Intention high, Expectation Low

I taught an arm balance workshop this past Sunday and talked about the difference between intention and expectation before class. I think this is something that we confuse all the time, and it leads to a feeling of disappointment and sense of failure in our practice, and our lives. I thought this lesson was a good one to discuss before arm balancing because so many of us look at success in terms of getting the full posture - our crow, side crow, scissors, flying pigeon, etc We do not look at the important steps required to get into the full posture and feel a sense of accomplishment at working with those steps. I believe this is also how many of us approach our lives. We are hard on ourselves and others to do a certain thing, or attain something in our work lives or relationships. We become disappointed when we do not complete the task or the other person does not, and we feel like a failure or call them a failure. This is because with expectation comes attachment. When we expect something of ourselves or others, we are attached to an outcome. It is an outcome we've already planned out in our minds. This outcome is something that is in our minds, devoid of the present situation we are in, our present state. We leave no room for possibility. For example, you expect the man or woman of your dreams to be this height, have this job, like these things, etc etc You create what is truly a fantasy in your mind and then when the person walks in who is loving you for you, you can't see them because you're caught up with your imaginary person. And then possibility, a moment, is lost. Pretty sad, huh? So here is how intention works. With intention, we do not have an attachment to a desired outcome or result. We are open to possibility, to what form our intention may take. It means connecting to what you desire or want, and then letting it go. It involves trusting that the universe will bring to you what is for your highest good without you having to search hell and high water to find it, to create it. It takes the control out of our hands and allows us to simply be. We don't like this feeling because it causes us to wonder what our purpose is if we are not controlling and creating in our minds exactly how we want things to be. Imagine how much more space for creativity, for expression for POSSIBILITY would exist if you were not holding on so tight to expectation and attachment! Your life would be filled with freedom, with excitement, with joy. Intend the kind of person you want to be, intend the work you want to do, the relationships you want to have - let it come from your heart and not any preconceived notions of who you think you should be or who someone else tells you you should be. Let YOU define YOU. That is what intention is all about, and which expectation has no business being a part of.