Intention is an individualized experience that is part of the One Mind. As human beings, we have a choice between "unconscious intention" and "conscious intention." Intention has the same source of power whether it is clear and conscious or vague and unconscious. The difference is in the results. Ernest Holmes said "Ignorance of [Universal Law] excuses no one from its effects, for we are dealing with Law and not with whimsical fancy." The key to using the power of mind to create for us the life and experience that we choose lies in understanding "conscious" intention. Conscious intention is about the expression of a state of Being, not about form. Conscious intention relates to your feeling about a desired experience, not the form it takes. Conscious intention is the place where we have our experience of oneness with the Universal Mind, the Source, the Creator, the Universe, Spirit . . . whatever name you choose.

Intention results in thought, which leads to action. First one's intention must be as clear as possible. Secondly, one must understand and accept the responsibility for the content of one's intention. Free will allows that anyone can choose to align their intention with [the Divine] plan, and with their Higher Self, or not. Either way the Universe still responds to the intention. The difference is that in aligning with [the Divine] plan the potential is without limit. It is only by declaring one's intention, in absolute faith and honesty, that one can move to the next step with clarity, that of seeking what to do and how to do it.

A continuum leads from the unlimited, formless, creative energy of the Source to a result, form, or condition that we seek in our life. Let us consider that Universal creative energy and potential is like a power plant that generates electricity. The power and potential is there, but until it is accessed and applied it remains in its state of being "potential". Intention is like the wiring grid that connects to the power supply and creates a channel or path for the power to flow through, making it accessible.

The power of intention not only focuses the heart and mind, but sends a clear message to the Universe as to what you wish to create. Emotion is energy in motion. The combination of our thoughts and corresponding emotions sets up a vibrational message. The message will attract a response in alignment with this vibration. What you send out will come back to you. This is why it is so important to send a clear message. There is, however, another aspect of this that is critical to understand if we are to use the power of intention to bring forth our desired experience. Our intention must be supported by a powerful emotion and, of equal importance, a congruent belief that what we intend is truly possible. If you support your intention with a strong emotional desire and a "hope" that it will manifest, but deep in your heart you hold on to some level of doubt (conscious or unconscious) that undermines your absolute belief that what you desire is possible, then you send a mixed message to the Universe. In very simple terms, the Universe is not able to respond to a mixed message and so the practical result is a stalemate, where the intention and desire are cancelled out by the lack of belief in its possibility, and little, if any, of the desired result is able to manifest.

With this understanding of the nature of power of intention, let's move into an exploration of how to clarify our intentions for our life and support those intentions fully and congruently with the power of our emotion and belief.

Action 3: Make a sacred covenant with yourself. (see previous article for actions 1 & 2)

First let us look at what we mean by "sacred covenant." In our work we have gained first hand knowledge of how beneficial and life changing it can be to create a statement that clarifies mission, vision, purpose and intentions for one's life.

We call the creation of a personal statement of mission, vision, purpose, and intentions, a "sacred covenant," which is an inviolable promise or commitment made as our Authentic Self in service to our personal and spiritual growth. For some people, these words, sacred covenant, can be loaded, depending on their religious or non-religious upbringing, cultural orientation, and other factors.

Recently, we were surprised when a man we were working with expressed a strong objection to our use of the term sacred covenant. We realized, as we continued to explore his objection, that these words carried such a strong association with religious beliefs based on his upbringing, that to him they seemed restrictive. We had not previously considered this since we did not have the same restrictive associations with the words.

According to Webster's Dictionary, a covenant means "to agree." As a verb, covenant means "to agree (with) to enter into a formal agreement. To engage, contract, promise, pledge. To promise by covenant." Sacred means "to consecrate; sacred, holy." Also, "dedicated, set apart in honor of, or as dear to one, as a god; hence, devoted exclusively to a certain person or end." We concluded that a sacred covenant could be defined as a promise dedicated to, and in honor of, one's self. With this new and expanded understanding of the words, our friend decided he was comfortable calling his personal commitment a sacred covenant, without his earlier concerns.

Truly, you may call it what you wish. We relate this story to emphasize that the title on the page is not as important as the power of the vibration of the individual's mission, vision, purpose, and intentions that follow. The language of the promise or commitment comes from one's heart, manifested as an individual's expression of authenticity and deeply felt desire to express their unique spiritual gifts in the outer world. The expression is personal, as are the intentions, and yet the outward expressions always benefit others as well. If you have an objection to the term sacred covenant, simply create a title that describes for you the special promise or commitment you are making for and to yourself at a soul level.

We recommend creating the sacred covenant as a written document and referring to it often, perhaps as part of your daily spiritual practice. If your experience is like ours, each time you read your covenant you will be filled with a deep sense of joy, gratitude, and peace that result from reminding yourself of who you really are. This is particularly helpful when you find yourself drifting away from your sense of self and purpose, reacting to external forces in your life. Additionally, you will want to read it aloud, for there is great power in the spoken word. Reading and speaking these statements will ground you and remind you of your commitment while permeating the cells of your body with this expression of your Truth.

The creation of your sacred covenant takes time and concerted effort, so rather than trying to outline every point in the process we will describe the separate elements as they relate to the whole, beginning with the mission statement.

