for you.  Use that awareness to plan better outcomes.
  • Then narrow goals  down, perhaps to 3 or 5 that really excite you and are the most meaningful.   Develop them so they are meaningful to you.
  • Take steps: Take some creative actions.  Try making a vision board.  So working first on the ground level the energetic level of manifestation.  Create a vision board.  It is basically images that represent what you want-cut and pasted into a board.  Make it colorful, make it inspiring.  If you like cars it’s likely you have a few car magazines around for example.  Cut out the one that you hope to replace  your old clunker with this year.  Give each goal a section of the board.  Include your image somewhere in your vision board.  And include some symbol of the divine in a form that resonates for  you.

Good luck to you -may you manifest your dreams and may they nourish you and the beings in your life.  The quote below is from a longer poem that I used to help find my first teaching job out of college.  I was getting quite discouraged after applying for about 30 positions.  One felt like a possibility and I repeated and memorized the entire poem to myself, I got psyched and made a followup call that I think moved me into the finalists.  Google it to find the complete piece as it’s inspiring.

Happy Holidays, Kala.

Intuitive Consultations/Yoga of Manifestation/Yoga
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