Rules of Manifestation: Does it Actually Work?

Feb 28

Manifestation has been a practice for hundreds of years in various formats. To name a few:

Vision boards and notebooks of goals
Speaking things into existence via affirmations, chants, or prayers
Acting as if you’ve already achieved your goal

From an outsider's perspective, manifesting seems like an amazing tool. We love listening to successful CEOs speak about how they manifested their current state. It feels achievable.

But what happens when people manifest and it doesn’t work immediately?

The ugly truths of manifestation

We tend to see people who failed at manifestation as frauds. Even people in the early phases of manifestation (who eventually succeed) are portrayed as a scam. Consider these scenarios:

When someone puts a microphone to their face to pretend like they’re on a podcast, we think it’s a scam.
When an influencer spends beyond their means and gives a wealthy illusion, we think it’s a scam.
When someone running a business out of their basements acts as if it’s a multi-million dollar operation, we think it’s a scam.

So… is manifestation a scam state of make-believe? Did CEOs, “gurus”, and successful manifesters begin as frauds themselves?

It’s impossible to know for sure - many will not admit to the embarrassing parts of their full story.

Three rules for manifestation (without the scam)

Regardless of how others achieved their goals, you can do so in a perfectly healthy way. Here are some tips to help you manifest while remaining humble and grounded.

1. Use manifestation as a goal and habit-building tool

First, I want you to take the idea that you can manifest your way to $1,000,000 and throw it in the trash. Manifestation is simply a tool to help you get there.

Instead, think of manifestation as a way to build extremely productive habits and clearly define your goals.

Close your eyes and envision yourself as a wealthy owner of your dream business. What does this person do every day? How do they dress? What does their product look like in detail?

Visualization is a powerful tool to help you define the steps needed to achieve your end goal. Now that you can see the future, you can clearly establish the habits you must incorporate and the business steps you must take to get there.

Manifest daily by picturing your end state and working hard at the necessary steps and habits. You’ve already drastically increased your odds of winning!

2. Use manifestation to build confidence

Now that you’ve begun your manifestation journey, you can work on “speaking things into existence.” Kind of - you need to be careful of lying. Think of it as solidifying the truths you wish to perpetuate.

If you’re a nervous public speaker who manifested speaking at conferences, you don’t want to tell yourself “I’m an amazing speaker” day one. Instead, try:

“I am taking every step necessary to become an amazing speaker.”
“I am improving my speaking skills every day.”
“At my next speaking engagement, I will deliver a powerful message.”
“I am speaking on important topics to amazing, understanding audiences.”

These are all true statements that you should repeat out loud each day. Use affirmations to overcome your fears and root your beliefs in positive truths.

3. Do not manifest to control people’s actions

If your manifestations revolve around someone else’s behavior, give up on them and adjust. Focus on the things that you can control like this:

Instead of “my dog will stop barking by December,” think “I will recognize everything I can do to stop my dog from barking.”
Instead of “my boss will promote me,” think “I will do everything in my power to get a promotion.”
Instead of “I will get this job I applied for,” think “I will take every step necessary to become the most desirable candidate.”

Or, try focusing on the feeling you want to achieve (rather than the people you will get it from). For instance:

“I will be in a fulfilling relationship by the end of the year.”
“I will be in a career that makes me happy by the end of the year.”
“I will not be stressed by money by the end of the year.”

Why manifesters should be careful of delusion

Remember that many people scammed their way into a seemingly desirable end state, but realistically they will never be fulfilled. They might suffer extreme stress from the false illusion they created, struggle in other areas of their life, or eventually lose their money.

Hard work and truthfulness are rewarded in the long run. Make sure you are manifesting in a way that keeps you honest!

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