day 5: intention

numerologists dig this day. 01/11. a good day to set intentions, they say. to manifest all the things your heart desires.

i love these words. and when i hear them, i think lofty, airy things. stardust and incense and amethyst crystals and healing bowl-like things. i love these things too. but i had no idea how these words or these things were actually put to work every day until just a few years ago.

i was at an equine-interactive life coaching group workshop at Equine Energetix. the experience changed my life. i could write books about it. but for now, i’ll only share a moment in which our human facilitator, president and founder of Equine Energetix, james cassese, decided that one of my exercises would be to sit on his horse, trooper.

i have no adequate words for trooper’s presence. he was the single most beautiful creature i have ever seen up close. a brown and white behemoth with hazel eyes and a heart you could feel before you could see him. i was speechless in his presence. paralyzed with wonder and adoration. also, i am a new york city rat, accomplished subway and bus rider, but deeply afraid of sitting on any horse’s back, especially THIS horse’s back.

nevertheless, this was the exercise. and so, james’ assistant came over with a helmet and boots. meanwhile, james guided troop-a-loop to the platform i would climb to reach his height. as i strapped on boots and helmet, i hyperventilated and said things like, “ohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod.” and “ohnonononono.”  

then james did the thing he does. the thing that makes him so damn good at the thing he does. he looked me in the eye and said, “do you want to not do this? you totally don’t have to.” without skipping a beat, i responded, “oh, i have to do it. i’m terrified, but i have to.” and he said, “well then. how do you expect to get what you want if you’re not clear about it?”

mic. drop.

on this numerologically auspicious day, i honor that moment and the millions that have arrived since, in which i’ve asked myself and my clients:

“what’s the desire?”

“what’s the intention?”

“what thoughts and words are helping that along?”

“what thoughts and words are not helping?”