Intend: Abide

Musing…

“The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world...”   – Ralph Waldo Emerson

..then all manner of things can happen. I hear in Emerson’s words a prescription for courage, for audacity.

Charise’s Turn:

Following upon dreaming, our last blog entry, is abiding in your dream. It’s just a dream, a fancy, a sight of some possibility that has a lot of impossibility tied to it, you might say. Of course! How else will anything new begin? As I go through my poems, one by one, making choices which literary journals to submit to, I have the chance to hone my voice as it’s been expressed in these different writings. Embarking on this endeavor sets the primary goal right in front of me  -- to bring out the emotional truth of my voice.

Yes, I’ve already received a couple of very kind rejection letters. One editor was so gracious with his thanks and while saying “no, not now”, added there was “little doubt” another journal would accept my work. On to the next submission…and so it goes. It doesn’t much matter what the end result is when being authentic is how I’m giving my voice to the world.

Get Fired Up:

Counter the idea that the dream you are wanting to catch or manifest is far flung. Once you have a dream you have an in – so wear it, inhabit it, get the feel of it as if it’s happening now.  It’s in your skin, let it move you in the direction it’s already headed. Be audacious and unapologetically your self!  

www.coachingmoves.com

Intend: A Tension Attention

"Inside Out" watercolor by Kate Kroska 

Musing…

"What we think, we become.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world."  - The Buddha

Both ancient and contemporary authors speak to the power of our thoughts in manifesting our desires. Consciously setting an intention ignites that spark of creative impulse; we covenant with the creative force, develop a relationship with our creative self, and, in saying “Yes” to something, a force much bigger is activated. It’s as if the Universe, in service to you, orchestrates everything you need to progress. A strong, well-defined focus of attention will manifest something, so it’s important to choose consciously, for we are creating all the time, whether we are aware of it or not.

Where the attention goes, energy flows.

Kate’s Turn:   

The tension I experience is in the choice point: dwelling on my present circumstances OR focusing on what I want to create in my life….  “I intend…” Our brains default to have us think negatively: about what we fear, what we lack, etc. – having enough money, healing a back injury, etc.  When I complain or worry, then the energy goes to what I don’t want. Energy moves with intention; whatever you focus on gets bigger. But holding the attention on my desires, in spite of current circumstances, broadcasts to the Universe to orchestrate its eventual coming about – unimagined sources of money, support to strengthen my body, etc. This requires faith – to focus on my desire and not my fears….to let go of what went wrong and move forward in identifying what to do next, to have faith in the reality of what is wanted. And it is SUCH a challenging practice! I think about our Olympic medal winners – how they have SUCH focused intention to perform with such excellence. They make it look easy, but we all know the years of effort and attention they devoted to that 2 or 4 minute performance. This speaks to passion, and placing your intention on something you love. I’ll expound more on the feeling aspect next time – for now, I’m intending to practice disciplining my mind to recognize the tension between what is and what I want, and using my ability to choose where I place my attention.

Get Fired Up:

When you become aware of a tension, try this breath exercise:  Breathe directly into the tension with the inhalation; release the tension along with the breath during the exhalation, reiterating your intention. Where the attention goes, energy flows. We get to choose!

Here’s another practice, especially enjoyable this winter -- Solar Connection: allow yourself to bask in the warmth of the sun. Place your intention on the sun, and absorb its light and energy.

www.kroskalifecoaching.com