The Power of Intention Read online

  Understand your true essence, look death squarely in the face, and break the shackles of slavery to that fear. You do not die. Announce it. Meditate on it. Look at it from this angle: If you’re not an infinite being, what would be the purpose of your life? Surely not going through the motions of being born, working, accumulating, losing it all, getting sick, and dying. By waking up to your infinite essence and staying connected to the seven faces of intention, you begin to free yourself of the limitations your ego has placed on you. You set in motion the guidance and assistance of the infinite universal mind to work with you. And most of all, you feel the peace that overtakes you when you expel your fear of death and mortality. I’m touched by the stories of great spiritual teachers leaving this Earthly plane feeling blissful and fearless. They banished all doubt, extricated all fear, and met infinity head-on with grace. Here are the final words of a few of the people I’ve long admired:

  The hour I have long wished for is now come.

  — Teresa of Avila

  Let us be kinder to one another.

  — Aldous Huxley

  If this is death, it is easier than life.

  — Robert Louis Stevenson

  This is the last of earth! I am content.

  — John Quincy Adams

  I shall hear in heaven.

  — Ludwig van Beethoven

  Light, light, the world needs more light.

  — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  I am going to that country which I have all my life wished to see.

  — William Blake

  It is very beautiful over there.

  — Thomas Edison

  Ram, Ram, Ram [God, God, God].

  — Mahatma Gandhi

  Why not write your own final words now and make your transition to being an infinite being while you still occupy your body? As you consider your appointment with infinity, look at how most of us live our lives. We know we’re in a body that’s going to die, but we behave as if it’s not going to happen to us. This viewpoint is from the inactive side of infinity where we don’t see our connection to intention and our ability to stay in harmony with our creative Spirit. Let’s examine the essential difference between keeping your appointment with infinity now, or at your death. In one case, you’ll be on the active side of infinity, and in the other, you’ll avoid it by being on the inactive side.

  The Active vs. the Inactive Sides of Infinity

  On the active side of infinity, you’re fully cognizant that you’re in a body that’s going to die. Furthermore, your inner knowing is that you aren’t that body, its mind, or any of its achievements and possessions. On this active side of infinity, you have a good grip on that trolley strap I described earlier, which is connected to intent, and you’re an observer of all your sensory experiences. This may not sound like a big deal to you; however, I assure you that once you move your inner awareness to the active side of infinity, you’ll begin to notice miraculous happenings in your daily life. On this active side of infinity, you are first and foremost an infinite spiritual being having a temporary human experience, and you do all of your living in all of your relationships from this perspective. On the inactive side of infinity, your experience of life is quite the opposite. Here, you’re first and foremost a human being having an occasional spiritual experience. Your life is guided by a fear of death, a separation from others, a competitive style, and a need to dominate and be a winner. The inactive side of infinity separates you from the power of intention.

  Here are some of the distinctions that I see between those who live in the active side of infinity and those who deny their eternal nature and opt for the inactive side of infinity:

  A sense of destiny. In the active side of infinity, your connection to intention will no longer be thought of as an option, but as a calling that you must heed. The inactive side of infinity leads you to see life as chaotic, purposeless, and meaningless, while your position on the active side of infinity leads you to fulfill a destiny that you feel deep within you.

  When I look back at my life, I realize that my sense of destiny was directing me at an early age. I’ve known since I was a child that I could manifest abundance into my life. While sitting in high school and college classrooms where I was bored to death by teachers who conveyed their lack of passion in their dreary presentations, I dreamed of talking to large audiences. I vowed in those youthful days that I’d live my passion, and somehow knew that I was here for a reason. I couldn’t allow anyone or anything to deter me from my path. I’ve always sensed that I’m really an infinite soul, disguised at various times as a husband, father, author, lecturer, and balding six-foot-plus American male. Because I live on the active side of infinity, I have a sense of destiny that won’t allow me to die with my music still in me.

  You can make the same kinds of choices. Just let go of the idea that you’re a body that’s destined to die, and instead seek an awareness of your immortal self. On the active side of infinity, you’ll find your greater self, of which a small part has materialized as your body. I guarantee you that simply recognizing yourself as an infinite and therefore indestructible being, your connection to intention and the ability to manifest all that you desire within the confines of your universal Source will become your reality. There’s no other way.

  Your sense of destiny lets you know that you’re playing this game of life on the active side of infinity. Prior to accessing your sense of destiny, your motivation was what you wanted out of life and what you’d like to do. On the active side of infinity, you realize that it’s time to do what your destiny intended you to do. Wallowing around hoping things will work out, waiting for your luck to change, and hoping others will come through for you no longer feels right. Your sense of destiny allows you to realize, I am eternal, andthat means that I showed up here from the infinitude of spiritual intention to fulfill a destiny that I must act on. You begin stating your objectives in the language of intention, knowing they’ll materialize. You enlist the power of intention to keep you on track. It can’t fail because there’s no failure in the infinite.

