Living by Default or Living by Intention

Are you living by default or are you living by intention?

That is the question that came to me this morning as I meditated.

As I sat with the question, I became more consciously aware of the ways that I have been living by default rather than by intention.

In my day-to-day life, it is easy for me to fall into habits of thought as well as habits of behavior. After a while, these thoughts and behaviors become my default mode. Without conscious awareness, I can fall into patterns that are life-denying rather than life-enriching.

These patterns can be thoughts of lack, limitation, not enough, judgment of self or others, and any of many other iterations of a mind in default mode left to its own devices. It may also present as sitting in front of the television watching programs about dysfunctional human behavior or violence.

When I am living by default, I can often allow my mind to be programmed by words and images that are not in alignment with who and what I truly am and intend to be. Living by default may also exhibit as not caring for myself; not exercising regularly; eating unhealthy food; overspending; or not getting enough rest.

Living by intention requires me to make conscious choices.

As I contemplated what it means to live intentionally, I was reminded of one of my favorite life-changing books from years ago, The Power of Intention, Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way, by Dr. Wayne Dyer. In his book, Dr. Dyer offers us a new perspective on the Power of Intention. Rather than thinking of intention as an aspect of the human will in which one is determined to achieve a desired result, he asserts that there is a Power of Intention in the universe. He quotes Carlos Castaneda from his book, The Active Side of Infinity,

”Intent is a force that exists in the universe. When sorcerers (those who live of the Source) beckon intent, it comes to them and sets up the path for attainment, which means that sorcerers always accomplish what they set out to do.”

Dr. Dyer goes on to suggest that the Power of Intention is the power of God that intended us and all of creation into expression. This power intended that each of us come into this life experience to express and create something unique that will bless humanity and the world. Further, our opportunity in every moment is to connect with this power and use it.

From this perspective, living by intention takes on a whole new meaning. There is a universal Power of Intention that we can tap into, and we must be intentional about tapping into it and using it.

Rather than living by default, falling into habits of thought and behavior, and being adversely influenced by the world, we can instead be intentional about staying in conscious communion with the universal Power of Intention, connecting with the inspiration derived, and giving expression to it through our thoughts, words, and actions.

We can do this by actively engaging in spiritual practices, such as prayer, meditation, contemplation, denials and affirmations; communing with nature; dancing in the spirit; singing; conscious movement, such as yoga or tai chi; journaling; and many other practices that help us move out of our default mode and into a deeper connection with the power within us.

When talking about intention, I have often used the metaphor of a radio dial. We tune our radio dial to the frequency of the station we want to hear. Likewise, when setting an intention we use our minds to tune to the frequency, such as love, peace, abundance, wisdom, beauty, etc. that we choose to receive. As we keep our minds stayed on that frequency, we draw to ourselves people, places and situations that match our frequency.

When we set our intention on tuning to the Power of Intention, we open ourselves to demonstrations of all the qualities of that power. Dr. Dyer refers to these as “The Seven Faces of Intention” which are creativity, kindness, love, beauty, expansion, unlimited abundance, and receptivity. I won’t go into each of them here, but I suggest that you explore this book if you are interested in learning more.

I invite you to join me as I set a clear intention to no longer live by default but to live by intention. I have written my intention as follows. I welcome you to use it or craft one that suits you.

I cease living by default. I choose to live by intention. I am in the flow of the Power of Intention. It flows to me and through me as Unlimited Abundance, Creativity, Inspiration, Love, Beauty, Vitality and all the Good I can imagine. I enthusiastically commune with this power as I joyously open to and actively engage with it through my thoughts, words, and actions. I become a sorcerer as I co-create a world that embodies all the qualities inherent in the Power of Intention. I am grateful.
And, so it is.