What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
— Plutarch

Have you heard the phrase that you are the creator of your reality?  This is not just some meaningless motivation statement.  It is a proven concept. We can create our reality by where we place our attention.  For example, when you learn a new word, it seems that word is everywhere.  It comes up in conversation, it’s on TV; you see it books or magazines. What is happening here?  This phenomenon is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion.

This is a cognitive bias occurs when the thing you’ve just learned or experienced crops up everywhere. You are not making this up. You do see it more. The reason for this is our brain is prejudice towards patterns. Our brains are fantastic pattern recognition engines, a characteristic which is highly useful for learning but creates a long list cognitive biases that sometimes work to our benefit and some do not.

When we set an intention, we can turn on this beautiful pattern making machine in our brains to make our intentions our reality. When we set an intention for the day, we are setting in motion a direction that guides our thoughts and actions. We are just choosing a direction for our thoughts and behaviors and staying in the present to see what happens. For example, when we set an intention, to show kindness to a friend in need or to be present for our loved ones, it doesn’t mean that we are locked into a particular plan.  It means we are open to discovering what is happening in the moment and are open to taking action that keeps us in alignment with that intention.

For many of us, setting an intention and letting go is a foreign concept.  It goes against everything we have been taught. We are used to developing a specific plan and even a backup plan. All of this to attempt to exercise control over our lives. We are afraid of the unknown and attempt to make plans to minimize this fear.  Pretty soon these plans dictate our lives. We often forget why we made these plans in the first place.  Attempting to be in control creates a lot of stress when things don’t go as we thought. Letting go and allowing your intentions to guide you is about trust. Trusting you will know how to fulfill your intentions moment by moment. How about starting today to create your reality?

 

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