Does this sound familiar? You’re stuck in a social media loop, following the daily lives of other people whose lives seem totally exciting, free, and inspiring. You know you shouldn’t compare yourself to others (especially not online) and that you make your own choices. Still, one thought or another creeps into your mind that you would also like to reshape your life a bit to finally live the life you dream of.
I felt this way for a long time, and I just couldn’t really manage to change my life positively in the long term. Until I learned how to set positive intentions that remind me every day where my focus should be - until something really changes!
What are intentions, actually?
Intentions are a wonderful tool to find joy and fulfillment - and to live the life that feels right for you. They give you insight into what you really want and provide you with a focal point to remind yourself of it daily. In short: They help you manifest your dreams.
Unlike a "goal," it’s not just the end result that matters, but also the entire journey there - your actual life in every moment. When we set goals, we often only have the end result in mind from the start and skip over the moment we are in. You subconsciously create a gap between what you can experience in life with all your senses and what you would like to experience. You always view the now as something that can be optimized and insufficient, and the goal always seems far away. That doesn’t sound optimal, does it?
However, when you set an intention, you’re only charting a rough path that feels good. This path can then lead you through a multitude of branches to an infinite number of goals - and they may have nothing to do with what you initially hoped for - except that they feel totally right and good and can be adjusted over time.
An intention is therefore a direct call to ourselves to live our lives as we deeply wish. And this feeling, this path, can be experienced and enjoyed from the very first step.
How to find your intention
Take a quiet moment for yourself, for example, right now.
To get in the mood, listen to a short mantra to calm your thoughts, or simply a quiet song. Close your eyes. Remember when you were truly happy in your life. Are there one or perhaps several moments when you felt that pure feeling of indescribable joy? The feeling that everything is just right and you are connected with yourself? That is the state you should always be in: completely content, balanced, full of love, in joy, and in close connection with yourself. Sometimes it also helps to write down keywords associated with this feeling. What exactly made you feel satisfied?
And now, when you think of this feeling, set it as your intention. How do you want to feel? What state do you want to tune into daily?
Formulate this feeling as a clear, positive sentence, e.g., “I feel completely secure” or “I am brave and explore the world.” This longing, this feeling, is your intention.
How to use your intention for yourself
Now that you know what your intention is, you can use it to positively change your life!
The best way to start is to meditate for a short time every morning for 21 days, focusing on an object that supports your intention - for example, a mala bracelet. Speak your intention out loud. For example: “I will feel free and happy. I will be full of energy. I will believe in myself and realize my dreams with a clear mind. I am ready for change and have trust. I open my arms and create space for this feeling in my life.”
Through this small ritual, you give your intention time and space in your life every morning. It has the opportunity to unfold and can then subconsciously accompany you throughout the day, guiding your feelings and decisions in a better direction.
Just try it once, you will be surprised at what can change in just 21 days!
By the way: You can also repeat your intention during the day whenever you need a little extra energy. To do this, briefly touch your bracelet, take a deep breath in and out, and think firmly of your intention. This will immediately realign your energy and guide the flow of your day towards your intention.
Manifest your dreams
Remember: No matter whether you achieve your goals in life or not, your intention reminds you why you want to achieve a goal in the first place. Whenever you are in a state of deep contentment and calm, you are surely on the right path. Let this joy be your guiding star and think about what you can do to experience this positive feeling.
Over time, you will develop a sense of which activities, which people, which places are good for you and help you manifest the life of your dreams. And you will more often have that good moment when you can simply close your eyes and know that everything is good.