I’m excited about this week’s guest blogger. This is from one of the most intentional people I know. The person who taught me about intention long before I went to a coach training program. This blog is from my mom, and it speaks to the “never give up” aspect of intention. So many things may get in our way and we may seem to be off track some of the time, but with clear intention, the dream WILL become reality. We may not know the HOW, but we can stay committed to the outcome:
I grew up with the dream of becoming a lady lawyer – not a popular intention for a girl growing up in the 1940s and 1950s. In high school, my male counselor suggested teaching or becoming a secretary – great choices – admirable vocations – just not MY intention. So I decided I would become an attorney – whatever that took. I married and at age 24 began what turned out to be a 20-year journey to follow my intention. I applied to the California Committee of Bar Examiners to study law through correspondence school (no on-line courses in 1962). I studied for two years until my first daughter (Cami) was born. Over the next 20 years I had a son and another daughter, went through a dissolution of marriage, began working full-time first as a legal secretary and then after certification, as a paralegal, while raising my 
family as a single parent until I remarried in 1974. I began the study of law again – this time at a law school – and then had to leave due to finances.
Finally, in 1982, with the support of my family, I graduated at the top of my law school class at age 44. Need I mention, this was not a plan – this was my intention – I was determined to have my dream come true. That lesson on intention has been invaluable in my life. In 1998 my husband and I bought undeveloped acreage in the Ventura mountains with the intention of building our dream home. Once again, life took its twists and turns and finally in 2010 we saw our intention become a reality. Now approaching my 78th birthday in May, I have had the opportunity to set many intentions knowing from experience that as long as my intention remains clear, it can happen.
-Joan Virginia Allen
Attorney at Law
One of the things I think about when I read this blog is the concept of “timeline” in creating intention. It is important to have a “by when” – no doubt. As in “I intend to lose 5 pounds by May 10, 2016.” But if you reach May 10 and you have not manifested your outcome, you get to go back and look again at your intention and reset it. See how many times Joan RESET her intention, until it became reality.
