The look in your eyes tells me everything I need to know. Way in advance of it happening, I can tell by the look in your eyes if you are going to win, barely maintain, or lose.
What is it I see? I see the strength of your intention. It tells me everything about how it’s going to turn out for you.
Intention is something I teach, so I know a lot about it. It’s the secret ingredient of all success.
But, intention is not generally well understood, even in the usual self-help books. Back when Noah Webster published the first American dictionary in 1828, he stated a great definition for it. He said intention is: When the mind with great earnestness fixes its view on any idea, purpose or goal, and will not be called off. To be in earnest is to be very determined and deliberate in stretching towards an objective. To fix is to establish immovably, without wandering.
To call something off means to decide it will not happen. Will not be called off means that nothing – nothing – can make you decide that what you want won’t happen after you’ve decided that it will.
The word intention comes from the Latin word intentio, which means a stretching out.
Intention is when you have decided the outcome you’re going to create, your decision is so strong and so certain, that it carries the day and becomes the only possible outcome. It happens. Your decision is that powerful. The universe surrenders to intention.
Intention is certainty. Skill is necessary, but skill is not enough.
I first saw Stephen Curry play basketball in March 4, 2013. I knew nothing about the Warriors. The last basketball game I went to before this one was before the turn of the century. I went to this game because it was a special event for Lithuanians (I’m Lithuanian – the relationship between that and basketball is a story for another day). That night, the Warriors were 2 years from winning their first NBA Championship … with no sign they would win and every indication they would never even come close.
That night, even across the distance of the stadium, I saw the look in Stephan Curry’s eyes and knew.
I knew he was going to be a star. I knew the Warriors would go on to win the NBA Championship and that it would not happen right away (because I didn’t see that same look in everyone else’s eyes, only his). I knew Steph’s intention was strong enough, that he would uplift the team and infuse them all with intention. I knew he would uplift the city of Oakland (which you know he did in a big way if you were at the amazing celebration after they won). I saw that much intention in his eyes.
I knew all this without focusing on how he played … I was simply observing the powerful look in his eyes. His intention was overwhelming and unmistakable. I VERY rarely see that much intention in others and was unexpectedly impressed. Look at those eyes. You can see from the look in his eyes: he will not be called off.
So, I did something I have never done before in my life …. I started following a sports team. I’ve enjoyed every moment as they’ve won not one, but four NBA Championships. I have not been the least bit surprised as the story unfolded and we witnessed the Warriors become one of the best teams in NBA history. With Stephen Curry as one of the best players ever.
They came up from nowhere and surprised everyone. As I followed them for the 2 years leading up to their first Championship, I correctly predicted the outcome of every game in advance.
When they lost the 1st game of the NBA Western Conference finals to Oklahoma City Thunder, I had already called it. I saw the look in their eyes before the game. I wasn’t looking at anything physical or how they were playing. Just the look in their eyes. Intention had diminished.
Before one of their best games, I read an article by local Sports writer, Tim Kawakami. He saw the Warriors at practice the day before and even he noticed the extraordinary look now in all of their eyes. He wrote: “Stephen Curry had the look, Draymond Green had the look, Andrew Bogut had the look, Andre Iguodala had the look, Steve Kerr had the look. Even team Consultant Steve Nash, in a rare practice visit, had a unique kind of focused/relaxed/super-alert look on his face at Warriors headquarters.”
I thought, “Ahhhhh …. They’re going to win tonight ….” And they did. What a game.
How does this relate to you? How do you get enough intention to give you that look in your eyes? How do you manufacture enough intention to win? How do you become the Stephen Curry of your world?
It’s not physical. It comes from within.
You need to know that what kills it is uncertainty, doubt, indecision. Most people have a hard time completely eliminating these from their thoughts about their future. But that is what it takes: making an unwavering decision about an objective, deciding and believing in yourself and not allowing yourself to be called off. Very simply, you make a decision and the decision is that strong. No “maybe”. It’s an, “I’ve decided.”
Don’t confuse this with stubbornness, aggressiveness, forcefulness or bullying. Intention is none of these. People who are stubborn, aggressive or forceful drive others away and you’ll always find they have very little, if any, true intention. Intention is a decision and a consideration – it’s at the level of thought, not energy - and has nothing to do with force or even effort. People with high intention are also capable of extremely gentle and warm communication and very respectful listening – as you can also see with Stephen Curry, if you follow his interviews or his life.
No one can diminish your intention but you. No one can increase your intention but you. Your degree of intention has nothing to do with your environment or your circumstances. We would like to assign responsibility for what happens to us elsewhere because it lets us off the hook. But it’s never the truth. People had told Stephen Curry he wasn’t going to make it as a basketball player. He never let it affect his intention, his decision to win.
His certainty about winning is so great, he often doesn’t even turn around to look to see if his long shots went in.
The general population doesn’t fully realize how vital intention is. They don’t realize they didn’t succeed because they simply did not have enough intention.
I’ve met losers, mediocre performers, winners and the rock stars of their profession, including many of the world’s foremost experts. The biggest distinguishing factor which category a person will fall into is intention. I’ve seen amazing examples (and I know you have too) of people, when the world was against them and intention is ALL they had … they won.
Intention is like a muscle. It’s one of your greatest capabilities. The more you exercise it, the bigger it will grow. You create it. You can create it in unlimited quantity. . You can always create more.
There is nothing you can’t do. There is no dream too big. Your intention is one of your most powerful abilities. Stretch toward that objective you really want. Make that decision to win. Decide to have certainty and confidence, complete freedom from doubt. Don’t allow yourself to be called off. Use your intention to make it happen for real. Don’t let up on your certainty and self-belief.
You don’t need to assert it. You just need to have it.
The world will see it in the look in your eyes … and know that you are accomplishing something. The result will be amazing.
If you want to power-up your intention to a real winning level fast, Causative Communication is the course for you. In a matter of days, you’ll hit a whole new level of ability. Perfect for starting the new year off right.
Be the cause!