Now that we’ve all spent a week looking at the places where we need to shift our purpose in order to move beyond blocks and outcomes that were more about self-protection than achieving what we really want, let’s look at outcomes that are already moving in the direction we want, or generating outcomes that we’ve always wanted to have.

One element of working with “outcome follows purpose” is the quality of flow that comes into play when we are in tune with intentions that empower us. (Actually, flow is working *always* in relation to our intentions, even when our purpose takes us in a direction we don’t consciously want.) If flow is a concept that’s new to you, you might take a look at the Meditations page and play with the meditation exercises that deal with flow. It’s an important aspect of learning to respond spontaneously and effortlessly to those synchronistic moments and opportunities that emerge when we actively engage intention and purpose. Sometimes these urges may be indistinct and yet present enough that we can respond and at other times they may be loud and undeniable.

Responding to almost-unconscious urges is an important part of allowing flow to guide us from purpose to outcome. The other day, I went to my favorite neighborhood restaurant for a quick lunch. When I walked in, the crowd was nearly spilling out the door and I decided that it was too crowded and the wait would be too long. After going about 10 steps down the street, I felt compelled to go back in and just check on the wait time. When I did, I discovered that the crunch at the door was a group of people enjoying a juice drink and not waiting to be seated at all. There was plenty of room inside. Had I not responded to the spontaneous urge to go back to the restaurant, I would have missed a lovely lunch based on my erroneous impression of the situation. Granted, this is a mundane and rather everyday example of responding to flow, and yet it’s this kind of daily practice that promotes the possibility of bringing our wished-for purposes and intentions into outcomes we’re pleased to have.

For this week’s experiment, choose some outcome you’ve been wanting to have in your life and generate the intention or purpose that serves as its foundation. For example, when I discovered that I wanted to change my relationship with time, my underlying intention became my wish to learn about timelessness. After you’ve identified the purpose or intention you need to create the outcome you seek, allow yourself to experience that outcome in whatever detail is appropriate. For example, in my exploration of timelessness, one of the outcomes I imagined was having a project done in plenty of time. The detail I imagined had to do with the specific pieces of paper I would need by the time I was done. Then, I handed the whole thing over and didn’t think about the specifics anymore.

After you’ve identified the outcome you want, and the intention/purpose that is its foundation, once each day, take a moment to reinforce your willingness to have its outcomes appear in your life. Then, remember to hand it all over to your own deepest wisdom, to synchronicity and flow, and then forget about it. The larger context of flow and synchronicity will take care of it for you and all you need to do is be responsive to those quiet or loud urges that speak to you as you move through your day.

Be sure to play with this experiment. It’s fun to notice how flow and synchronicity move us through the day and when we’re in tune with intentions and purposes that support our well-being and the best that’s available for us, it can be quite a delightful journey.