  This 13th-century poem may inspire you to know you have your destiny: You were born with potential.

  You were born with goodness and trust.

  You were born with ideals and dreams.

  You were born with greatness.

  You were born with wings.

  You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.

  You have wings.

  Learn to use them and fly.

  — Rumi

  If Rumi composed his poem from the inactive side of infinity, his words might be more like the following.

  You are an accident of nature.

  You are subject to the laws of luck and chance.

  You can be pushed around easily.

  Your dreams are meaningless.

  You were meant to live an ordinary life.

  You have no wings.

  So forget about flying and stay grounded.

  A sense of the possible. Creation acts upon the everlasting possibility that anything that is thought of, can be. Consider some of the numerous great inventions, which we take for granted today: airplanes, electric lights, telephones, television, fax machines, computers. They’re all the result of creative ideas by individuals who ignored the ridicule they encountered while they stayed focused on possible rather than impossible. In other words, a sense of the possible grows in the fertile terrain of the active side of infinity.

  I have here in my writing space a wonderful account of four children who refused to allow the word impossible into their hearts:

  Eddie was born without hands or feet. At age five, he went to South Africa and saw a mountain he wanted to climb; he climbed it in three hours. And at age 13, he decided to play a trombone. He sees no reason why he shouldn’t achieve whatever he sets out to do. He lives on the active side of infinity, consulting that world of infinite possibilities.

  Abby was desperately ill and needed a heart transplant. When she sa
w her mother crying, she told her, “Mommy don’t cry, I’m going to get better.” At the 11th hour, a heart miraculously became available, and Abby is better. Abby’s intention came from that world of infinite possibilities. It’s the active side of infinity where intentions manifest.

  Stephanie was five years old when she came down with meningitis and had to have both of her legs amputated. Today at age 12, she rides her own bicycle and has dreams that go way beyond those of most teenagers who possess all of their limbs. Her personal slogan is: Push to the limit.

  After two major heart operations while just a toddler, the doctors told little Frankie’s parents that they could do no more. Frankie lived only because she was on a life-support machine. When her parents were advised to have the machine turned off because Frankie couldn’t survive and would only suffer, they finally agreed. But Frankie survived. She was somehow on the active side of the world of infinite possibilities. The caption beneath her photo says it all: You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?

  The power of intention involves staying on the active side of infinite possibilities. George Bernard Shaw, who was still creating into his 90s, has been quoted as saying, “You see things as they are and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say ‘Why not?’” Think of Shaw’s words as you practice staying on the active side of infinity and seeing the infinite possibilities that are available to all of us.

  A sense of awe. You have to admit that just the concept of infinity is awesome. No beginning. No ending. Everywhere at once. No time. And all of it here and now. The fact that you’re a part of this infinite universe and that you emerged into the finite is mind-boggling. It defies description. The active side of infinity inspires a sense of awe. When you’re in a state of awe, you’re in a persistent state of gratitude. Perhaps the surest way to happiness and fulfillment in life is to thank and praise your Source for everything that happens to you. Then, even when a calamity arises, you can be assured that you’ll turn it into a blessing.

  In the inactive side of infinity, you assume that you’re only here temporarily, and therefore you have no obligation to the universe, the planet, or its inhabitants. By denying your infinite nature, you move through life taking everyday miracles for granted. As you become acquainted with your eternal nature, you have a very different point of view. You’re in a persistent state of gratitude for all that shows up. This state is the secret to fulfilling your own individual human intentions, and without it, all of your most sincere efforts will amount to naught.

  Being in a state of gratitude actually creates magnetism, and of course, a magnet draws things to itself. By giving authentic thanks for all the good you now have, as well as the challenges, through this magnetism you’ll start the flow of more good into your life. Every successful person I know is grateful for everything they have. This process of giving thanks opens the door for more to come. It’s how being in active infinity works. Your sense of awe at all of the miracles you see around you allows you to think, see, and live more of these miraculous occurrences. In contrast, a state of ingratitude stops the infinite flow of abundance and health. It’s a door closer.

  A sense of humility. The active side of infinity fosters a sense of humility. When humility enters your soul, you know that you’re not alone in this world, because you sense the heart of the power of intention, which is in each and everyone of us. To quote the Talmud, “Even if you be otherwise perfect, you fail without humility.” When you embrace the active side of infinity, you’re looking at something so enormous that your little ego is dwarfed in the process. You’re looking out at forever, and your little life is but a tiny parenthesis in eternity.