Mission Statement:

Some businesses display a portion or all of their mission statement to the public. It is not so common, though, to come across individuals who have contemplated deeply what is important in their lives and have created a personal mission statement to reflect their expression to the world.

A mission statement will describe the action you wish to engage in to benefit a specific group or groups of people. A mission statement will help to align your energy with opportunities from the Universe that match your interests. This occurs through vibrational communication. The best mission statements are relatively short. You should feel a powerful resonance while speaking or reading your mission statement.

Several examples of personal mission statements follow:

To nurture, reveal and be the light of Truth and Unity for all who seek its Peace.
To touch, inspire, and awaken children of all ages to live inspired and abundant lives.
To radiate and inspire the joy of exploring, expressing, and experiencing being vitally alive.

(For more detail pertaining to writing a personal mission statement, we recommend reading The Path by Laurie Beth Jones.)

The Vision and Purpose:

Despite a common idea that the purpose of our life is about what we do, we believe that our life purpose is about how we feel. What we do is constantly subject to change but is always intended to generate feelings we want to experience. The purpose of our life is to feel and express joy, goodness, and love, but each person has a unique way of expressing who they are. Our life becomes the ultimate tool of expression.

The purpose of your life expression can be captured and expressed by a single word. Your purpose word expresses what is felt within your soul as you express from your essence or Authentic Self in service to your mission. This single word expression is always what we would describe as a quality of God or Source. Specific examples that might serve as a life purpose word would be: Joy, Love, Beauty, Wholeness, Freedom, Peace, Power, or Unity. There are many others.

A vision is a short phrase or statement of how you see the expression of your life (your life work) unfolding in the world. It is a summation of the collective essence of who you are as you live the life you most desire. It is so short it could be your spiritual marketing slogan!

Several examples are:

Singing in the spirit. (Musician)
Healing with hands of love. (Massage Therapist)
My Authentic Self, expressed in perfect balance. (Jay)
I am the Light of God. (Wendy)

Intentions:

Intentions are not goals or objectives. They can never be completed or checked off a "to do" list. They are not something you get or possess; they are more closely aligned with your motivations and drives. An intention is something you wish to give, express, or experience; a quality of being that you want to be part of who you are at all times. Your intentions indicate how you wish to express your life and carry out your mission.

When exploring your intentions we suggest that you ponder and meditate on the various aspects of your life as you most desire them to be, including: abundance and prosperity, health, relationships, fulfillment in creative expression, freedom of choice, personal and spiritual growth, etc. Make your intentions singular in purpose; meaning that each intention is about one thing so it can be clearly expressed. There is no real limit to the number of intentions you may choose, but as a practical matter you will probably find that more than 10 to 15 becomes unwieldy and you are probably repeating yourself. Try to capture everything that is of true importance and value to you in as few statements as you can. Make the wording as concise as possible. Also, if you find yourself struggling to decide between two or more, look to what we call "the largest container," which is the choice that can include and absorb the other, rather than exclude it.

Here are some examples of intentions expressed in the manner described:

My intention is . . . . . . to express unconditional Love in all of my relationships
. . . to bring more Beauty into the world through my art
. . . to be in integrity in all of my actions
. . . to create a nurturing environment for my family and friends
. . . to deepen my connection to Source and my Higher Self through daily meditation and practice
. . . to be as Authentically myself as I am able in any moment of my life.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. In our workshops we teach individuals to align with their Higher Self and to dialogue with and receive information from Source. This is something that we do at the very beginning of the creation of the sacred covenant and repeat throughout the process. There are many ways in which the individual can quiet the chatter of the mind; possibly through breathing exercises or a guided meditation. Once the mind is quiet, the chakras have been balanced, and the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual bodies have been aligned, the individual can ask any question of the Higher Self and simply wait for the answer that may then come through mental pictures, impressions, in an auditory manner, or simply by knowing. Be prepared with paper and pen to write down any information that comes through to you. This is an easy and effortless way to receive information for your "best and highest good." Your Higher Self is wise and always serves your highest good. Over time you will learn to trust this information however it comes to you.

Together, the creation of all of the components of the sacred covenant-the mission statement, vision, purpose, and intentions for your life-and the expression of these truths will generate a powerful vibrational shift for you. It's as if you have been given a compass to guide you along the most direct route to your chosen destination in life. It will serve to accelerate the journey along your spiritual path and create a sense of true peace in your life. Perhaps of greatest importance, the process becomes a conscious, clear expression of your Authentic Self and, as such, each time you go back to it you reinforce your knowledge of and commitment to your personal Truth. In a world that is only too willing to tell you who and how to be, this can be an invaluable anchor that keeps you fully grounded in the divinity of your being.

In moving toward the Visioned Relationship, we have purposely maintained the initial focus on the individual. This is because we believe that the essential key to all successful relationships is the degree to which each individual is consciously whole and complete in his or her self and thus not as likely to demand things from the relationship that it can never provide. When two people can move into the process of creating a shared model for the relationship they desire from a place of wholeness, they create possibilities of joyful union, comfort, support, laughter, and love beyond anything either of them has ever dreamed.