A Practice Of Clarity and Trust: A Simple Approach to Manifestation

I share below my experience so far with manifesting a life I love and enjoy, as well as a simple practice I was introduced to and would love to explore.

I remember being so drawn to the Law of Attraction back in 2017 and trying my best to “manifest” the life of my dreams. Doing the vision boards, saying the affirmations, doing visualisation practices.

Six years later, I wonder if any of those dreams have been actualised.

I reflect on what I wanted back then, 21 years of age, feeling as old as time but also like a baby who hasn’t yet learnt to walk. It was a confusing and paradoxical time of my life. Still is. And perhaps this will continue for the rest of my life.

Truth is, I struggle with actualising dreams, goals, visions and ideas. I have many ideas. Many. And I seem to go through a grieving process when I arrive at a place where I realise the most recent idea has not manifested, or doesn't seem to be. I’ve almost created a PTSD experience for myself, as these days I have a lot of doubts on whether or not I’ll ever be able to live a life that feels authentic for me.

Not to say that any of my experiences have not born fruit, or that it’s all been a waste. Not at all; my whole life up until this point has been a gift (even if at times I question this). Just that it can feel disheartening when something I feel excited and inspired about doesn’t gain enough traction for me to experience it in my physical world - a lot of my dreams are experienced internally and is usually invisible to those around me.

Something has landed on my plate though, something I’m very keen to explore. A new approach to creating a life we feel inspired about; a life that is rich with vitality, even through the challenges. Perhaps even because of the challenges.

I had a session with one of my mentors recently, and she mentioned a practice she engages with when it comes to attracting opportunities for her to manifest a life that brings her joy. I’m excited to explore it for myself, and I’ll tell you why in a moment.

A Manifestation Practice

(Please note: this is my take on the practice. The way you integrate this into your life could look very different, even in different parts of your journey).

My mentor mentions you first need to clarify and decide what it is you want. Get clear on what is it you’re wanting to create and experience.

Yes, vision boards can help with this.

Or a simple solo walk or self-reflection through journaling or meditating.

The next part of the process is to see yourself in in the place of having already attained what it is you’re calling in. Feel the joy, gratitude, relief, hope, peace of that moment.

You may wish to do this in meditation, or just simply closing your eyes and visualising the moment. Or perhaps in a calm place, like a bath or in the morning having just woken up.

Next, feel the trust that it’ll happen. That one way or another, in whatever form it needs to be to serve your path, this vision will happen.

You may wish to explore what this means for you; what the sensation of trust feels like in your body; what state your mind is in this place of having faith. Lean into this.

The next part is probably the hardest for many people (it definitely is for me): release the dream.

Note, I didn’t say release the ‘hope’ - I said release the ‘dream’.

Learning to release our dreams creates space for that dream to sprout, take root and to grow. It gives it air to breathe and come to life. It may seem counterintuitive, but it becomes part of the practice, and sometimes a vital part as we can sometimes hold on (and risk it being crushed) due to fear and anxiety that if we let go, it’ll never happen.

The final part of the practice is to listen. Listen out for signs, messages, opportunities that can help you on the path of feeding this vision of yours.

Manifestation practice is a dance; we need to pay attention to what is happening so we can respond appropriately for what arises in any given moment. This allows us to move with more fluidity, while also keeping the form to help keep us anchored to our needs and feelings - which are great compasses for what steps to take next.

More on my experience with manifesting a life I love

For some reason, hearing about this process again has my mind whirling. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of it, and yet, something clicked for me this time.

To put it bluntly: my approach to creating a life I love and enjoy hasn’t been working. Maybe it’s to do with the rigidity I sometimes have with making sure ‘it all works out’, or the stress of being so lost in logistics draining the joy and inspiration from the experience. Whichever it is, I feel ready to try something different.

As I mentioned, releasing my hold on any ideas or dreams is a difficult practice for me. Mostly because I’ve deep anxiety present in my life (in the process of exploring the root cause of this) that can result in me wanting to hold on, or ‘have control’ of the situation, fearing that if I don’t do either of these the idea won’t happen.

What I’ve come to experience over and over again is how this suffocates the creation process. It’s basically like planting a seed into the ground, and in the (genuine and well-intentioned) hope that it will grow you give it water, fertiliser, heat and air all at once, thinking perhaps the more it has of what it needs, the more likely it’ll grow.

Well, I’ve come to realise that sometimes seeds need darkness, or they need an intense drop in temperature, or they need to only be watered every few days. Most of all, these seeds need my attention and observation more than it needs more water or other inputs. Because this will allow me to notice what it actually needs in any given moment.

This is what this practice is offering me: an opportunity to lean into awareness and observation. To tend with care and attention, while also practicing trusting that the seed in itself has the ability to grow and prosper. And if it doesn’t happen, that there’s a multitude of reasons why (and that I can learn to continue moving forward with my life). To learn from the experience may be more fruitful than trying to make it happen over and over again, and in the process may drain me of my resources and energy.

But then again, everyone’s process is different. I may read this post 5 years from now and have a completely different experience. Hence, the intention to explore the practice.

This post is an invitation for practice. You are more than welcome to decline and to continue exploring life in your own way and to take or leave what resonated with you in this post. Maybe you received an insight from disagreeing with a comment I made - listen to what feels true for you.

I wish you well on your journey. May you receive all the wisdom and support you need.