Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention in 5 Minutes or Less

Wayne Dyer is one of the biggest names in the Self Improvement field. He’s the author of more than 30 books, has produced audio and video tapes and television specials, and is a staple of PBS pledge drives.

Today, I’d like to share with you the teaching behind one of my favorite of Dr. Dyer’s works, his 2004 book The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way.

This bestseller has helped a lot of people change their perspective on life.

The core message of this book is that there is a universal source of energy that is called the “power of intention.” This source – whether you call it God, the divine, or something else – is always available to us and is infinite in its possibilities.

Dr. Dyer calls those who have consciously tapped into this source as “connectors” and describes them as, quote, "individuals who have made themselves available for success...They don't say ‘With my luck things won't work out.’ Instead, you’re more likely to hear something like, ‘I intend to create this and I know it will work out.’"

What this book tries to do is to lay out exactly how you can become a connector too.

In the book Dr. Dyer presents what he calls the Seven Faces of Intention: Creativity, Kindness, Love, Beauty, Expansion, Unlimited Abundance, and Receptivity. These are seven concepts that he says are the keys to unlocking the power of intention in your life.

Let's go through all seven now.

Creativity – Realize that there is creativity within you, and learn to recognize and appreciate your creative impulses. You don’t have to be an artist or a writer – creativity is just as important to the business person looking for the next big idea.

Here’s a quote from the book that illustrates this point:
“If you’ve ever felt inspired by a purpose or calling, you know the feeling of Spirit working through you. Inspired is our word for in-spirited.”

Learn to recognize this state of being in-spirited, and you’ll unlock your inner creativity.

Kindness –Whether you call it karma, the law of reciprocity or the power of positive thinking, work from the belief that you’ll be rewarded for good intentions.

Dr. Dyer shares the science behind kindness in The Power of Intention. When you do something kind for someone else, their brain releases serotonin – and so does yours! Serotonin is a hormone that makes us feel good. So, every act of kindness makes two happier people in the world.

There’s a powerful quote from the Dalai Lama that sums this idea up -
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

Love – Love means a lack of judgment, a lack of anger or resentment. It means recognizing God in others.

There is an ancient Sanskrit word that beautifully illustrates this concept: “Namaste”. If you go to India today, this word is used as “hello.” But its true meaning is much deeper. It means “I bow to the divine within you.”

Make every encounter you have with someone an opportunity to look deeply within them, and see the divine.

Beauty – The face of beauty is the face of intention. Learn to appreciate the beauty of everything around you.

Expansion – Expand your awareness of what is possible. Don’t set limits on yourself; instead, learn to listen to your intuition. If you see the world as a negative and hurtful place, then you’re only ever going to experience it that way. Instead, learn to recognize your true nobility. “True nobility isn’t about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than you used to be.”

Unlimited Abundance – Realizing your unlimited abundance means facing down your fears and limitations. Dr. Dyer has a simple three-word suggestion for how to put this into action: Act “as if”. This means acting as if the thing you want has already happened.

Receptivity – This means being open without judgment. Being aware enough and engaged enough to see possibilities where others don’t. And most importantly, it means simply relaxing and letting the Power of Intention do its work.