Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE: THE FOUR STEPS

Step 1: Intention
Step 2: Clarity
Step 3: Action
Step 4: Next Steps

Intention. Clarity. Action. Next Steps. This spells I-C-A-N. And yes YOU can!

These four steps are simple to comprehend and the acronym will help you to associate them with success.

The most important thing to remember is that ultimately your success will be based upon completing all the steps. It is easy to wish for things (intention) and easy to plan things (clarity), but here we will follow through (action and next steps), at your pace—a little at a time.

There are two parts to the first chapter. Part one, “The Four Steps,” will provide definitions and a discussion about each of the four steps. The second part, “A Natural Cycle,” seeks to create awareness around the fact that change happens naturally. Following these steps can help you feel more prepared for those changes and bring about the best possible outcomes.







What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson


Step 1: What Is INTENTION?

An intention is a purpose. It is something that you are eager to focus on. It is something that helps you to attain. It can be a quality you already have, or it can be a quality you are striving to have.

What would you like for yourself today? Do you want to feel more confident, passionate, patient, loving, peaceful, or adventurous? Think of something that really resonates with you. Take a moment of quiet time to claim it as yours: vividly imagine how good your intention makes you feel. Make this feeling your intention. Next, associate a word with that intention, one that will focus you and act as a key to those good feelings later.

Positive intentions are like leaving a door open. If the door is open, something good can happen. The shift to positive thinking can be powerful and it can have a multiplying effect. Open the first door and even more doors will open.

Keep your intentions short and easy to remember. This way you will be able to repeat them to yourself throughout the day. Repetition helps you remember your intention and keep it at the forefront of your mind. And remembering your intention is key to acting in accordance with it. Even if you forget your intention on occasion, the simple act of having set it in the first place will begin to shift your focus onto a desire for positive change. Also, having an intention will help you see more clearly what you want and what you do not want in your life.

Below are some examples that may help guide you as you develop your own intention in a positive and actionable way.

Losing Weight
If you really want to lose weight, don’t focus on the word weight. That’s right! Weight just sounds heavy, doesn’t it? Choose a word like “healthy” or “slim” or “contentment” instead. And lose the word lose. Lose is a negative word. Replace lose with gain. Now check out your intention: “I want to gain health; I want to gain slimness; I want to gain contentment.” No “lose” or “should” in sight!

Stop gossiping
Instead of telling yourself that you “should stop gossiping,” choose your words carefully and positively. Why not say that you will choose to be more kind-hearted? If you focus on that you probably won’t gossip. And being kind is a positive action.

Even connecting just one positive word to an intention can make the whole intention come alive! Here are some more examples:

Want to reduce anger? Think FORGIVENESS.
Want to reduce insecurity? Think CONFIDENCE.
Want to reduce worry? Think PEACEFULNESS.
Want to reduce stress or fatigue? Think REST.

Notice how each intention focuses on the positive. Something you want. Let these examples spark your own intentions!










Intention is desire with no attachment to outcome.

—Deepak Chopra