Manifesting
Manifesting is a tough subject to tackle. How do I teach you to change your entire worldview in one article?
Manifesting has become incredibly popular over the past few years. There are influencers telling us to imagine making a million dollars, and if you believe it, it will just magically happen! I don’t think that’s how it really works.
I love Cathy Heller’s perspective on manifesting. She wrote the book Abundant Ever After, which I recommend. She rejects hustle culture, and her ideas on manifesting counter some of the popular beliefs. Instead of practicing the Law of Attraction, where you attract what you are, she encourages the perspective of “receiving.” We are all vessels and the Universe or God or the Source is waiting to give us everything we need. We only need to receive it. We do not need to do the work of attracting it. Just be open to all the goodness and the blessings. This reminds me of a principle in yoga called “nonattachment.” Only by letting go, can we really see how things really are without bias. How can someone give me blessing or money, when my hands full and tightly clenching so many ideas, tasks, identities, worries, past failures, etc. Practice receiving by letting your friend buy your lunch or coffee. Spend 5 minutes noticing everything you have and everything you have received.
Another concept that I like to think about is becoming the future version of yourself. Rachel Hollis talks a lot about this in her podcast episodes on manifesting. I start with visualizing what I want my life to look like and who I want to be, and then work backwards. The person I envision is connected to many people and many types of people. She dresses classy and refined but not overly expensive or flashy. She is fit, but still enjoys food. Her posture is great. She makes people feel seen. She leads big change and is not afraid of her power. Now that I have visualized, how do I become her? I start acting like she would act. In order to have more connection with people, I would need to meet and get to know a variety of different people from a variety of backgrounds. How do I meet them? Go where they go, visit different places around the city, volunteer at places I have never been, try out new things, and explore community spaces. This is a hard one for me. I love to stay home in my pajamas with a book and blankets. But to be the person I want to be, I must get out of my comfort zone. This is where just imagining for manifesting is not enough. You must have the vision, believe the vision, but also do the work. Something I have been working on for about 2 months is not eating out. I know the future version of myself does not eat out. She eats the healthiest, most unprocessed food possible, which is usually made at home with the best, whole ingredients. I am not a millionaire (yet) so I do not have access to a private chef. This means using LOTS of free time for meal prep and cooking. So far, the results have been worth it. I feel better than ever. My face looks less swollen, and I’m sure that means my body has less inflammation. I hope you will spend some time thinking about your future self and what she does in her daily life.
There is so much content out there about manifesting, and I am still learning in this area. If these suggestions serve you, I hope you will try them. If you want to stick with holding crystals and praying to the moon, I support you. Do what makes your heart feel alive.
Some of my crystals, sage for cleansing the space, and palo santo for inviting in goodness.