The Sunday Sanctuary

Week 2: The Power of Intention vs. The Tyranny of Goals

"Our intention creates our reality." — Wayne Dyer

Dear Sanctuary Seekers,

Have you ever achieved a major goal only to feel... empty? Accomplished, yet somehow unfulfilled? You're not alone, and you're not ungrateful. You've simply discovered what neuroscience is now proving: our brains are wired for being, not just achieving.

Today, we're diving into one of the most profound shifts you can make in your life—moving from goal-obsession to intention-alignment. And I promise you, this isn't about lowering your standards or giving up on dreams. It's about working with your neurobiology instead of against it.

The Neuroscience of Never Enough

Dr. Wolfram Schultz's Nobel Prize-winning research on dopamine revealed something startling: our brains release more dopamine in anticipation of a reward than when we actually receive it. This is why the chase often feels better than the catch.

When we set goals, we activate what neuroscientist Dr. Elliot Berkman calls the "discrepancy monitor" in our brains. This system constantly compares where we are to where we want to be, creating a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. It's evolutionary—our ancestors needed this discontent to keep striving for survival.

But here's the catch: in our modern world, this same system keeps us trapped in what Buddhist teacher Tara Brach calls the "trance of unworthiness." We're always not quite there yet, always one goal away from being enough.

Wayne Dyer's Revolution: Intention as Being

Wayne Dyer understood something profound when he distinguished between intention and goals. He wrote, "Intention is a force in the universe, and everything and everyone is connected to this invisible force."

While this sounds mystical, neuroscience offers a fascinating validation. Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone's research shows that when we imagine ourselves being a certain way (intention), we activate the same neural networks as when we actually embody that state. But when we focus on achieving something external (goals), we activate stress-response networks associated with striving and lack.

The difference is profound:

• Goals: "I will lose 20 pounds" (creates neural patterns of lack)

• Intention: "I am a person who honors my body" (creates neural patterns of identity)

The Default Mode Network Strikes Again

Remember last week's discussion of the Default Mode Network (DMN)ĺ It plays a crucial role here too. Dr. Judson Brewer's neuroimaging studies show that goal-oriented thinking hyperactivates the DMN, particularly the posterior cingulate cortex—the brain region associated with craving and dissatisfaction.

But intention-based thinking? It actually quiets the DMN, creating what researchers call a "flow state." You're not chasing; you're being. You're not lacking; you're expressing.

The Approach vs. Avoidance Brain

Dr. Richard Davidson's affective neuroscience research reveals that our brains have two motivational systems:

1. Approach System (left prefrontal cortex): Activated by moving toward what we want

2. Avoidance System (right prefrontal cortex): Activated by moving away from what we don't want

Here's the kicker: most goals are secretly avoidance in disguise. "Lose weight" is avoiding being overweight. "Make money" is often avoiding poverty. This activates our threat-detection systems, flooding us with cortisol and narrowing our creative thinking.

Intentions, however, activate the approach system. "I am vibrant and energized" moves toward something life-affirming. This activates the left prefrontal cortex, associated with positive emotions, creativity, and resilience.

The Napoleon Hill Connection

Napoleon Hill's famous "Think and Grow Rich" principle—"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"—takes on new meaning through this lens. Hill emphasized the importance of seeing yourself already in possession of your desire.

Dr. Pascual-Leone's research on mental practice shows why this works: the brain doesn't distinguish between vividly imagined experience and reality. When you hold an intention as already true, you're literally rewiring your neural networks to support that reality.

Carl Jung's Contribution: Becoming Who You Are

Jung wrote, "I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." This isn't just philosophy—it's neuroscience. Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz's work on self-directed neuroplasticity shows that conscious intention literally rewires the brain through what he calls "mental force."

When you set an intention aligned with what Jung called your "true Self," you activate what neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Siegel terms "neural integration"—different brain regions working in harmony rather than conflict.

The Practical Magic: Your Intention Practice

Here's a practice that bridges ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience:

The I AM Protocol:

1. Identity (Morning, 2 minutes) Complete this statement 5 times: "I am someone who..." Examples:

• I am someone who moves with joy

• I am someone who creates beauty

• I am someone who listens deeply

2. Activation (Midday, 1 minute) When facing a decision, ask: "What would someone who [your intention] do here?" This activates what psychologist Dr. Robert Kegan calls "subject-object shift"—you move from having goals to being intentions.

3. Marination (Evening, 2 minutes) Before sleep, replay moments from your day when you embodied your intention. Dr. Matthew Walker's sleep research shows that whatever we think about before sleep gets consolidated into long-term memory during REM cycles.

The Science of Surrender

Sam Harris points out that the sense of being a separate self who must achieve things is itself a kind of illusion. When we shift from goals to intentions, we're not giving up—we're giving over to a larger intelligence.

Dr. Michael Gazzaniga's split-brain research shows that our conscious "interpreter" (left hemisphere) is often the last to know what we're already becoming. Intentions work with the whole brain, while goals often trap us in left-hemisphere domination.

Your Weekly Experiment

This week, transform one goal into an intention:

Goal → Intention Alchemy:

• "Lose weight" → "I am someone who loves and nourishes my body."

• "Find a partner" → "I am someone who radiates love and attracts loving connections."

• "Be successful" → "I am someone who creates value and receives abundance."

Notice:

1. How does your body feel with each statement?

2. What actions naturally arise from the intention vs. the goal?

3. How does your inner critic respond differently?

The Paradox of Achievement

Here's the beautiful paradox: when you embody intentions rather than chase goals, you often achieve more than you ever imagined. But the achievement becomes a byproduct of being, not the source of your worth.

As Wayne Dyer said, "You don't attract what you want. You attract what you are."

Neuroscience agrees. Your brain is constantly predicting and creating your reality based on your neural patterns. When you wire yourself for being rather than lacking, for approaching rather than avoiding, for intention rather than desperation—you literally change what's possible.

The Deeper Invitation

This week, I invite you to experience the liberation of intention. Feel what it's like to already be what you're becoming. Notice how different it feels to move from fullness rather than emptiness, from being rather than chasing.

You are not a human doing. You are a human being. And being is where your power lies.

Until next Sunday,
TT 💛

P.S. Try this: Next time someone asks about your goals, share an intention instead. Watch how differently they (and you) respond to "I'm someone who creates beauty" versus "I want to be an artist." Language shapes neural pathways—choose wisely.

References:

• Schultz, W. (2015). "Neuronal reward and decision signals." Neuron, 86(3), 698-711.

• Berkman, E. T. (2018). "The neuroscience of goals and behavior change." Consulting Psychology Journal, 70(1), 28-44.

• Brewer, J. A. et al. (2011). "Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity." PNAS, 108(50), 20254-20259.

• Davidson, R. J. (2004). "What does the prefrontal cortex 'do' in affect?" Biological Psychiatry, 55(11), 1219-1230.

• Schwartz, J. M. & Begley, S. (2002). "The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force." HarperCollins.

• Walker, M. (2017). "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams." Scribner.

• Siegel, D. J. (2012). "The Developing Mind." Guilford Press.

P.P.S. If this resonates with you, I'd love for you to share this invitation with someone who might need their own Sunday Sanctuary. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is the reminder that transformation is possible, and we don't have to do it alone.