Monkswood Associates

“A good intention clothes itself with power.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(American poet, lecturer and essayist, 1803 – 1882)

I’ve been reading again. This time a book called ‘The Field’ by Lynne McTaggart. Now this book is not the lightest book to read and yet the science it covers is fascinating. Lynne describes one experiment where individuals are asked to have intentions to influence a ‘heads or tails’ machine that was purposefully built to take out the human influence. Literally thousands of experiments were undertaken and, yes, the number of head v tails was statistically abnormal. So intentions can influence even machines!

What experiences do you have with the influence of intentions?

In another experiment, it showed that another person could help someone else calm down through thoughts alone. The influence increased depending on how much it mattered to the influencer. I know I have helped some nervous horses to be more relaxed. And recently I’ve been receiving feedback from individuals that they generally feel more settled when I am in a meeting. Whether or not I take overt actions to help them be more relaxed!

How can you use this knowledge in your life?

Whatever you want more of in your life, spend time and energy in focusing on it - or I should say, invest your time and energy, because you'll soon start getting returns! Here are some ideas how to go about focusing your energy.

1. My ideal

Complete the following sentence: “If I could be, do, and have everything I want, my ideals scene would be ….” To do this exercise effectively, I find it helpful to clean my mind of my limiting thoughts, prejudices, et cetera. Keep in mind the following aspects of your life:

You may want to focus on one or two areas. However, as all these areas are inter-related, you may find it useful to write at least a sentence or two on each aspect of your life, describing your absolute ideal situation in life, as far as you are concerned. Let your imagination take over, expanding beyond your present limits. Write down as much detail as you can. One friend of mine even put the natural hair colour for his future children and it happened!

Once you are clear about what you want, ask for it. Trust that it will arrive. And work on aligning ‘you’ with what you want, so you can receive it.

2. Giving an A
Write a letter, which begins with the words “Dear [whoever], I got my A because …”. In this letter you are to tell, in as much detail as you can, the story of what will have happened to you by your selected deadline that is in line with this top grade.

As RS and B Zander say in ‘The Art of Possibility’ “this A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.” Writing as though it has already happened enables you to experience how it feels physically and emotionally to have achieved your equivalent of a grade A. It is a framework that allows you to see all of who you are and be all of who you are, without having to resist or deny any part of yourself.

3. Developing your intention muscles
Every morning this week, above all the items in your to-do list, write down a positive thing that you intend to happen in your business/life that is desired but not predictable. I want you to write it down as if you knew you were going to get it. Write it down as if you were reporting that you’d check your email or answer the phone – things that you absolutely know will happen.

During the day you might glance at the intention you’ve written down. When you do, smile as if you’ve already got it. Just feel satisfied that you have this in your life already - even if, to your logical mind, it’s a complete fantasy!

What intentions do you have when you wake up?

4. Real possibility …
If all this is going just a step too far, maybe you will be better using “There is a real possibility that ….”
Let your mind consider that anything is always possible (even if it does not seem likely or probable). Once your mind is open to possibility, then new solutions and ways of seeing the world are available to you. Give it a few weeks of constant practice and eventually it will become a natural thought pattern.

So what positive intentions do you want to happen?

If you have other examples of the uses of intentions, tell me and I will share them with the other readers. I will mention your name as contributor unless you ask me to refrain.

Do you want to change something in your life? Then contact me to request your complementary consultation and let me know what support you are looking for along the way: helen@monkswoodassociates.co.uk

You are welcome to reprint any part of this newsletter as long as you acknowledge the source, including full authorship, copyright, and subscription information.

Please ask any questions that the topic has raised, or share your thoughts and experiences with me, Helen Wade, at:

My opening thought: