Episode 54: The Power of Intention: Transform Your Life Through Conscious Creation

Kim Stanwood Terranova shares how intention can transform your mindset, habits, and daily life, helping you create with clarity, purpose, and awareness.

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Hello everyone, and welcome to my podcast. My name is Jay DePaolo. I'm the owner of Choices Books and Gift Store. It's a store dedicated to health, wellness, and the recovery community for over 30 years. I'm the host of this podcast. You always have choices where we dive deep into stories of transformation, healing, and growth. All right. So today whom we have back again, very happy to introduce Kim Stanwood Terranova. I'm going to tell you a little bit about Kit. She is a spiritual teacher, speaker, and author of The Technology of Intention with over 25 years of experience guiding individuals through transformation.

Kim teaches that intention. It is not just a mindset, but a powerful tool for consciously creating your life. Her work blends spirituality, personal growth, and practical tools to help people move from unconscious patterns into aligned, purposeful living. I know that's something I need to do for myself. So there we have it. All right. So, Kim. Hi. Hi. People who watch our podcast know you've been on before, and so I'm honored to be back here. It thrilled me to know and to get your invitation. I'm thrilled. Thank you. It is. It is my pleasure, too, because I learned so much when you're here as well.

So I'm going to jump into some questions, if that's cool. Perfect, I'm ready. Yeah. Excellent. So last time we spoke, you introduced intention as a technology. Someone who heard that. But hasn't applied it. What's the simplest way to start? It is so important for each of us to remember that in this full world of technology, the joy that brings us, you know, the ability for you and me to meet on this platform.

We have great appreciation for the technology of the outside world that blesses our world. Yet often we forget that we came equipped with the technology within our soul the second we were born, and that technology within our soul is connecting us to source God, spirit, whatever you want to name it, at every moment, with every breath. So we have access to the most powerful technology within us, more powerful than anything on the planet. Yet we take on this human life and then suddenly go into forgetfulness, like, oh, it's right here. So the technology of an intention is a not it's not a reminder, it's truth principles that we have something within us that gets to be activated. And when we start fine-tuning that activation, we become masterful co-creators. So that manifestation is just a byproduct of being conscious, you know?

Perfect, perfect, a great explanation. All right. What do you see people misunderstanding most about intention after even first learning about it? What's what do they get wrong?

Good question. I would say what they most misunderstand is that it is so powerful in the possibility of activating it. Lots of people think, " Oh well, my intention is just sometimes people say this to you, right? When you say this like, oh, Kim, you know, like that's like, what do they say when it's not, what's the term that's like light spiritual stuff, but it really doesn't apply in my business or in this problem of divorce or in this problem of health. So the misinterpretation or misinformation is that we have underused the power that is at our fingertips, so that sometimes people can think, well, it's great out there in the spiritual world, but not here in my business or in these day-to-day activities. We all look at people and say, " There's nothing further from the truth, that when you begin to apply the power of intention in your business, in your relationships, in your health, everything shifts. Yeah, it takes a moment for people to catch that. I've had businessmen and women come to me and say, oh yeah, that's great, but you can't do that.

There's a bottom line of dollars I have to make in this company. And when we start really getting under, what would that look like? What would that feel like? Let's start bringing intentions, acknowledgments, and spiritual practices into that business. All of a sudden, I get calls back up, and my business is doubled and tripled. What's going on? Yeah, because it's still a power. It's not. It's just in the spiritual. It's what we're living a spiritual life. There is no separation unless we create the separation.

Yes, so I love it. How do people recognize when they're creating unconsciously versus intentionally?

When someone says to me, " This pattern keeps happening in my life, I don't like it. I don't know why I want this, but I keep creating this. Okay, well, there's a place right there to look at what beliefs are being, you know, activated in your life that you are creating unconsciously what you don't want. So often, if we could look at our life and there's something that feels stuck, feels stagnant, feels that we can't burst through it, we get to be gentle, not judgmental, gentle to inquire, is there some belief that is blocking me from my intentions to be activated? Because intentions are an act of faith. You know, we set them, we live them. We let go and trust the source to move through us. So if there is any place where there's a block, or if someone sees that they're using language or something that doesn't feel good, if their vibration doesn't feel good, if they're moving on. So I'm still right. I'm mad. I'm resentful. Well, right there, you're still creating.

Yes. You know, so we get we must pay attention to how we feel, to what we see, to catch. What am I thinking? Because when we pay attention to all that we can see if we're consciously creating or unconsciously creating. Yeah. If we hear the words out of our mouth, like, say, someone's having lunch with someone, and they suddenly say, " Oh, that's great, that person, that'll never work for me, right?

There's a sign like, whoa, it is created unconsciously. Yeah, but we have to be able to observe ourselves gently. You know, part of the reason I love the name of your story so much, in the name of this podcast, is that the power of choice comes from being aware. We can't choose if we're unaware. We can't choose consciously, right? We can choose unconsciously and unaware. And then we keep creating things we don't want. But your choices. We always have a choice with the powerful choice when we're consciously aware. Yes, that awareness comes from observation. Let me observe my life without judgment. And if I could see there's a place I'm stuck or blocked, I get to gently say, what am I creating there? Unconsciously, because I want to get really conscious to co-create what I desire, not what I don't. Yeah, but you see, we can't bring judgment into it because that just keeps us stuck.

Yeah. No, when I think back, there are times in my life where I have sabotaged the things that, you know, the things I want to do, create, and be. But I have, you know, unconsciously sabotaged them until I learned the difference. Right. So. And many of us do. But if we've got to watch and be curious always, I think it's constant. It's an ongoing process. Yes. Why do people fall back into old habits even after setting intentions and having some success with them? Why do they fall back? They forget,

Yeah. They forget and slip into the patterns that they've known. So I say to people, you know, you've been living on this pattern, this you've created groove of your patterns and your beliefs, and whether they're yours or not, could be your parents, could be family members, but you've created a groove in your life energetically. So responses happen, your thinking goes here. And when you begin to shift and begin to see, oh wait, I think differently. If I apply some spiritual tools over here, I'm going to have a different, you know, response, right? Then we do that for a while, and we're starting to see the effects of it, and we're in joy. Then something could happen in our lives, a trauma, a challenge. And what happens first? We slip back into the old pattern. Unless we build the muscle. Think of them like athletes. Athletes know this. You'll slip back when things get hard because all of a sudden somebody leaves the planet, somebody hurts us, and our attention goes there, versus I'm going to give attention to it, but I'm not giving up my practice.

Right. So we have to know that the new groove, until it's well defined, the automatic patterning of a human existence will slip back. So absolutely until we create the new groove. And so the more gently you go. Oh, I just slipped it back into my practice. Yeah. And then we could get back faster. The new groove, over time, becomes a solid groove. It's what I call our stabilizing insights. You know, we all catch insights. Let's choose to stabilize them. They'll just go right by, and we'll think that was a great idea. But I didn't put it to use. We've got to constantly stabilize. Oh, I know this. So it's hard right now. But I'm going to choose to live this when it's hard, so I don't slip into my old pattern.

Yeah. You know, it reminds me of you know, it's because I, I'm somewhat of an athlete. I'm in the gym all the time. I've run a lot of marathons, triathlon and things like that. That's an athlete. I run marathons and triathlons. What do you mean? Somewhat of an athlete? Are you an athlete? What reminds me of muscle memory. And there are so many things that I have to like. I was in Aruba for a couple of, for two and a half weeks, and even that short period of time, when I came back to the gym and tried to lift the same amount of weight, it was difficult. I couldn't do it. And I have so many things, like I wake up every single day and I pray, meditate, and I do some readings. And it's such a practice, a practice that comes, you know, naturally. But as you say, I could simply fall back if I'm not in my environment or doing something differently. It could be really, really, you know.

What Jay said just hit on something really beautiful is that you went away to Aruba, right? And if you didn't bring your practice with you, it can be challenging when we come back. I had a session with a client today, and she said I could share this because I loved it. She went away. And she's committed. She committed this year to 365 days. She's not missing her spiritual practice now. She's been a client of mine for years. And she would still practice within the days that would come, and she'd forget. She said this, you're going for 365. So she's gone. And I say to her, " So how'd that work? You're in a hotel room with family members, where you were able to do your practice, she said. I went into the bathroom before anyone woke up and still did all my daily readings, wrote my intention. She still got it done. Now, there's a perfect example where many of us can let go and go, oh, I won't do it today.

It can take a week. That happens easily. Yeah. So just to answer your question, we could easily see how we fall off unless we're more committed to our freedom than our patterns. Yeah, and how much of a priority do you make it? I know when I do the things that I just discussed with you, my life is so much better when I fall back into the old habits and don't do those things. I can see it in the way I feel, the way I act. Yes. And I become again. So the whole intention thing is so important.

Let me ask you this. How do you stay consistent when life gets overwhelmed? We just argue that that's the way we can even just stay consistent, the best way. But, Jay, our vision is that life is overwhelming. I still want freedom and peace. Yeah. So we bring the practice to the overwhelm.

Most people forget that. Then in my book, there's a chapter, and it's called. It's the chapter of when I Was in the Thick of It, and the only reason I share this very intimate details of my life, that there is some times of my children, there's a five week time that my children were in, that being rushed to the hospital every weekend by odd accidents, motorcycle accident, and another accident for Lyla where she fell through a glass window. Like the odd things and the. And what happened was that in the midst of tears of firemen on the phone saying, " We've got your daughter, she's on the way to the hospital. I knew to bring the practice to the trauma. So tears are falling, and I'm running around the house saying, " Okay, grab this, grab this. Okay, God support her right now. Be with her right now. I'm accepting that the driver knows exactly where they're going. I'm still crying, getting in the car, trying to figure out how to get to the hospital. Am I going to be praying the whole way? So we see, and we had that. When you were in that kind of trauma, that's when you can let it go.

That's when you can let it go. That's when you can forget. It falls secondary. But I'm like you, I pray every minute of every day, especially when things are good or when things are tough. Yes, because what happens to us if we walk into that hospital room and fear? Fear is present anyway. But it would be leading if the prayer wasn't. Yeah. And so then we react, act from the fear of what if versus the prayerful place of I know what's going on, but I'm going to bring my consciousness to make conscious decisions, and instead of letting fearful reactions take over.

Yeah, I would say that takes a few years to really get that, you know, really going. It doesn't happen overnight.  I have been practicing this for my whole life. I'm not giving up now. Me too, me too.

How does intention change conflict in a relationship? Uff, I love this question. Intention can change everything in a relationship, especially when there are any elements of conflict. When couples are with me, you know, and I, we're having a couple session. I will ask them before we begin. We will not begin a session without knowing what your intention is. What's your intention? We do not even start because what if someone said, " Well, I intend to be right. I want her to hear what she did was wrong, or didn't. Then that's like, no, that's not an intention. That's an expectation. Let's start again. I'm not starting the session for you. Give me your intention. Well, what if really the person wanted to be heard, wanted it to be safe, to speak the truth? You know that it may take a minute to get that person. But when I say, okay, great. So can you say your intention is this, this, and this? And I say, yes. Then what's your intention? Well, now I've got two individuals. I don't have to be in the room. They could be at their house if you don't want to. If there's a conflict moment and a couple sits down and says, " We're not starting this conversation until I tell you my intention and you tell me yours.

People have to know how to activate intention, love it, and then say, someone says, my intention is to be heard and to hear you. They could still be upset, right? But they've then propelled into the universe. This is what I'm about, versus coming into that meeting with you, better hear you or me better change. You know, do it this way, I want you to do it. We will never get anywhere if a conflict continues. If there's no wrong. If there is an opportunity, I want to heal. We intend to heal. We intend to listen. We intend to find a solution that honors both of us. In there, you can resolve we. It could be. We intend to keep talking until we get through this.

