Have you ever heard the phrase, “you’ve got to really want it”? Many people believe that the secret to manifesting their dreams is a strong want or desire. To add emphasis they may say I really want to do this or have that. Well, I’m here to tell you that wanting isn’t going to get it done.
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Why wanting doesn’t work!
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The problem with wanting is that it’s in the same camp as wishing. Wanting, like wishing, is just a fantasy. It’s not even remotely associated with taking action, which means it has no power to motivate us. We all know that without motivation there is no action, and without action nothing happens.
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When we are looking to create change, we need to use words that are anchored in action. We need to attach our desires to language that creates motivation and moves us toward doing instead of wishing. Can you think of any terminology that takes the concept of wanting and moves it in that direction?
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How intention fills the bill
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At first glance, having an intention seems a lot like wanting. But rest assured, on an emotional level it’s a completely different story. The very concept of an intention implies that we are intent on doing something. It’s a statement to our own nervous system that we are ready and willing to take action.
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I realize that we often use these two terms interchangeably in daily conversation, and that’s not really a problem. However, when we truly want to make a change we need to be more selective about the signals we send to our subconscious mind.
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An intention that changed my life
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As a boy, my family used to vacation in Oregon. Without even realizing it at the time, I formed a deep attachment with those beautiful mountains and forests. Years later, this attachment would manifest itself in a powerful, and life changing way.
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Sometime during my first year in collage I began to get really restless. I grew tired of school and wanted to do something else. At the time I didn’t realize where these feelings were coming from, or where they would lead. I just knew that I needed to make a major shift, so that’s what I did.
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A new direction unfolds
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Without analyzing the situation, I quit school and took a high paying job with a big construction company. I saw this move as transitional. It was my hope that this temporary change would provide me with a whole new perspective. Well it worked, because I soon realized that I wanted something drastically different. I wanted peace and quiet, I also wanted lots of space around me and a much slower pace.
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Then it hit me, what I really wanted was those beautiful forests of Oregon that I had visited as a boy. This is where my restlessness gained some focus and my wants changed into an intention. At the time, I had no idea how I was going to pull it off, but I was absolutely certain that I would turn this new vision into a reality.
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Fast forward two years
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My wants became the seeds for my intention to create a whole new life for myself. In turn, that intention moved me to take decisive action in the direction of my new goal. From that point on I began to define my intent into actionable steps. Everything I did, and every commitment I made, was weighed in the light of my new intention.
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Within two years I had bought property, pulled up stakes in southern California, and was living in the forests of Oregon. I had left everything familiar behind. Besides the property, I had a tent, a jeep, and $1000. I was 21 years old and it was an amazing adventure. It was from this place of solitude that I would begin building a new life for myself based on a totally different perception.
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The destiny of those who only had wants
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I had several friends from my former life who also wanted to escape suburbia. They had dreams of moving somewhere new and living out their own fantasies. As it turned out, almost none of them were able to make it happen. They talked about it, but were never motivated enough to take decisive action.
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You see, they had wants instead of intentions. They had dreams that were never allowed to reach the next level. They manifested the seeds of intention, but those seeds never germinated. Eventually, their dreams faded and life took over.
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It’s your life, don’t settle for mediocrity
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Acting on your dreams is the only way to breath life into them. Your life can be whatever you want it to be, but it won’t happen just because you want it to. One intention can change the course of your whole life, that’s what happened to me.
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Do you have hopes and dreams that are laying dormant in your heart? How long are you willing to leave them there? If they are really important to you, wouldn’t now be a good time pull them out, dust them off, and turn them into an intention?
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Did you discover a dream worthy of action?
Are you ready to take it to the next level?
The lines are open!

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