“Counter Intention” The Root of Self-Sabotage

What the heck is “counter intention?”  I just heard Dr. Joe Vitale being interviewed by Mark Joyner on one of the “5 missing secrets” not revealed in the movie, The Secret, and this really caught my attention.  People interested in the Law of Attraction, or even in just setting meaningful goals to improve their lives usually start out by setting an intention.  We consciously decide what is it we’d like to do, be or have, and then look for results.

We’ve all been through this process, but why is it that we so often fall far short of what we intended?  We may have visualized our success, felt ourselves living the desired outcome, taken some of the needed actions and so on, but there is something we can easily miss, and it’s the key to actually arriving at the goal, whether that’s better health, relationships, or financial success.  It’s the little thing Joe is calling “counter intention.”

Counter Intention is a belief or thought pattern we hold which is in direct opposition to our stated conscious intention.  Where does it live?  It lives buried in our unconscious mind, so we are not even aware of it!  We get hints that it is there when we tune in to those little voices in our heads whose message is discouraging – it says things like “you may want to have a flat stomach, but I want to eat chocolate cake,” or “you can’t start your own business – it’s too much work and you’ll run out of money…” – you get the idea.

The problem is that these beliefs which live in our non-conscious minds have incredible power.  In fact, the non-conscious mind is the driver behind almost all of what we do, and if we do not clear, release and change these beliefs, these counter intentions will win out over the stated intention.  Feels kind of hopeless, doesn’t it?  But it doesn’t have to be.  Changing it starts with awareness that you have these limiting beliefs.  Once you become aware of a limiting belief, the next step is to find an effective way to dissolve it and release it.

There are many effective ways to do this, but for now, I’ll leave you with one you can use today.  Grab a piece of paper and a pen, and at the top of the page, write your belief, such as, “I can’t be Spiritual and want money.”  In the spirit of being transparent with you, I will say that I can occasionally STILL get tripped up by this one, so I’m sharing tools I have used myself, which have worked powerfully for me.  The key is to begin questioning these beliefs, without making them right or wrong, good or bad, and just having an open and curious attitude while you ask the questions. 

The questions here are inspired by Byron Katie (The Work), The Sedona Method, and Effort Free Life, all of which are fantastic methods for clearing and releaseing beliefs that no longer serve you.  Here are the questions:

1.  Is this belief true?  Can I prove absolutely that it is true?   For the belief above, I came to an answer of No, since I personally know numerous people who are deeply spiritual and incredibly wealthy.  In fact, I can prove this one false for myself.

2.  Who would I be without the thought, ” I can’t be spiritual and want lots of money?”   I would be light-hearted, more free to express Who I Really Am in unlimited ways, whether wealthy or not.  I would be more recpetive and willing to allow the Universe to shower me with gifts, just as I want to shower others with gifts.

3.  Could I let this go?  (Do I want to continue believing something that does not serve me?)   If the answer is Yes, just allow it to leave, and move on to #4.  If the answer is No, then ask : “Would I rather have this belief, or would I rather be free?”  In my case, it felt like a no-brainer – I would rather be FREE!  But either way, be kind to yourself, and just allow whatever the response is to just be there.  Be curious about it, and don’t push – often a new insight will come, and after a break, come back to the questions again.

4. Would I let his go?  When?  In my case, with this belief, I said, “Now!”  I usually feel a sense of relief and energy being released.  I feel lighter and happier, almost instantly.  If you do have resistance, just take your time, possibly let it rest for a while, and come back to it in a few hours, or on another day.

5.  Choose a new belief to take its place – something that will support your highest good – your heart’s desires and your greater purpose.  In my case, the new belief is “Money is a tool given by God which helps me serve more people and have more fun, which  allows me to share even more.”

This is what I love to do the most – help people to release whatever is causing them to be their own worst enemies.  My goal is to help people end self-sabotage forever, so they can deliver their gifts to the world and enjoy a life of ease, freedom and grace.  If you would like to work with me one on one (by phone), please call or email to set up an appointment – i want you to have what you really want!  kgrace@energyexpress.com  612-824-7797   

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