Yeah. You know, it's it keeps us connected. It keeps us authentic. And it keeps us high in integrity. Because when you set your intention from that moment onward, in a moment of conflict, your actions are to follow the intention you set, so you're much less likely to attack. If you said, I intend to hear you and to create safety for you, to hear me, and I'm sure you're there to remind them when you're in a session like that, of, hey, listen, let's go back to your intention. Absolutely, when you just, you know, you get away from that a little bit. Sure, sure. Can I tell you a quick story about that? I love that, I love it. Years ago, I was asked by a client if they were in the middle of a divorce, and they were just stuck, and they'd been working on it for months. And he said, would you come

to our next mediation? And I said, you've got to check with your lawyers about that and see if they suddenly said yes. I don't know what. He told them who I was. So I go into this, I get to the law firm in Beverly Hills, a huge law firm. I met him out front, and I would not go into the building. I said, " What's your intention today? And he told me his intention, and I said, " Okay, here's my intention for you today, or my intention for me, then we prayed. So the intention was set. Prayers. Then we walked into the building.

We get in the building, and we walk into the room. It's two solid sides. One side of the table, one team, one side. There's separation. Yeah, I sit down, and I'm just blessing everybody and holding space. And the lawyer at the end. This table is massive. So many people are actually crosses her arms, and she goes, so Kim, why don't you start right there? I'm like, well, game on, this is going to be really interesting. But they were probably as curious about you, you know, as like, what the hell is she gonna Hey, say what is she here for?

Guess, Jay, what I did, Jay, I know that I didn't close my eyes very often. I close my eyes, and I'm setting an intention, so I may right now. But that day I didn't because I thought, I don't want to freak him out. But I said some version of this. It was some version of can we agree today that we intend to stay connected, listen to each other authentically, openly, to create safety for these two individuals, to find resolution solutions. So, as they part this marriage, they can part so with grace and ease and honoring both parties, can we agree to that? And do we get a yes? And every single person at that table said, yeah, we can do that. Now I'm pointing to what you just said a moment ago. Then everyone from that moment onward is conversing from that agreement of that into I didn't force anyone. It was an off right. But do you see how it kept everyone out of expectation? Yeah, so are they able to keep that going throughout the whole? One time, three hours in this mediation were complete, signed, delivered, and hugged up in three hours. One time in those three hours, somebody got heated, and all I did was the only time I said anything, I said, excuse me, can we please just remember the intention?

We said, yes. Yeah. And then the energy came back. Yeah. So, in other words, the intention can frame it.

Then we follow it because without it, we're completely reacting in expectation. Absolutely. And when people understand that, without an intention, you are walking into a room, and you will begin to react from that moment onward to whatever's given to you.

Yes. Yeah, yeah. You're helping me here right now. I'm just thinking about some things in my life right now, and how I wish I could do them so much better. And I need to practice the intention. I don't need to go there, saying, " Okay, I'm going to be peaceful here. I'm going to play kind. I'm not going to yell.

I'm not going to scream. I'm going to see what I can bring to the situation rather than take it away. I love it. Jay, you have full permission. When you need an intention, just text me. Kim, I need an intention. Yes, I love it, I love it. Thank you. Yes. Okay. What's the difference between forcing outcomes and allowing co-creation? That's sort of..  So forcing outcomes is us individually thinking we've got control over the Situation. And we want an outcome that is defined. Right? Intentions are always an opening that we set the intention and let go. And from that. So that's the reason we do that, is for one to co-create. So we're listening to spirit because when we can remember that spirit, the universe has so many bigger solutions than we've seen. See where we're unconsciously, Jay, I think this is so trippy. We are unconsciously, as humans, limiting ourselves if we want a forced outcome, because what we're doing is creating. I just want that. I just want that. What if the spirit wants you to have this? Yes, yes. You only asked for that. So, where that forced outcome means what it says, we're forcing everywhere because we think I've got to create it, versus we source and I am sourcing this.

And the second we let go, there's so much more that comes rushing in the door, and that is the muscle that is the scariest for people to build when they're living a life of intention. Yeah, yeah. I, you know, just a quick story, and I do agree with that. The strongest part of this for me is actually letting go.

I mean, letting go and forgetting. So one time, I didn't really I didn't need it, but I had a financial insecurity. Everything was fine. But for some reason, I had it. And I spoke with a friend, sort of a spiritual advisor like you, and he says, you know, I give some of your money away and don't even think about it, tie the ear.

