The Power of Intention

By Valarie Griebel, Successful Living

WINTER 2008 | “It’s hard for me to call it a law. I never liked laws or rules.” Dr. Wayne Dyer, affectionately known as the “father of motivation” by his fans, sits back in his chair, props his bare feet up on the coffee table and shares his unique take on the Law of Attraction. His inviting smile, reassuring blue eyes and relaxed demeanor reflect the warm and loving energy he speaks of so frequently to others.

Dyer has another term for the concept behind the Law of Attraction. He calls it the Power of Intention. His philosophy is pure and simple, “The law of attraction is this: You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.”

“Most people’s mistake in trying to apply the law of attraction is they want things; they demand things. But God doesn’t work that way,” continues Dyer. “It’s all about allowing.”

Dyer refers to the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu. “He says in there, 2,500 years ago, if you live from these virtues, then all that you could ever need or want could be provided for you.” Dyer excitedly retrieves his personal copy of the book, leans forward and reads the words that touch him so deeply. He explains how virtue is a very important concept in the Law of Attraction.

“This is called the Hua Hu Ching, written by Lao Tzu. It’s the unknown teachings of Lao Tzu. Number 51 says, ‘Those who want to know the truth of the universe should practice the four cardinal virtues. The first is reverence for all of life. This manifests as unconditional love and respect for oneself and all other beings. The second is natural sincerity. This manifests as honesty, simplicity and faithfulness. The third is gentleness, which manifests as kindness, consideration for others and sensitivity to spiritual truth. The fourth is supportiveness. This manifests as service to others without expectation of reward.”

“All great spiritual masters are teaching what we’re talking about,” says Dyer. “They’re teaching forgiveness. They’re teaching kindness. They’re teaching love. They’re not teaching wanting. They’re not teaching greed.”

So the notion of seeking what you want, or think you need, is not what the Power of Intention is all about. “The ego’s mantra is ‘What’s in it for me? How can I get more? I want a BMW in my driveway next Thursday,’” he explains. “All of that is what most spiritual teachers call the false self—the ego.”

According to Dyer, the process of allowing, just being and embracing this heightened level of consciousness, goes back not to attracting what you want, but attracting what you are.

“You have to just be. You have to let go. You have to allow. You have to be free and make this your consciousness.” He continues, “Basically, what you would see is a frequency (of energy) that manifests itself through the process of giving, of allowing, of offering and of serving. It asks nothing back.”

Dyer illustrates the concept of giving without expectations by quoting the great poet Hafiz: “Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth ‘you owe me.’”

Excitement and energy permeate the room as Dyer finishes his thought, “Just think of what a love like that can do. It lights up the whole world.”