Page 24 - TA Magazine Winter 2022

A MOMENT OF ZEN

INTENTION, ATTENTION

& EXPECTATION

THE PILLARS OF MANIFESTING A NEW LIFE

It’s natural to find ourselves making resolutions ing, we know all there is, or ever will be, is the present moment. It’s
the only place we can consciously exist and make choices.
at the beginning of a new year. The idea of a new
It’s good to know where you want to go but once that image
1. Rosenthal, R. (1994). Interpersonal Expectancy Effects: A 30-Year Perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3(6), 176–179. http:/ /www.jstor.org/stable/20182304
“me” leads us to think about all we’d like to change is in mind, focus mostly on what you can do now to obtain it.
Don’t look at how high the roof is; instead look at the first rung
in our lives to bring our manifestations into reality. on the ladder and then the next. Keep the image of your inten-
tion in the back of your mind while keeping your attention in
Having plans and goals is a good thing, but resolutions can every present moment. It’s like sitting in a dark movie theater 22
quickly become overwhelming and even intimidating if we with a friend. Even though you can see him reaching for his
put too much pressure on ourselves and create deadlines to popcorn in the darkness through your peripheral vision, your
accomplish “this” by “that” time. Understanding nature and primary focus is on the screen. You can see both things at the
our place in it can help us avoid pressure and self-judgment. same time, but you’re choosing which to give the bulk of your
attention to.
Life is in a constant state of renewal, creating an endless chain 23 Y ANDERSON WINTER 20
of new beginnings. The propensity of life is always forward If we make specific goals, take a methodical approach and
through an infinite cycle of rebirth. This evening will give way remain consistent. We will reach our goals sooner or later. It
to tomorrow morning. Even though the earth has experienced must be so in a universe where everything is connected and ev-
countless mornings, that one will be unlike any other, com- ery action has a reaction. The key is where we put our attention
pletely unique. It must be because it’s impossible to grow into and the outcome we’re expecting from our efforts.
what has already been. C
The Expectancy Effect TRA
The same thing happens to you. Every single cell in your body Science has known for quite some time that our expectations
is regenerated about every three years. Even cells such as those of how a situation will turn out does influence the actual out-
from the brain and heart, which science long thought were fi- come. That’s why, in order to ensure the highest degree of ac-
nite, renew themselves. When this year is over, whether you’ve curacy, most medical research is performed as a double blind
accomplished your resolution or not, you won’t be the same study. This means that neither the participants nor the profes-
person physically, emotionally or spiritually as the one who sionals administering the study know the critical aspects of the
started the journey. You will have moved forward. Your body experiment. For example, in a research study on a new pain
will have billions of new cells and your mind will possess infor- reliever, neither the patients nor the people administering the
mation you learned regarding your goal that you didn’t have treatment would know who is receiving the actual medication
in these first few weeks. You and your life will have changed and who is receiving the placebo. This is done to minimize the
for the better in many ways. Isn’t that what we all want, to effect patients’ and administrators’ expectations could have on
move forward? It’s nice to know the universe guarantees that the final results.
we could never stay the same or return to the same starting
point, even if we tried. Robert Rosenthal of Harvard Medical School is most widely
known for his early work in psychology with the expectancy
The key then to accomplishing our goals is to focus on what we effect. In his most famous study, he labeled one cage of rats
can do now to move closer to them. That’s all. Losing focus on as bright and another as dull. Although all the rats were com-
how much we can do in the present moment is what throws most pletely common, he told his students that the bright rats were
of us off track when manifesting our resolutions. We fall out of the tested as highly intelligent, while the dull ones suffered a mental
present moment because we’re psyching ourselves out over how we deficit. Over the course of a week the students were to time
could possibly achieve whatever it is that we want. Strictly speak- their rats as they made several runs through a maze. While