I started tidying, and it was so funny. The fear left. I never knew when I let go, I let go. All this money came back to me. People I spent money on, things that I hadn't done so not. And it was amazing how it all came back. It was so much better than what? And because I let go, I believe in you, know, a power greater than myself, which is God, you know, it's just the most.  And that practice of letting go is huge. Yeah. It's hard to really let go because we always want to be in control. We always do, but we're not. And we think we've got the best solution because it's scary to say, well, I don't know what the solution is, but spirit, you know, we've built a society on, I know the answer to this. Nothing's wrong with that. But when we could allow ourselves to go, I know as much as I know right now, and the spirit knows even more. So I'm going to activate what I know. But always keep this listening ear open. For spirit's sake, go left, go right. Did you see that? Like, really? Listen, we have to master listening. Yeah, yeah, without a doubt.

All right. For someone stuck financially, emotionally, or spiritually, how would you guide them? When we're stuck, we must be gentle. Like we must be gentle with ourselves so that we don't allow judgment to keep us stuck. Judgment keeps us stuck. Okay, gentle. This keeps the door open. Because if we're gentle and allow ourselves to get curious. What? What am I feeling stuck about? What's really happening? What's underneath this? Is this my belief that I'm stuck financially? Or is it my parents' belief? Is it? We must get curious. So do you see under gentleness where you get curious to listen to the spirit and then bring our practice up so we can unstick ourselves? If that's the way to say it, then remove the stuckness. But end. If we have judgment, we stay there longer. Because I can't believe I don't, I don't know. Look where I'm stuck. I can't believe I'm back here again. That will keep us there versus okay, I'm going to ask. And this is when I ask people to do this practice, ask more empowering questions than the questions that keep you stuck.

If we ask a question like, " Why did this happen to me? Why did they do that to me? Those questions keep you stuck. So the practice of asking empowering questions, " What am I to learn here? What's being revealed here for me? What's the most loving thing I could do for myself right now to move through this? Sometimes that means crying, releasing, not to go around it,  but to move it so that we could understand what must be released and let go so that we could be free again.

Yeah, yeah. So it's it takes patience, gentleness, curiosity, but not avoidance to live with the problem, move out of that, and try to find solutions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the stressful move when we're gentle, it won't move when we have judgment. When we have judgment, it won't move it. Well, if we lock it in, look how bad. Look how bad that person is. We're just locking in more judgment versus yeah, I mean, I feel good, I'm super sad, I'm confused. And I'm going to ask questions to move through it correctly. Okay. Excellent, excellent. What's the biggest pattern you see that holds people back? A lack of practice.

What we just went over, over and over and over again. And, you know, I wonder sometimes, are they not in enough pain that they're not willing to practice? Because I was in enough pain to practice Yes to that at times. And yet the other one is what we've touched on, which is that we as a society get to shift our attention to embrace practices, not think if I have time, when we shift. You know, I have a quote that says, " You practice your practice. until your life is your practice.

Yes. I love that, when we begin to shift to think it's not an option again, like an athlete, you know, so many other people who stick to the program, and you, you just show up, right? Because that's your practice. So when we begin to see what if we wake up later than we thought, oh, there goes that hour for me to meditate and read. So you may only have five minutes, or you may shift it so that while you're in the shower, you're setting your intentions. Then you may be in a doctor's office or waiting ten minutes for your meeting to start. And instead of worrying you, close your eyes in the waiting room and practice there. So it's just assisting everyone to realize there's always time to practice.

Yeah. You know, it's so funny because while you're saying this, I can relate it to it all. Waking up too late or waking up and having to deal with the situation right away, and not getting to and then figuring out how, when, and what I am going to do? But you know, you'll get there. You'll get it takes you to shift that. It could take seconds. We could be waiting for the car to warm up in that cold weather. And in those seconds, if we close our eyes and just when I'm grateful to be alive, I acknowledge myself that I'm doing the best I can today. And my intention today is to move with ease. You just don't practice right there, right? Right. So it's really shifting our awareness to what is a practice and where I can bring them into my regular life, always. Yeah, yeah. Love it, Kim, thank you. I love it. All right. How do gratitude and intention work together daily?

