Have you seen people posting "hashtag #manifestation" on their social media posts as they travel the world or land their dream job but have no idea what they're talking about?
Well, that hashtag isn't just for giggles — it's actually a lifestyle that can help you get everything you want in life (and more).
In the most basic sense, manifestation is a way of thinking that helps you get what you want in life, and, according to thought leaders like Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey, it really does work.
Things to know
- Manifestation is a lifestyle that helps you get what you want in life by harnessing the energy of the universe.
- The first step in manifesting is determining your core values and understanding what you want in life. Identifying these values can help guide decision-making and provide structure and guidance.
- Once you've determined your values and priorities, set specific intentions and think about your deepest desires related to those core values. Then work towards what you want by setting specific goals that align with your core values and intentions.
So how can you harness the energy of the universe and use it to make all your dreams come true? Well, you just need to follow these 6 steps to manifest what you need in life and change your life for the better:
- Determine Your Values
- Set Specific Intentions
- Work Towards What You Want
- Don't Let Limiting Beliefs Hold You Back
- Turn Gratitude Into A Daily Practice
- Trust The Process
Determine Your Values
Before you can truly begin the manifestation journey, you must have a strong sense of what it is you want in life. Typically, this comes from understanding your core values and framing your life around these ideals.
These core values provide structure and guidance to your life, and they are the aspects of yourself and others that you value the most.
We can really only find true inner peace and build our self-worth when we pursue goals that match our values. Our core values are what help us find purpose and feel fulfilled.
Therefore, identifying these core values can help guide your decision-making in every aspect of your life, from selecting a new job to the way you spend your leisure time.
Unfortunately, we aren't always aware of our core values, so we need to pull them from our subconscious minds and draw them to our attention. Luckily, you can do this in many ways.
For example, you can complete a values card sort, which helps you sort through a large list of values to find the 8-10 values which resonate with you the most.
Similarly, you can make a list of 3-5 people you admire and list their attributes, then look for recurring traits in each individual to see if they are things you value the most. If you feel stumped, you can also seek out the help of a career counselor who can help you determine these core values.
Regardless of how you determine your values, you will want to write them down once you figure them out and keep them handy as you embark on your manifesting journey since these values will serve as a driving force for everything you do along the way.
In fact, many people find it helpful to dedicate a notebook or journal to manifestation so they can keep everything organized in one location. This is the first step to manifesting what you really need in life.
Set Specific Intentions
Once you've determined your values and priorities, it's time to think about your deepest desires related to those core values since they will ultimately help you set goals to guide you in your manifestation process.
This process of setting intentions, or "making the ask," is ultimately what sets the wheels in motion for your manifestation, which means it's a very important step in your overall journey.
The thought behind intention setting comes from the Law of Attraction, which proclaims that we can only obtain the things we first think about inside our minds. According to the Law of Attraction, positive thoughts help us find positive results in our lives, while negative thoughts merely yield negative results.
Therefore, you must be very clear when visualizing your intentions. Otherwise, you won't get what you desire.
For example, if you want a romantic relationship in your life, you shouldn't just think, "I want a partner." Instead, you should think about the exact attributes you want in a romantic partner and visualize them in your mind. Then trust the universe to deliver.
Similarly, if you want a new job, don't just think about leaving your current employer — picture your dream job down to the finest possible detail and ask the universe for that. The more detailed you can be in your mind and on paper, the better.
Once you determine these intentions, write them down and connect them to your values. This will help you see the bigger picture and find the purpose behind your desires.
Work Towards What You Want
Even after you determine your core values and make your intentions known, your manifestation journey is far from over. In fact, the hard work is just beginning because now you have to actually work towards your desires.
This is the next step along the way, and it's a time when you focus on achieving what you want and working towards what you need on a daily basis. Think of this as an exciting adventure!
However, like every other step so far, you don't want to just blindly wander into the universe and hope for the best. In fact, that's the exact opposite of what you want to do!
Instead, you want to set specific goals that will align with your core values and the intentions you set. By setting these stepping stones to pave your path, you are essentially working hand-in-hand with the universe to turn your dreams into your physical reality.
