Creating and Submitting a Quality Intention

Much can be gained from writing a quality intention. Just sitting down and taking the time to put your intention into writing can be a powerful exercise. It will force you to determine exactly what it is you desire. Only then can you create a clear and concise intention. This step can be very enlightening in itself.

Clear and specific

Imagine a genie appearing before you and saying, "I will grant you one wish. You can have anything that you desire, but you must tell me what your wish is in the next 5 seconds." Nearly all of us would blurt out the first grand thing that came into our minds: "I want a million dollars. I want to be famous. I want a perfect body ..."

But if that genie appeared before you and said, "You have 30 minutes to tell me your wish," then our wishes would most likely be very different than in the situation above. They may sound more like, "I would like a new 5 bedroom, 4 bath house with a swimming pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean in San Clemente, California." Just a few minutes of focused thought can really clarify what it is we want, and what we don't want, in our lives. And, when it comes to getting our wishes granted, as in the example above, those few moments can really pay off.

Now imagine 10,000 Thoughts.com is the genie ready to grant your wish. What are you going to wish for? Take all the time you need.

(Actually there is a genie ready to grant your every wish and it is not 10,000 Thoughts.com but I discuss that in another article.)

Present Tense vs. Future Tense

Now that you have a clear idea of exactly what you want, you have to put it in writing. Most people will naturally write their intention in the future tense.

"I intend to double my income this year."

"Please God, help me to lose 15 pounds by graduation."

However, many people prefer to word their intentions in the present tense.

So if you wanted to double your income and you were presently earning $40,000 a year, or you currently weigh 160 pounds, you would write:

"My income is $80,000 a year."

"I weigh 125 pounds."

These intentions are made as if they are already happening. The present tense is a confirmation that you believe God has already answered your prayer, and it is simply in the process of being carried out. As Wayne Dyer would say, "It is on its way."

At first, this may seem odd and unnatural, especially if there is nothing in your present life to help convince you that the statement is true or even on its way. If you want to weigh 125 pounds but you currently weigh 160, you don't exercise and you eat a poor diet, making such a statement could seem ludicrous. A little voice inside your head may be shouting, "This is bull; you're crazy," whenever you say your intention. And if that is the case, then wording your intention in the future tense may be the best for you.

But even if you say your intention to yourself in the future tense, consider submitting your intention to 10,000 Thoughts.com in the present tense. The reason is simple. Practically none of the people who are going to read your intention know you personally. When these people read and focus on your intention, there will not be a little voice inside their head screaming, "This is bull; you're crazy." They will picture you weighing 125 pounds right now, right this second, and there will not be a speck of doubt in their mind. This is powerful.

Using the future tense however sends a mixed message. The reader of your intention will immediately picture you weighing much more than 125 pounds in your present state. Then they will have to clear that picture from their minds and picture you weighing 125 pounds some time in the future - not now. But, now is the only time that matters. Now is when you exercise. Now is when you eat healthy. Now is when you choose to be 125 pounds. Now is when you need their help to be as effective as possible.

Positive vs. Negative

It is also important to phrase your intentions in a positive manner. You manifest what you think about. Therefore, your intention should not include anything that you don't want in your life. Your intention or prayer should be focused on what you want to gain or achieve, not on what you want to lose or rid yourself of. Phrasing your intention positively is usually not a problem except when dealing with health and disease or addictions.

If you have lung cancer, creating a positive focused intention can be difficult. How does one state they want to be free of cancer without focusing on the cancer itself? One solution for this situation is to say, "My body is in a state of optimum health and well being." And then, if you feel you must explain further, do so in the "Background Section" just below your intention.

Emotions are Key

There are two parts to manifesting your intentions; asking for what you want and receiving what you asked for. Being in the proper emotional and conscious state is key to receiving what you want.

Why not use your intention to help you get into the proper state for receiving?

One suggestion is to start your intention with a description of the emotional state you will be in when your prayer is answered. If you see yourself full of happiness and confidence when you weigh 125 pounds, state that in your intention.

"I am filled with happiness and joy. I am at peace because I am confident in my abiliteis to create my own reality. I weigh 125 pounds."

Now everyone who reads your intention will visualize you in the proper emotional state you need to be in to receive your intention.

Background Section

Mother Theresa is quoted as saying, "Our words are useless unless they come from the bottom of the heart. Prayer to be fruitful, must come from the heart and must be able to touch the heart of God."

In order for the members of 10,000 Thoughts.com to help you get your prayers answered, your intentions manifested, and your dreams fulfilled, they must open their hearts. And your job is to make that as easy as possible by providing some background information on you and your situation. Please give the members of this site a way to connect with you. Background information that briefly explains why you have chosen and submitted an intention can serve as a powerful link for others' thoughts and prayers. A Bio that contains some basic information like the city and country you are in, your gender, your age, if you have children, can go a long way toward creating that connection as well. Submitting a picture of yourself is another great way to personalize your intention. The more potential connections you provide others the better.

So, in closing, in order to submit a quality intention, please take a few minutes to think about what it is you really want. Write your intention in the present tense, focusing on what you want to achieve in your life, not what you want remove from it. Include a description of your emotional and conscious state with your intention. And then provide an informative Bio and Background Section that personalizes your intention and allows others to connect with your desires. Do these things and you will have taken a giant step closer to your dreams.