There’s this thing that you have. You may not know that you have it — I certainly didn’t know it existed until 2004.

This thing that you have is the culprit for all of the stuff in your life.

This thing is called your intention.

The first time I heard that behind everything I do and every decision that I make, I had an intention, it kind of blew my mind — especially when I was told that I can consciously set my intention and that will get me what I want.

I remember sitting on my couch in my apartment in Austin, Texas. I was watching Oprah. She was talking to Gary Zukav about his book, The Seat of the Soul.*

*I bought and read this book after this show, and after my waxing lady also recommended it a few weeks later… I seriously thought it was totally nuts at the time — like, creepy and crazy. I couldn’t finish it. I reread it a few years ago, and it’s seriously now one of my favorite books.

Oprah said (and, I paraphrase):

You write a lot about intention. I learned from you that I always have an intention. Every time my staff and I decide to do something on the show, I ask them, ‘What is our intention in having this guest on the show or focusing on this topic?’ Our intention behind every choice needs to be the right intention, otherwise we don’t do it.

This concept, intention, just jumped up and grabbed me at that moment, even though I had a hard time deciphering what my intentions were in… anything. I thought, okay, I’m going to try this out. What was my intention in going to law school?

I couldn’t answer that question. I had no idea what my intention was in going to law school, in taking a job in New York, in dating my boyfriend — anything.

Now, after having intention explained to me 6 different ways till Sunday and letting my brain hurt as I wrap my mind around the idea, I can tell you what my intention is — and confirm that my intentions created my result.

• My intention in going to law school: To put off admitting to myself that what I really wanted to do (basically, this) and develop a skill that had an existing marketplace where I could sell it.
  [RESULT: I put off the soul search that brought me here, and I easily found a job (those were different times... )]

That may all make total sense to you, or you may feel really confused (if you’re like me).

But, not to worry! I’ve thought up two more ways to explain this that and show you how to identify your intention — and then, how to choose it. .

Because the problem with the concept of intention is that it’s really fluffy. Intention is a very abstract idea that is hard to understand, and often misunderstood.

But, because your intention is a very, very powerful, way to create exactly what you want, try to stay with me here. Maybe it’s easy for you to grasp this idea right off of the bat, but I found that it’s an idea that I had to digest for a while before I “got” it.

Then, it took some effort to be able to identify what my own intention was behind the stuff I would do.

EASY EXPLANATION #1: Your intention is like the muscles in your body.

(I was going to say, “your intention is like your pancreas,” until I realized I don’t really know what the pancreas does…? Something with sugar in your body, maybe?)

Your body is covered in muscles — it always has been. Your muscles enable you to walk, stand, run and make feeble efforts at dancing (whatever, I think you’re an awesome hip hop dancer).

But, you didn’t always know about your muscles. Even though they’ve been working for you since you were born, you didn’t always know that there were thingies that were making all of that movement.

When you learned to walk, you didn’t know your ABC’s, let alone human biology, but you not knowing that it was your leg muscles causing you to take that first step didn’t change the fact that it was your leg muscles that picked up one magnificent, velcro kitten sneaker and put back down onto the carpet, safe and sound.

Now that you move all over the place, you can even choose which muscles you want to use to do stuff. You can walk starting with your right leg (using your right leg muscles) or step with your left leg first (using your left leg muscles).

You can be even more selective than that about which muscles you use. If you’re very aware of your own body, you can stand up initiating with the back of your legs (your hamstrings) or initiating with the front of your legs (your quads).

You can make the exact same movement (standing up), but using different muscles depending on which ones you choose.

Not everyone has that high degree of body awareness. It takes time to be able to feel what muscles you use and become aware of what muscles are making what movements.

It’s a sophisticated level of self-awareness to be in touch with your body this way, and it takes time and effort to be able to get in touch with yourself in this way (it’s worth it).

Your muscles are like your intention. Even if you’re not aware that you have them, they are still doing their jobs. But, when you become aware that they are there, and can identify them, you now have the power to choose which ones to use to get the results you want to get.

So, just like your muscles have always been making your movements, your intention has always been making the results of your decisions.

You don’t have to be aware of your intention or your muscles for them to be there and do their jobs — they are both just a part of you whether or not you are aware of it.

And, just like with your muscles, you can put effort and focus into becoming aware of what your intention is behind a decision. And, eventually, you can readily identify exactly what your intention is or what muscle you’re using, and ultimately, choose the intention/muscle you want to use.

EASY EXPLANATION #2: Here’s a nifty formula.

