Intent is often viewed as a powerful guiding force. Whether in healing practices, spiritual growth, or manifestation work, setting an intention is thought to shape our outcomes, directing the energy where we desire it to go. But intent is not always the pure tool we imagine it to be. The energy behind our intentions—whether driven by fear and control or rooted in faith and love—can either open us up to profound healing or close us off from the very transformation we seek.
This poses an important question: What happens when intent is born from fear versus when it comes from faith? How do these different kinds of intent affect our ability to heal, grow, and surrender to what’s possible beyond our current understanding?
Intent at its core, intent is simply a declaration of direction, a desire we set in motion. It can range from something as specific as "I intend to heal from this trauma" to a broader aim, like "I intend to heal my back." In healing work, intent often guides us toward a particular outcome we hope to achieve, whether for ourselves or others.
However, intent is rarely free from influence. The mind is shaped by past conditioning, and our desires—though seemingly genuine—can be deeply colored by unconscious fears and expectations. When we set an intention, we must ask ourselves: Is this truly aligned with my highest good, or is it a product of my need to control?
Take, for example, the simple act of setting an intention before a meditation or healing session. If that intent is based on a need to force an outcome—say, to feel peaceful or healed within a certain timeframe—it can lead to frustration when the desired result doesn’t arrive. The energy of control can prevent the very healing you seek. But if the intent is set with faith and openness, trusting that whatever comes is for your highest good, it allows space for something far greater than you might imagine.
When intent is rooted in fear, it often manifests as a desire to control. We try to shape outcomes that conform to our expectations, pushing away anything unknown or uncomfortable. This need for control comes from a place of insecurity, a belief that if we don’t intervene, things may not turn out the way we want them to.
But here's the catch: control is an illusion. The more we try to impose it, the more resistance we create. Intent formed from fear is like building a dam across a river without any knowledge on the environmental impact, attempting to force the water in a direction we choose. It creates tension and frustration, as the natural flow of life and healing pushes back against these artificial barriers.
I’ve seen this in my own experience—times when I’ve tried to control outcomes in a healing session, or in life, only to be met with even greater resistance. The tighter my grip, the more elusive the healing became. Fear-based intent may feel safer in the moment, but it traps us in a cycle of frustration and disappointment, where we are constantly wrestling with cyclical forces far larger than ourselves.
On the other side of the spectrum lies intent born from faith—an openness to the unknown and an acceptance that we may not fully understand what’s best for us at any given moment. Faith doesn’t mean passive resignation; it’s an active surrender, a willingness to trust in something greater than our current understanding.
Faith allows us to release control and embrace the wisdom of the unknown. Healing, in this sense, is not about forcing a specific result but about allowing transformation to unfold in ways we may not yet comprehend. When we set an intention from a place of open love, we’re saying, “I trust that whatever arrives will serve my highest good, even if I don’t yet understand it.”
I’ve found that when I release control and surrender to the unknown, profound healing and transformation takes place—healing and experiencing what I never could have orchestrated on my own. It feels like opening a door to an expansive, transcendent possibility, one that is beyond the grasp of my conscious desires.
When we set an intention from a place of fear or control, we create resistance. It's like trying to force healing through a narrow keyhole, when the universe is offering us an open door. Our personal desires—especially those born of past conditioning—limit what we believe is possible. By imposing our expectations on spirit or others, we essentially block the deeper wisdom of the unknown from entering. We block our original dream from arriving.
Not only does fear-based intent create resistance, but it also increases anxiety and tension. We become fixated on achieving a specific result, and when that result doesn’t materialize, we feel stuck or disappointed. Worse, this fixation may blind us from witnessing the healing that is actually occurring, simply because it doesn’t match our predetermined expectations.
So how do we navigate the tension between control and surrender? The answer lies in weaving surrender into our intent. Setting intent doesn’t have to mean trying to control the outcome. Instead, we can set an intention that aligns with openness, one that trusts in the surreal wildness of the unknown.
When we set an intention, rather than saying, “I want to heal this specific issue in this specific way,” we might say, “I intend to allow whatever is for my highest good.” This creates space for the unknown to do its work. It acknowledges that while we may not fully understand what is best for us, we trust in the process of healing itself that is arriving through the unknown.
This shift in mindset—from control to surrender—can be transformative. When we view healing as a journey, not a destination, we release the need for specific outcomes and open ourselves to deeper, more profound growth.
Intent is indeed a powerful tool, but its true strength lies in where it comes from. When intent is born of fear, it binds us to the limited possibilities of our own understanding. But when it’s rooted in faith and love, it opens the door to transformational experiences far beyond what we can conceive.
So ask yourself: How might your life or healing change if you embraced the surreal wildness of the unknown? What would happen if you stepped off the intent-to-control train and allowed faith to lead the way?
Many of my clients come with specific expectations but later become wildly surprised by the outcome after we begin to explore and walk an unconventional path of the unknown.
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