The more you know, the more you know it's my wonderful teacher who always says Michael Bernard backwards.

Like, wherever your attention is, more energy flows. Right? So when our attention is on appreciation,

Then more things come into our lives to be grateful for. So if we are just moving through our day with. I'm so grateful that I feel good today. I'm so grateful that it's sunny. I'm so grateful to see you today. Any place that we're on, gratitude, more energy, more things start showing up to be grateful for, versus if we were on, I’m late. It's cold on that side. All those things just keep us in lockstep. So gratitude builds the field like, fertilizes the soil for tensions to take root. Because when we're grateful, and then we know. Okay, I'm so grateful that I have an opportunity. I have five minutes to meditate. I'm so grateful for that. And then my intention today.

So right there, your prime in the prompt for priming the pump, I say it right for your intention to be clear, because you're coming from a field of appreciation, versus like, yeah, so then your intention is going to have buoyancy to it. It's going to have the languaging that honors where you're at that day. But what you wish to create that day. So I think you can't have one without the other. Almost. Yeah. They definitely go hand in hand. And they're just thinking of them like supporting each other and fertilizing the soil for more to be revealed.

Very cool. Very cool. If someone practiced intention for 30 days. When we see change, what would I mean? Would they see it then? Or their whole life changes. Yes, yes, that's an absolute yes. Now I want to be clear about something. Their intentions are to be in alignment with all that they desire. So sometimes people could set an intention. They could think they're intention, but it's filled with limitations in it. So somebody comes to me and says, Kim, I intend not to eat unhealthy food because I'm going to lose 20 pounds. They can think that's an intention. It's not to see how many times they had not in the midst of it. Yeah. So it's a little bit more into that yet. So in other words, when our intentions and our build around those three frameworks I have in the book, they're in the present moment, they're always positive language. They're always based on qualities. You follow that framework, right? In business, in relationships, in health, so that you can wake up with an intention. My intention today is to make choices that honor my body as I am, toned and strong and clear as I move through this world. There you go. You keep repeating that the universe is matching you. You're making choices. I intend to call forth unlimited financial wealth now and forevermore.

The universe responds to my intention not to have any tightness in my bank account. Well, you just talked about tightness in your bank. So do you see the difference? The intentions? Yeah. Let's be clear, succinct intentions in alignment with what you desire. And there is no way that the universe would not respond, and that your life wouldn't change.

It's automatic, automatic things, but they're going to change in ways that you never imagined. I agree, I agree, and it's usually they change for the better, not the worse, always, always for the better. Just fantastic. Fantastic. So, you know, I just got to say, every time we get together, it's amazing. And like I say, I appreciate it so much because I learned so much, and I know our watchers will appreciate you so much. Thank you. So, just stay close with this, and with that, we will wrap up this episode of the Choices podcast. I hope our time together was inspiring and motivating. And stay empowered and stay well. You know, I just want you to go over real quickly how people can get in touch with you, who can work with you.

Do you have the book with you that maybe we can hold up? There we go. Right. Beautiful. If you have an intention. There you go. There you go, folks. That's what you do. That's what you get involved with. And where can we get it? Besides, I know I have it in my store. Where else can we get it?

You can get it on Amazon if you get it. In the audio version, you hear me talking the whole book. I also have quite a few wonderful programs to help, because lots of times people come to me and say, how can I live these practices? So I have a master tools program that people from all over the world attend. We meet twice a month for one hour each time, so it's tight, and I go over a tool. Each time I go over the tool of intention, over the tool of gratitude, I go over the tool so that anyone can go on my website.

That's what I said. Give the website Kim what? Full name Kim Stanwood terranova.com, and you could see on there about the master tools program. Then you could sign up right online. You could see I'm also going to be the guest speaker at the Arrhythmia Life Advancement Center at the end of April. So, I'm in the midst of bringing out a couple more books. So there are lots of ways to reach me. And if it's all right with you, I would love to cover every book. That's you.

I would be thrilled. Then we'll be back again soon. Yes, I hope so. So, you can watch this episode and all episodes on our website. Choices, gifts.com. I hope you enjoy this. May God bless you and look after you always. Thank you.