Manifest..........Magically

The beauty and the challenge in writing about manifesting what you need and want is that there is an overwhelming amount of information on this topic. Everywhere I turn these days I am brought face to face with the buzzwords of Universal Laws, co-creation, vibrational frequency, intention, abundance, prosperity mentality, gratitude and appreciation. Despite all the available information, I’m not seeing many people around me creating great prosperity, whether that be wealth, health, relationships, work or leisure. So, if these Laws are Universal, applying exactly the same every time, why do results appear to be so varied? Why aren’t the results predictable and consistent? What really works and what doesn’t?
Ask anyone who’s known me for more than say…5 minutes, I ask a lot of questions! I’ve never accepted things at face value. As a kid I remember hearing the phrase “seeing is believing”, as I’m sure many of you did. In other words, if you couldn’t see it, touch it, taste it, smell it…..it wasn’t real. On the other hand, being raised Catholic, I was also told to believe in a lot of things that I couldn’t see, touch, taste or smell, such as God, the devil, Heaven, Hell, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. My questions regarding these seemingly contradictory messages were never adequately answered by the adults in my life. So eventually, I stopped asking questions the adults seemed unwilling or unable to answer, and decided to believe in those things that would get me some immediate pay-off: Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Being more analytical and left-brained, I spent most of my life in the “seeing is believing” category. “Prove it” was my general modus operandi. While holding on to my belief in God (just in case) I was generally skeptical of anything overtly religious, spiritual or “unseen”. Even as a graduate student in Social Work, I steered away from courses in psychotherapy, with its guided imagery, psychodrama and endless self reflection. I much preferred to work with “real” issues of poverty, abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and women’s rights. These were things I could definitely see, touch and work at to make a difference in people’s lives.
In my late 30’s, I began to shift my interest and focus away from that “real” world into the “unreal” world of spirituality and metaphysics. Perhaps it would more accurate to say that Spirit led me kicking and screaming into a world I had previously scorned. Who would guess that I would eventually become an Ordained Minister, psychotherapist, energy worker and teacher of spiritual and metaphysical topics? After nearly 20 years on this path, I like to think that I have finally shifted from that place of “seeing is believing” to a place of “believing is seeing”. In other words, if I can believe it, then I can see the evidence of it in physical world. I can finally say with certainty, that when I keep my attention and focus on what I want rather than what I don’t want, I can create it in my life. I believe, then I see.
So, how have I made this shift from skeptical to certain? It hasn’t been a quick or easy road for me, probably because at some level, I still need “proof”. Over the years I have had both great success and have fallen flat on my face. I have witnessed clients do the same, celebrating with them over the successes and applying the “correct and continue” adage when they didn’t. What I have come to realize is this: “practicing” the Law of Attraction is like practicing to breathe. You are breathing in every moment whether you are consciously aware of it or not. Similarly, you are “practicing” the Law of Attraction in every moment, whether you are aware of it or not. You are manifesting, constantly and consistently with your every thought. The only question then is, “what are your thoughts and what are you manifesting?”
My first undeniable experience in how this works took place 5 years ago, in October of 2004. I had decided it was time to find a space to open a holistic healing center and had begun looking at potential properties with my partner, Lisa. We were knee deep in conversations about location, square footage, cost, etc., trying to make a decision between three places, none of which were exactly what we wanted. That same week, I happened to be on a call with my coach from the Seminary of Spiritual Peacemaking and was talking to her about our need to make a decision. She had me stop, close my eyes, connect with my heart, and let go of all of the nuts and bolts details. She invited me to FEEL what it would be like when our center was filled with people, excitement and great energy. Once I could feel that, she told me to hold that feeling as much as possible over the coming weeks. Less than 2 weeks later, on her way apple picking with her husband, Lisa notices a FOR RENT sign outside a building that turned out to be exactly what we wanted, and which has been the home for Spirit Matters for over 4 years now. I was blown away, hooked on the idea of manifesting and the importance of “feeling as if” in that process.
So, let’s get back to the “practicing” analogy. Just as you can choose to breathe in stale, polluted air or fresh, clean air by changing your position or direction, so can you choose to attract higher or lower vibrating energies by changing your point of focus. You’re going to be breathing, either way. You’re going to be attracting, either way. Which air you’re going to breath, or which “reality”you are going to create depends entirely on where you decide to focus your attention….constantly and consistently. Whether your attention is on what you want or what you don’t want, you will receive exactly that. So then, the Law does work every time. The only variable is where you are focusing your thoughts. You can’t harvest corn if you’ve planted wheat. Similarly, you can’t grow abundance if you plant seeds of lack. Your mind is like the fertile soil of a garden; you will sow what exactly what you reap.
There is another extremely important aspect to this process of manifestation. It is the ‘X’ factor, which cranks up the volume on our ability to manifest that which we truly desire. This “X” factor is the feeling state that I referred to in my previous example; a state that is created in the physical body when you put yourself into the vision of what you want as though it is already present, and allow yourself to feel what it feels like that have, be or do that which you desire. This is critical because of the two different types of energy in our mind/body: electrical and magnetic. Our thoughts are electrical, our emotions are magnetic. Being magnetic, our emotions have a greater “attraction factor” than our thoughts. This explains why simply doing affirmations may not reap us the desired results. We may be saying the right words, but we may have a stronger emotional energy attached to old beliefs of lack, unworthiness, struggle or selfishness, to name a few. Because we are often unaware of these limiting beliefs, we do not know that they are impeding our ability to manifest, despite our best efforts. Because the feelings have more pull, we may end up frustrated, finally giving up on our attempts to be the co-creators of our lives. Developing an awareness of, and finding ways to release these beliefs is crucial to clearing our manifesting channels.
In closing, here are what I believe to be the most important elements to successful manifesting:
1.Get clear on what you want to be, do and have and then create positive intentions. If you are having difficulty deciding on what you want, make a list of what you don’t want and then turn it around!
2. Visualize and experience a clear mental picture. Be in your picture, seeing, hearing and feeling everything as if you have already achieved your goal. Create the emotion of the moment in your body.
3.Relax and fully expect to receive what you have “ordered”, just as if you’d placed your order at a wonderful restaurant. Don’t worry about “how” it will be cooked up and delivered; leave that up to The Universe.
4.Develop awareness of any unconscious limiting beliefs that are sabotaging your ability to create the life of your dreams. Utilize processes such as Emotional Freedom Technique or The Work to release these limiting beliefs and clear the way for manifesting.
5. Express gratitude for everything in your life as often as possible, at least once a day.
I am certain that if you follow these guidelines consistently you will begin to experience wonderful things in your life. Many blessings on your manifesting success!