Ahhh January… the month of beginnings and restrictions after the debauchery of December. Everyone wants to fix something and scrambles to set up resolutions. Lose weight. Exercise. Diet. Get organized.
One of the meanings of the word resolution is to find a solution to a problem. Most of the resolutions are about fixing yourself. But, you are not a problem. You don’t need to get fixed. Usually, resolutions are guided by the ego, by the belief that something is wrong with you and you need to correct it. They reflect the mentality that you don’t measure up to the expectations the world has of you and they mirror what you perceive as not acceptable within yourself. Most of the time resolutions are based in self-criticism, not love.
It is normal, honorable even, to want to improve yourself and to evolve. But instead of looking at resolutions (guided by self-criticism), seek to make intentions. These will help you to evolve, but in a gentle and loving way.
Intentions spring from the wisdom of your heart, from deep desires of the heart, not mere shallow desires of your ego mind. With intentions, you go deeper, beyond your mind.
Intentions are powerful because they are in alignment with your Higher Self. Examples of intentions are: to be more peaceful, to practice daily gratitude, to open up to more love, joy, health and wealth in your life. Intentions are higher ideals.
When creating intentions, you invite the Divine as your partner in co-creation of your new reality. You experience a positive shift, established in self-love, with inner knowing that feels right.
These are the elements of setting effective intentions:
- Clarity – Get really, really quiet. Meditate to get in touch with your Inner Wise Being. Then ask, what are my truest desires? What’s my highest good? What gifts do I want to offer to the world? What do I want to receive? This step is about authenticity and alignment with the Divine. Finding out what the Spirit wants for you. Be very clear about what you really want. Once you are aware of your deepest desires, write them down. Alternatively, you can create a vision board, or create affirmations that reinforce fulfilment of your desires, or write down the statements that describe your best life ever. Anything to imprint your subconscious mind with the pictures of your desires.
- Now comes the tricky part: detachment. That’s right; after all that work getting clear about your desires, now it’s time to let it go! You see, desires manifest faster when you are casual about their manifestation. When you have a light approach to them. Like, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to drive that new forest green Mercedes,’ rather than, ‘I MUST have that new forest green Mercedes otherwise I will be utterly miserable forever.’ With detachment comes TRUST. You’ve stated your desires and you trust that you were heard… but you don’t know how the Divine will bring these to you, so you remain open to all possibilities.
- Keep quiet about it – this might seem like surprising advice, however there is a deep wisdom in that approach. Many esoteric wisdom traditions emphasize this step. Sharing your intentions might invite criticism and doubt from others, and this in turn will lower your vibration. If you must share, make sure to share it with someone you are sure supports you fully, who is as open to limitless possibilities as you are.
- Do not worry about the details – Mike Dooley aptly calls them “the cursed hows.” The big picture of a dream coming true, with the feeling of how wonderful it is to have it all, is important! But the little details pertaining to how the dream will come about, the little steps that you might start envisioning that need to happen to make your dream a reality, are not helpful. Remember, you are working with the Divine by your side, so leave the details to the Divine. The higher organizing force wants to impress you with the details. They are not yours to figure out. Your job is to dream big, to trust, and to be grateful. This brings us to the next important element:
- Gratitude is the magic ingredient that helps you to relax and see how blessed you already are, how much you already have to be grateful for. In this relaxed state of gratitude for what you already have, you are able to increase your gratitude for the things that are coming to you. A daily practice of gratitude for the good that we already have, brings more good into our lives.
Examples of intentions that increase self-love and self-acceptance and allow miracles to unfold:
- I intend to manifest joy naturally
- I intend to witness Divinity in everyone and everything
- I intend to open up to success and prosperity
May your year be blessed with magic and miracles!
