The Importance of
Declaring Intention

If You Want It, Declare It!

by Laura Interval

“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going because you might not get there." - Yogi Berra

I will never forget the day I realized the power of declaring intention.
It was a Saturday afternoon a few years ago. I was lazily staring at the blur of rerun TV; unmotivated and bored, I’m sure. Dick Clark was recapping some “oldies” and showing highlights of past “American Bandstand” classics. They cut to this young girl wearing a strange black lace skirt get-up, who began to sing and dance. She awkwardly skipped around the stage, trying to catch her breath as she performed to a clapping audience. The crowd loved her. When she finished, Dick applauded and asked her if she had anything to say to her new fans. She strutted straight up to Mr. Clark, grabbed the microphone from his hand, stared directly into the camera and announced, “I’m going to rule the world!” Dick Clark took back the mic and with an amused chuckle commented something like, “That’s Madonna ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her”.

Uh… yeah . . .

From the very beginning of her wildly successful career, Madonna knew what she wanted. She was an Italian-American Catholic girl from Detroit that decided she wanted more. She declared to the world that she intended to rule! And like her or not, you have to admit… she has.

So, the real question is, what do YOU want?

It’s time to declare it to the Universe.

Let me take a moment here and explain to you what I mean when I say “Universe”. I’m not speaking religiously or spiritually specific. In saying “the Universe”, I am referring to any higher power you might believe in. These laws I discuss such as the law of attraction/declaration… do not discriminate. I believe they only strengthen any practice that you already have. I myself do pray to God. I was brought up a Presbyterian Minister’s daughter and spent many Sunday mornings sitting in a church pew. Although much of my time was spent daydreaming, I picked up some good vibes from the fellowship and positive reinforcement that were standard in my dad’s church. As an adult, my spiritual practice includes God and living by the Christian principles. However, I choose to be nondenominational and a true believer in individuality. Any practice of spirituality that works for you is… well… what works for you. And that is what is most important. So, when I refer to the “Universe”, I am referring to the source of your energy behind your intention.

Sometimes KNOWING what you want is the hard part. You may have a vague idea… you may have generalized wishes and desires. But, do you really intend to make it a reality? Those thoughts can quickly turn into that lovely “the grass is always greener” syndrome.

I never intended to be a fashion model. I always wanted to be a journalist or an actor growing up. Modeling was wonderful and I am grateful that I got to do it; however, I spent probably the last 5 years of my career coasting along in a semi unhappy, unfulfilled state. I wanted to do other things. I wanted to write, to act… but, modeling just kept going… and going… and I had to make the money right? I mean, I couldn’t just quit the work that was available to me, right? Well, to be honest, I now look at that as wasted time. For me, it would have been better to be conscious about my intentions. I was spending my mental energy wishing I was doing instead of just doing. Because when I finally did make the real decision, when I put the intention into the universe, I began to get what I wanted! I don’t mean it was easy… don’t get me wrong. But, the jobs that started coming my way… the work I began to do, made me so much happier!

So, get to it! Make a conscious decision.

WHAT DO YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE?

You may be fortunate enough to only want to change one aspect of your life… or you may want a total overhaul. It’s ok. Don’t get overwhelmed. Just BEGIN it!

I find it extremely helpful to write down my thoughts. It helps me to clarify what I really mean… and to make my statements concrete. And every “guru” I’ve ever listened to has always told me to do it… so, if you’re serious about making some changes… and getting what you want… take out pen and paper and answer these questions:

Start by looking at these four main categories in your life:
Career
Relationships
Money
Self

Ok… wait, before you start. Although this is difficult, try to make this FUN!!! Take some time for yourself right now . . . relax your mind. Be honest with your answers… and drop ALL excuses! Let’s say that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE now. Don’t put up any obstacles or barricades in this exercise. See what comes up if you remove ANY LIMITATIONS! Ok…

Career:
Are you doing what you want to be doing in your career? Do you love your job?

“Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” - Harvey Mackay, author

If you’re not satisfied, how can YOU make it better? What would you like to be doing instead? Write in bold letters what you want in your career!

Relationships:
Think about your most important personal relationships. Are you happy with them? Are you fulfilled and content when you think of them? Do you know that you need to make changes or deal with conflicts? Write in bold letters a change that you want to make.

Money:
Are you where you want to be financially? Are you happy with the state of your bank account? Write in bold letters the amount of money that you want to earn per year.

Self:
This is a biggie. What changes to your self do you want to make? Are you unhappy with anything physically? Do you have any unhealthy bad habits? Are you taking care of yourself body, mind and soul? Write in bold letters the changes you want to make to your SELF that are the most important to you right now.

This may seem all too simplistic… and, of course, it is. I’m not saying it doesn’t take a lot of hard work. However, I do believe that by answering these questions and declaring what you want, you’ve just made a huge step in beginning a transformation for your self.

Continue to look at these statements, keep them handy. Challenge yourself to focus on what you want. You will find this GPS guiding you more and more every day! Your decisions will be clear… and the universe will make way!

For a more complete guide to getting what you want, take a look at my setting goals workshop.

Related articles:

The Butterfly Effect - You Can Make a Difference

Is the Law of Attraction Working For You?

Persistence...


return from Declaring Intention back to
Creative Personal Development home