Featured Articles

The Value of Clear Intention
by Lynda Terry

Having a clear intention is essential to fulfilling our purpose and achieving our goals. By determining our intention before embarking on a course of action, we:

• Refine our focus and strengthen our commitment,
• Draw greater creative power to the process,
• Create a “true north” to which we can turn again and again, to insure that we are staying on track.

Setting intentions is far more than an intellectual exercise, however; it is a contemplative process grounded in our spiritual nature. Intentions are the essence of why we do what we do – the "threads" that link our human vision to the expanded vision God has for us. And that is the value of a clear intention: It keeps your awareness on the big picture – the long-term interests of achieving your goal – rather than on short-term desires and temporary distractions.

Get a fresh start by setting a clear intention for something you want to accomplish. Some tips for setting a clear and effective intention:

• View intention setting as a spiritual act between you and God. Get still and ask for guidance in discerning the true intention underlying what you want to change or do.
  
• Once you have some idea of what your intention is, get to the essence of it by asking these three questions: Why do I choose this intention? What are the benefits of this intention? How will it affect me - and others?
• Now state your intention simply, concisely, positively and in a way that acknowledges your openness to God’s grace. One way to do this is to begin your intention with the words “Let me” – such as “Let me be more patient in my relationships with others.” Or “Let me become a more positive person.”
• Educate yourself. Learn what you need to know to fulfill the intention – about yourself, about others, about a situation, etc.
• Act in alignment with the intention. Before speaking or acting, ask yourself, “Is what I am about to say or do in alignment with the intention I have set?” If it’s not, don’t!
• Expect to refine your intention as things unfold. Intentions are not static rules; they are dynamic, God-inspired guidelines that will reveal additional facets of their essence as you work with them.