Raise the Bar: Aligning Attention with Intention

By Natalia Jansen, MFA

In the theatre of life, your starring role doesn’t begin when the curtain rises on a big moment. It begins quietly, behind the scenes, in the invisible space between what you say you want and where your attention truly goes.

Attention Fuels Intention

For example, if you begin your day thinking about how exhausted or overwhelmed you are, you’ll likely notice more things that reinforce that belief: traffic, an annoying email, a missed call. But if you begin your day with intention, focusing on gratitude, potential, or even one exciting thing ahead, your brain starts scanning for proof that today is a good day. That’s the power of attention.

Your life reflects not what you “intend”, but what you “attend to.”

We all have dreams, goals, and heartfelt desires. But if your focus is caught in loops of fear, doubt, comparison, or worry, you’ll keep getting more of the same, even if your intentions are pure.

Ask yourself: where has your attention been lately?

On possibilities or limitations? On expansion or constriction?

Because your attention is a magnifying glass — whatever you place it on, grows.

The Power of Reframing

I once worked with a client who believed she wasn’t a “real artist” because she hadn’t gone to art school. We reframed that thought to: “Creativity is my birthright. My expression is valid because it’s uniquely mine.” From there, she started painting again, just for joy, and eventually held her first gallery show.

Sometimes, a breakthrough isn’t about changing your life. It’s about changing your lens.

The thought “I’ve never done this before” becomes “There is an I in me greater than anything I’ve done before.”

That’s the beauty of reframing. You honor your current reality, but you don’t let it define your future.

One powerful shift in thought can unlock an entirely new scene in the script of your life.

Raise the Bar with Imagination

Another client of mine dreamed of changing careers but thought it was too late to start over in her 50s. Through imaginal work, she began to visualize herself confidently speaking in meetings, collaborating with teams, and feeling valued. Within months, she landed a role she once thought was out of reach, because she first saw it in her mind and began aligning her actions accordingly.

Imagination is not frivolous. It is sacred. It is a divine faculty of vision, our creative superpower, and it’s time we start using it.

I often ask my clients: “If you didn’t believe this was impossible, what would you love?”

Just like the high jumper who trained his body to exceed expectations by first raising the bar in his “mind,” you too must learn to live beyond the limits of your past.

Close your eyes and see yourself one year from now, radiant, free, and thriving. This is your imaginal training ground. This is a rehearsal for your starring role.

Let Go of the Past

A woman in my workshop once shared how guilty she felt for walking away from a long-term relationship. She believed she had failed. But when she asked herself if she would make the same decision today, she realized: “I’ve grown. I’m clearer now. I would leave again, with more grace and self-love.” That reflection helped her release the guilt and open up to love again, this time with clearer boundaries and a deeper sense of self-worth.

Mistakes are inevitable. Regret is optional.

Growth happens when we look back with new eyes and choose compassion instead of shame.

Ask: “Would I do the same thing again today, knowing what I now know?” If the answer is no, then you’ve learned. Now let it go.

You are not here to rehearse your regrets. You’re here to perform your power.

Expect the Best (Even Without Approval)

I’ve personally experienced the power of expectation when it came to my dream of speaking on a TEDx stage. At the time, I had no idea how to even begin the process. I didn’t know anyone in that world, and there wasn’t a clear path laid out. But I dreamed of it. I saw myself on stage, speaking with clarity and confidence, sharing a message that deeply mattered to me. I kept imagining it, rehearsing it in my mind and heart, and then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, the opportunity arrived.

I didn’t chase it. It came to me. But I had to be ready. Saying yes required a committed decision, focused intention, and creative ingenuity. That experience reminded me: when your inner alignment is clear, life has a way of meeting you halfway, often in unexpected and magical ways.

You don’t need everyone to believe in your dream. You need YOU.

Affirm daily: “I am not what I used to be. I am getting better every day.”

Root your identity in who you are becoming, not in the outdated opinions of others or your past experiences.

That is the mark of a conscious creator. That is what it means to star in your life.

Raise the bar. Reclaim your focus. Let intention lead, and trust that as you align your energy, imagination, and attention, you become unstoppable.