wild, authentic intentions

Scarlet red ixora, photographed March 6, 2009, in the garden of Carmen Alexis, Trinidad.

Last week, as I was about to head out to the airport for Trinidad, I stopped in at one of my blog indulgences, Christine Kane's blog. There, Christine had written her instructions for manifesting big things in 6 easy steps.  The premise of her post is that strong, well-meaning, sincerely-made intentions have no choice but to manifest into reality.

Fantastic.  I'm all about manifest destiny, man.

I wrote my intention there, and wrote my gratitude list on the plane to Trinidad. But because I truly believe in the power of intention, I thought I'd take the liberty of sharing the exercise here -- because honestly, there really can't be too many dreams manifest.

And so:

1) Think about what it is you want. You can think of something small if you'd like, but why?  Tap into that wellspring of courage you have deep inside you, and dream big. Dream wildly. Dream Mondo Beyondo. Think about what you would love to have in your craziest, most incredible fantasies.

2) Write it down. Again, be brave -- don't say things like, "If it's meant to be, it would be nice to have ..." -- believe it's meant to be. Start your intentions with words like "I absolutely intend to ..." and finish the sentence as specifically as possible ("I absolutely intend to make my first million dollars in 10 years." "I absolutely intend to visit all 7 continents within the next 8 years."). Write it down where you can see it.  And if you feel brave enough, I invite you to share it in the comments section below -- make it a public declaration, if you'd like.  The point is to just make it tangible -- not just something you thought about quickly, but something you've actually reduced to words, letters, expression.

Then once you've written your intentions down, just take a deep breath and walk away. Don't worry about how you did it -- you did it right. I promise.

3) In the next 24 hours, make a list of 10 things that you're grateful for. As Christine says (and as I truly believe), "Gratitude is the ultimate bringer of more. It is the ultimate releaser of drama."  I think she's so right.  Make that list and write it down.  Or say it out loud.  Or say it in prayer.  Whatever feels most authentic to you.

And then finally, just keep on keeping on.  Even if you think there's nothing to the above, try it anyway.  Seriously, what have you got to lose?

Song: All that I want by The Weepies