Maybe you’re thinking, I am loving how much this makes sense! But, if you’re like me, you’re probably looking quizzically at your computer screen with zero light bulbs flicking on, and about ready to quit this brain teaser of a blog post.

Don’t sweat it. Here’s the second way to think about what intention is:

Decision (with intention) = result

That formula is saying that your decision, coupled with your intention, produces the result that you get.

I’ll fill in a decision that I made this morning, and the result that I got, and then we’ll deduce my intention from that.

Formula: Decision (with intention) = result

Dance cardio with Tracy Anderson (intention?) = Thankful and energized for the day.

I’m aware of my intentions behind my actions at this point, so I can easily tell you what my intention was — to give myself a fun way to keep my heart healthy. What we have is this:

Formula: Decision (with intention) = result

Dance cardio with Tracy Anderson (intention: to give myself a fun way to keep my heart healthy) = Thankful and energized for the day.

But what if, instead, my intention had been, to burn as many calories as possible to lose weight?

That same decision, but with a different intention, produces a different result.

Formula: Decision (with intention) = result

Dance cardio with Tracy Anderson (intention: to burn as many calories as possible to lose weight) = Tired, depleted.

Does that make sense? We just saw:

1. I can make the SAME decision, couple it with a DIFFERENT intention, and get a DIFFERENT result altogether, and
2. When trying to figure out your intention could be, you can plug in your decision and the result into the equation, mull it over, and figure out what your intention was that brought about the result.

An example of #1 is like when you eat a sandwich with the intention to fill your empty belly, versus when you eat a sandwich because you’re mad at your stupid boss and looking for a distraction.  The result (either feeling satisfied and ready to hit road, OR mad at yourself and totally distracted) is different depending on what your intention was.

Look at results that you’re not happy with in your life, trace it back to your intention (real culprit for results!)

Are you happy with your weight? With your career? With your relationships? With your mental health?

If not, these are results that you can input along with the decision that you made, and trace back to your intention — because it’s the REAL culprit behind the results you’re living with.

For example, let’s say that you’re in a job you are miserable doing.

Take this job (intention?) = Utter misery in stupid job.

Ask yourself, why did you decided to take this job? Let’s just say it was because it would make your parents proud and it was prestigious. That was your intention behind taking the job.

Take this job (make parents proud and impress other people) = Utter misery in stupid job.

This is very, very interesting and useful information to see. You have just learned that when your intention, or reason, behind a decision is to make other people happy and impress other people, you will be miserable. Wow.

Your intention always, always, always is the real culprit behind the results you’re getting.

Intention can’t NOT work.

In the words of Creativity coach Christine Kane, intention can’t NOT work. It always produces the results you get.

This means that when you:

1. become conscious of your intentions, and
2. choose your intentions,

you are consciously creating results.

I have to say, even though this has been 100% true in my life, I’m STILL skeptical! It just sounds too magical or something.

Like, really, I can just set my intention and no matter what else happens in the world, it will manifest into exactly what it is set to?

Doesn’t that just sound like it has to be wrong?

And, yet, in my life, this has always been proven true.

And, it happens faster when you remind yourself of the intention you chose a lot. Like, every day.

Here’s an intention-creation experiment for you to play with, if you dare.

• First, think about something you really, really want in your life. (find work you love? find joy? be in a healthy relationship?) Reach for the stars here, and don’t be scared to be specific.**

** Mine currently is, “Create a thriving life — booming business, healthy and honest relationships, in a house with a gorgeous garden in the back, minutes from my contemporary office space filled with many intelligent, lovely employees and full of delicious dinners and cooking and laughter”. A mouthful! And every time I read my intention, I fall in love with it all over again.

• Now, write it down on post-it or notecard. Go on — do it now, because your day will get busy and you’ll forget and never really do this. It’s really, really worth doing.
• Finally, put it on your bathroom mirror, and every morning when you get up, say it out loud.

You’re going to feel extremely uncool doing this last step. But, you can either be cool or you can get what you really, really want.

Wherever you are with this idea right now — understand what intention is or totally baffled by whatever the hell I’m trying to explain (because you don’t know what it is) — is the perfect place for you to be. I know that much for sure.

And, you can write out your intention, in the intention-creation experiment, even if you don’t exactly get what I’m talking about.

Play with this whole intention idea, mull it over. You may not have heard it from the Oprah, like I did, but now you’ve heard it… and you can’t un-ring that bell. I suspect some very weird stuff may start happening in your life – weird-good (well, that is, depending on your intention).

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