  One of the reasons for so much contemporary depression and ennui is the inability to see ourselves connected to something greater and more important than our own puny egos. Young people whose primary focus is on their possessions, their appearance, their reputations with their peers—in short, their own egos—have very little sense of humility. When the only thing you have to think about is yourself and how you appear to others, you’ve distanced yourself from the power of intention. If you want to feel connected to your own purpose, know this for certain: Your purpose will only be found in service to others, and in being connected to something far greater than your body/mind/ego.

  I always told my young clients in counseling who were desperate for approval from their peers that the more they chase after approval, the more they’ll be disapproved of because no one wants to be around those who beg for approval. People who receive the most approval are unconcerned about it. So, if you really want approval, stop thinking about yourself, and focus on reaching out and helping others. The active side of infinity keeps you humble. The inactive side of infinity keeps you focused on me, me, me, and ultimately is a roadblock to your connection to intention.

  Wilhelm Stekel made a remarkable comment on the importance of humility (which was quoted by J. D. Salinger in Catcher in the Rye). Stekel wrote: “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”

  A sense of generosity. If asked, Why do you give us light and warmth? I believe that the sun would answer, It’s my nature to do so. We must be like the sun, and locate and dispense our giving nature. When you’re on the active side of infinity, giving is your nature.

  The more you give of yourself, no matter how little, the more you open the door for life to pour in. This not only compensates you for your gift, it also increases the desire to give, and consequently the ability to receive as well. When you’re on the inactive side of infinity, you view life in terms of shortages, and hoarding becomes a way of living. Generosity, as well as the inclination to reach your intentions, is lost when you think in these terms. If you can’t see an infinite universe, with infinite supply, and infinite time and an infinite Source, you’ll be inclined to hoard and be stingy. The power of intention is paradoxically experienced through what you’re willing to give to others. Intention is a field of energy, which is emanating in infinite supply. What can you give if you don’t have money to give? I love Swami Sivananda’s advice, and I encourage you to consider it here. Everything that he suggests, you own in infinite amounts.

  The best thing to give

  your enemy is forgiveness;

  to an opponent, tolerance;

  to a friend, your heart;

  to your child, a good example;

  to your father, deference;

  to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you;

  to your self, respect;

  to all men, charity.

  Make giving a way of life. It is, after all, what Source and nature do eternally. I’ve heard it said about nature that trees bend low with ripened fruit; clouds hang down with gentle rain; noble men bow graciously. This is the way of generous things.

  A sense of knowing. Your infinite Source of intention has no doubt. It knows, and consequently it acts upon that knowing. This is what will happen for you when you live on the active side of infinity. All doubt flies out of your heart forever. As an infinite being in a temporary human form, you’ll identify yourself primarily on the basis of your spiritual nature.

  This sense of knowing that comes from the active side of infinity means that you no longer think in terms of limits. You are the Source. The Source is unlimited. It knows no boundaries; it’s endlessly expansive, and endlessly abundant. This is what you are, too. Discarding doubt is a decision to reconnect to your original self. This is the mark of people who live self-actualized lives. They think in no-limit, infinite ways. One of the no-limit qualities is the ability to think and act as if what they’d like to have is already present. This is another one of my ten secrets for success and inner peace in the book of the same title. The power of intention is so doubt-deficient that when you’re connected to it, your sense of knowing sees what you’d like to have as already present. There are no contrary opinions whatsoev
er.

  Here’s my advice for accessing the power of intention: Stay on the active side of the infinite, where all of the energy for creation exists in everlasting supply. Night and day, dream of what you intend to do and what you intend to be, and those dreams will interpret your intentions. Let no doubt into your dreams and intentions. The dreamers are the saviors of the world. Just as the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so too do the manifestations of man find nourishment in the visions of our solitary dreamers. Be one of those dreamers.

  A sense of passion. The Greeks have given us one of the most beautiful words of our language: enthusiasm. The word enthusiasm translates to “a God within.” Within you is an infinite passionate soul that wishes to express itself. It’s the God within you, urging you to fulfill a deep sense of what you were meant to be. All of our acts are measured by the inspiration from which they originate. When your acts display the faces of intention, they spring from a God residing within you. This is enthusiasm. When you emulate the power of intention, this is where you’ll feel the passion you were intended to feel and live.

  The beauty of feeling passionate and enthusiastic is the glorious feeling of joy and cheerfulness that comes along with it. Nothing provides me with more joy than sitting here and writing to you from my heart. I enthusiastically allow these teachings to come through me from the Source of all intention, the universal mind of all creativity. Put quite simply, I feel good, I’m in a cheerful mood, and my inspiration provides me with joy. If you want to feel great, look into the mirror, say to your image, I am eternal; this image will fade, but I am infinite. I am here temporarily for a reason. I will be passionate about all that I do. Then just notice how you feel as you stare at your reflection. Being cheerful is a wondrous side benefit of enthusiasm. It comes from being in the active side of infinity where there’s absolutely nothing to feel bad about.