When I started to manifest abundance and prosperity, it seemed too good to be true. And with good reason … it was! At least the way I thought it would to work. I thought I could just say, “I am a size 6,” and, poof, I would BE a size 6. It didn’t work. I realized, however, that there is much more to manifesting greatness than just stating intentions … otherwise we would just call it stating intentions. Whether you’re new to manifesting or if you’ve given it a go and found your efforts came up short, I offer you the tools to finally bring your dreams to life.
Out with the old
The first step is pivotal but also the one most commonly skipped. I like to visualize it like this: we all have a bucket with the capacity to carry only a certain amount of stuff. This stuff may be good stuff like love, wealth, and generosity or not-so-good stuff like fear, loneliness, and regret. Regardless of what you choose to put in your bucket, you cannot carry more than your predetermined capacity. Let’s say your bucket is full to the brim with sadness and self-loathing; no matter how much you want to bring love and peace into your life, it won’t work because it won’t fit in your bucket. Just like trying to add pebbles to a bucket full of sand, skipping this first step will only result in your positive affirmations dropping to the ground unrealized.
So before you can manifest all those wonderful things you want, you must first empty your bucket of all those less-than-desirable things you’ve carried for far too long. This is the same step I talked about in my last post, so please start there. Then with the dirty laundry out of the way, you can move on to stating your intentions.
State your intentions
With a bit of imagination, you can come up with a host of worthy intentions. However, if you find this task a bit daunting, I recommend picturing the life you would create for yourself—really visualize yourself, your daily activities, and your emotions. What does it look like? Do you bicycle to work? Do you have a three-car garage? Do you laugh often? Whatever ingredients would go into this dream life should make it into your intentions. Here are a few of mine as examples:
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- I have wealth and prosperity
- I am healthy and fit
- I give and receive love freely
- I am courageous
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Be as thorough as possible but resist the urge to state these dreams as goals. For example, I will publish my first book by 2015 is a goal. Opt instead for the manifestation version: I am a successful author. Sometimes the wonders the Universe holds for us are grander and more pristine than anything we can see coming around the corner, so don’t sell yourself short. On the other hand, that goal doesn’t say how good your first book will be or if anyone will buy it. So don’t limit your manifestations to what you can see coming or you risk closing doors on greatness you haven’t yet imagined.
Believe
You can tell yourself you are wealthy all you want, but if you’re struggling to make rent each month, your ego is going to tell you you’re crazy. Worst of all you’re likely to believe you are crazy. It is important to note that believing you are wealthy, for example, doesn’t mean you begin spending like there is no bottom to your bank account. Believing does mean you have adapted your emotions to the energy of being wealthy. If you entertain the feelings—the energy—of a state of want, a state of being broke, that is the energy you will attract to you.
Imagine you are late for an appointment and racing against traffic lights get to your destination on time. When you approach a light thinking, “Don’t turn red, don’t turn red, for the love of God, don’t turn red!” you’re likely to find that darn light turns red before you get there. Why? Because of all the red-light energy you’re putting out there. You’re putting all your energy into manifesting the exact thing you want to avoid. On the other hand, by shifting your energy to that of wealth and prosperity or “I’m confident the light will remain green,” that is what you will attract.
Here is another way to look at it: You’ve heard the expression “dress for the job you want not the job you have,” right? The premise is the same here. By adapting your approach to the subject, by faking it ’til you make it, you will begin to manifest your reality.
Appreciate
I’m a big fan of gratitude. I’m grateful for all sorts of seemingly lousy things that have happened in my life. For example, I am grateful for having been a single mom whose checkbook was always in the red because it taught me how strong, independent, and unstoppable I really am. Think of it this way, if you don’t pass third grade, you’re destined to repeat the third grade until you demonstrate that you’ve learned the prerequisites. Likewise, had I not learned that lesson of my strength, had I not stated my gratitude, I’d still be lonely and living two-paychecks behind in a two-bedroom apartment.
I’d also really like new windows and siding for the house, but griping every time I come home about the old windows only propels me deeper into a state of want and dissatisfaction. Rather I choose to be grateful for the protection those drafty old windows provide. Frankly I’m grateful to have a home with windows period! If you want to break the patterns you’re in, whether they are patterns of illness, poverty, self-doubt, or others; first learn to appreciate where you are and how far you’ve come. Take the lessons you’ve learned to heart but also separate yourself from the pattern of pain.
Begin action today
This last one is a big one because, as much as I believe in the power of miracles, I’m not a fan of sitting around waiting for miracles to happen. I’ve tried that strategy and achieved nothing but disappointment. An object in motion, after all, stays in motion. So even if you don’t know where you’re headed, keep moving. Even miracles require action. If you want to be healthy, for example, start doing the things you would do if you were already healthy. If you want to be a gardener, start planting those seeds now. Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, just start moving.
If you found yourself hopelessly lost in a strange city, you wouldn’t just stop and wait for someone to save you, right? You would keep moving until you found a sign or a landmark to help you find your way, or you might approach someone to ask for directions. The same applies here because when you take steps in any direction, the Universe rewards you with situations and relationships that propel you ever closer to the manifestations you so carefully crafted.
When I first adopted these practices into my life, I didn’t imagine they would change me in so many ways. I became happier, more positive, and more confident to name a few. That is not to say that manifesting is a magic bullet. There is no “Go Directly to Enlightenment” card. Some of my manifestations have become reality, while others are still realities in training. What I’ve learned is that you reap what you sow in this life, so I invite you to plant the seeds today for a fantastic, out-of-this-world, beyond-your-wildest-dreams sort of tomorrow. I’ll see you there!
