For many, intention is defined as a motivation, a drive, or an ambition to succeed. It can be a demonstration of force, determination, or your immutable will to attain or accomplish something indicates that you have a firm intention.

These are examples of our Western mental models of intention. A deeper understanding of the power of intention, described by Carlos Castaneda, suggests,

“In the universe there is an immeasurable, indescribable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link”.

Similar in description to how Wallace Wattles describes this intention in his book, “The Science of Getting Rich”. Wattles wrote:

“There is a thinking stuff which all things are made, and which in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe. A thought in this substance, produces the thing that is imaged by the thought. Man can form things in his thought, and by impressing his thought upon formless substance, can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.”

This is not a model of perseverance or a mindset where only the fit (determined) survive, but a realization, again, of the connection to each other and Spirit. What this model of intention describes for us, as leaders, is that we are not alone in this organization, community, country, or even universe: but we are together, linked to the energetic force of intention.

Why is intention crucial to our leadership? It is the purpose, the why we are here, our belief in something greater than we are. Intention is how we derive meaning. In order to create a vision for our companies, or even our lives, we must first ask, “why?” Tapping into the power of intention requires clearing space in our minds and allowing and trusting our intuitive insights to flow.

Here are some strategies we can use to ensure that we are leading with intention:

Knowing our values helps bring clarity to what is meaningful to us. Identify ten important values. Narrow the list down to your top five and write a sentence or two explaining what the values mean to you and why they are important.
Look at your calendar and review how you spend your time. Do the activities on your calendar align with your values? If not, why not?
Create a mind map on a clean sheet of paper, and in the center of the paper write, “My purpose for living this life is…” and circle it. Now draw lines out from this circle with as many ideas that flow into your head and heart and draw circles around each one of those words or statements, always connecting the circles with lines to the center circle of your purpose. GRAPHIC
Using the above information you have developed, write a purpose statement, including the activities involved in achieving that purpose, people necessary to support you, and the value you provide to others.

Enjoy the process and see what you discover! What is your purpose statement?

Let’s share those and celebrate our clear intentions together.

With Love,

Maria

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow Americans!

This weekend we celebrate the freedom of choice.

Dr. Viktor Frankl, one of my greatest mentors, was a brilliant psychiatrist captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in a series of concentration camps. His notes of his work and all of his possessions were seized. Stripped of everything, literally and figuratively, he was given a number to replace his name. “The experience of camp life shows that man does have a choice of action,” Frankl stated in Man’s Search for Meaning,

“Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.”

Dr. Frankl realized this truth when he wrote, “What alone remains is ‘the last of human freedoms’—the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.”

Those are very wise and applicable words then, and today. When we place ourselves in a victim role, we are victims. We do create our own realities. However, we have a choice in how that reality looks, as co-creators. We can choose to create a different perception, a different reality.

Here are three major patterns we choose daily, I encourage to you to consider carefully as you go throughout the rest of this remaining year:

1) Thoughts are powerful; they are the seeds of ideas, beliefs, creativity, attitudes, knowledge, wisdom, and reality.

Thoughts can be our best friends or our worst enemies. Not by happenstance do thoughts come to us; these powerful seeds come to us through choice. Choice and thoughts are action movements, directed by us, whether we are conscious of these activities or not. The key lies in awareness of these two incredible gifts—thoughts, and choices.

2) Once we do become aware of our mental models, we can make a conscious choice to change or expand some of our lenses.

We can choose to take a step to the left or the right and have a different view, a different perspective, and perhaps a broader perspective. The beauty in all of this is not just to recognize the mental models in ourselves, but also to recognize the mental models of others with whom we communicate. We all have deeply ingrained beliefs that color our world, so the power comes in recognizing these tendencies in ourselves and in others. Can you imagine how much more effective our communication can be with this level of understanding?

3) Where love and spirit are internal to us, fear and ego are external.

Turning to others for approval or acceptance, points us in the direction of ego, external to ourselves. When we live in the past, we live in the ego. Reliving those events, involving externally generated relationships, can cause tremendous pain or hurt. Each time we choose—yes, it is a choice—to live in the space of fear, we give away our power. We give it away to people or circumstance—an external event. When we retain our power, we are empowered and we then live in a place of love and spirit.

There is so much going on, post-election audits, politician squabbles, and the news isn’t always supportive of a love or spirit mentality. This Independence Day, I want to refresh your mind - move to a place of awareness, consider how you make your daily decisions, find your place of power and be the change our country needs right now.

Start one person at a time - beginning with yourself, you have that freedom to choose.

Let freedom ring!

With love,

Maria