Category Archives: Intuition & Intention

In our generally left-brain-exalting world, most of us have been taught to ignore intuition in favor of reason. At a minimum, we’ve been advised to validate intuition with reason before allowing ourselves to follow it. In her book Sacred Contracts (2003), Caroline Myss proposes that such a practice is the fast path to depression and madness. Intuition is a higher, deeper form of wisdom than reason. Authenticating intuition with reason is like using preschool constructs to validate a doctoral dissertation. In the words of Albert Einstein, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” When you are fueled by love, you can trust your discernment—reasoning and intuition—to help you foster equanimity and access your deepest wisdom to reveal and advance the highest good for all, by creating a moment by moment custom blend of your competencies that varies based on the optimal mix for the opportunities in each life situation.

Living with intention is often misunderstood as living with white-knuckle willpower and staying the course, even if “the course” was set by others or by a younger, less-experienced you.
Another common misconception is that living with intention means creating a to-do list every day and checking off your tasks as you complete them. While checking off a task on a list may yield a “yes” reaction and a sense of accomplishment, the benefit is momentary. Neither is living with intention about superstition or even luck. The results you get from willpower, to-do lists, and luck are a poor substitute for the sense of abundance that comes from truly living with intention and mindfulness. The real power of living with intention comes from within. Setting an intention is not about a short- or long-term goal—something you will be “doing” in the future. Instead, when you set your intention, you focus on how you are “being” in the present moment.