For example, if you want to climb the career ladder and achieve success, then you should look for the small steps you'll need to do that. These steps may include going back to school, networking with people in your industry, or brushing up on your resume to prepare for job applications.
While you want to still keep that "end game" in mind, you should make sure the specific goals you set along the way are reasonable, measurable, and align with your intention. (Think SMART Goals meets Law of Attraction.)
Similarly, each individual goal should spiral into the next, as if they're milestones along your path towards manifestation.
If you lose sight of your end goal along the way, try making a vision board to help you stay grounded and keep your eye on the prize.
Many people find these small art projects helpful, and displaying them somewhere prominent will help you remember what you're working towards every step of the way.
Furthermore, you can write each of your goals down and even attach them to specific core values you hold. So, if you're working towards a career goal, that may connect to a core value like "power," "success," or "self-worth."
Similarly, your goals to find a romantic partner and marry them may connect to core values like "love," "family," or "friendship." Attaching these goals back to your values can help you work harder and understand the "why" behind these smaller stepping stones on your way towards your dreams.
Don't Let Limiting Beliefs Hold You Back
Although your main focus should be on your goals and intention as you work through the manifestation practice, sometimes negative energy can get in your way.
In fact, many people find their own negative feelings about themselves to be one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in manifestation. However, you can easily overcome this by getting the right mindset locked in.
These negative feelings we hold onto about ourselves are known as limiting beliefs, and they are a major component of manifestation. According to the Law of Attraction, we can only truly manifest positive things for ourselves when we fill our minds with positive energy.
Unfortunately, many of us have held onto these negative thought patterns for so long that they've almost become a subconscious belief that we automatically attach to ourselves.
You must find a way to shed those negative thoughts you have about yourself and replace them with positive thinking. However, beware of toxic positivity.
While there are many ways to do this, one of the easiest methods comes through a process called reframing. In this process, you essentially look at daily events in your life and identify any negative energy from the situation.
For most of us, these negative beliefs are recurring schemas like, "I never do anything right," or, "I'm just not good enough." However, we can look at these limiting beliefs as they come up in an everyday situation and "check the facts" to help reframe the thought.
By doing this, you essentially reprogram your brain to stop talking negatively and start thinking positively instead.
Once you reframe your thoughts and get into a more positive mindset, you'll see there's nothing keeping you from your manifestation goals except yourself. This will help you reach your goals even faster because you'll no longer be holding yourself back.
Turn Gratitude Into A Daily Practice
As you can see, a large part of what makes manifestation possible is a positive mindset. Therefore, the other thing you need to do once you erase your limiting, or negative, beliefs is re-place the negative energy with positive energy instead.
Luckily, you can do this by making gratitude a part of your daily routine.
Gratitude comes in many forms, which makes it easy to work in a routine that makes the most sense to you. For example, many people have started using a gratitude journal in recent years to help them focus on the positive moments in their daily lives.
Other people enjoy reading positive affirmations that come on daily calendars or through smartphone apps. And, of course, some people turn to social media to share gratitude with the world through posts and cute graphics.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how gratitude fits into your life. The important thing is that you practice gratitude daily in some form or fashion since this will help you maintain a positive mindset as you work towards manifestation.
Trust The Process
The manifestation process isn't always easy, and its results certainly don't happen overnight. However, if you're willing to commit to the process and really work towards your goals, you will find it easier to achieve everything you've ever wanted in life. It just comes down to putting in the work and trusting the process.
The faith you put into yourself can be a powerful force in this process, and the more you trust yourself and the universe, the more you will see a return on your investment.
When you have a bad day (which you will), you just have to remind yourself that the path towards greatness comes with roadblocks, but you must keep going.
Also, you need to show yourself unconditional love - even on the days when you feel disconnected and your self-worth is lower than usual. As long as you don't give up on yourself or your goals, you will eventually reach the top of the hill and enjoy the view.
Manifesting what you want in life takes time and energy, but it's absolutely worth it. Trust me, your future self will thank you for putting in the work and letting the universe guide you towards your dreams.
