Manifestation for Real-life

I am very critical of manifestation, at least, of the current of manifestation that says that all you need to do is having pretty and positive thoughts all the time, and that when things go wrong in your life, it must be because you're "vibing low" or not having the "correct" thoughts.

Well, it's a bit difficult to have the "correct" thoughts when one doesn't know where the next meal is going to come from or how are they going to keep the lights on. Or after you come home from your third job only to find an empty pantry, and that is if you are lucky, considering that there are people out there who are being bombarded in their homes.

I believe that manifestation (in a much more grounded way) is possible, but I also believe that it is privileged. It requires a change of attitude, a consistency between one's goals and actions, that are not always available or easy in certain situations. It is much easier to be in a place to manifest when your main needs are taken care of, when you feel secure and grounded.

The Danger of Loveandlight-y Manifestation

Loveandlight-y manifestation is what I call to the idea that wanting things very hard makes them happen, and if they are not happening, you are not wanting them hard enough, or you are thinking negative thoughts, or you are not repeating your affirmations with enough faith.

I find this unrealistic, outrageous and also, very unkind and unempathetic with the reality of people that are not living a middle-class life at worst. It places the blame on people who are doing their best while it ignores location, culture, systemic oppression and other disadvantages. This is not just unfair to people in realities that we may not share, but also paints a picture of what manifestation is that is supernatural, cheesy and even downright childish.

This current of manifestation is pretty dangerous because it can lead to losing touch with reality and also, it can aggrandize accomplishments that have more to do with one's base circumstances than with any positive thinking. It can also lead to great frustration and to being blamed when things are not going as they're supposed to.

Manifestating requires direction, consistency and effort, and having the basics of life figured out definitely helps materialize things. It is not impossible to change one's mindset when the basics are not covered, but it is going to be waaaay more difficult to do so when you have immediate, pressing concerns as opposed to having a safety net.

Manifestation Tips for Real-Life

It is true that having an optimistic outlook in life and shifting one's focus from what's going wrong to what's going right can be a tremendous help, and simply by doing that we are going to be much more aware of other opportunities and we are going to open the doors for things to happen. With that said, and while it can help on every level, when you're trying not to be blown to pieces along with your house and family, probably you're not going to be thinking positive thoughts, because your main thought is survival. When you get home to that empty pantry after working your third job, probably the sensation of hunger is going to be louder than your optimism.

Surely, our mind is trained to perceive what we think about. If we are thinking about being trapped, we will be much more aware of the chains and walls. If we are thinking about freedom, we will be more aware of potential escapes. Sometimes, though, the thought is not even entrapment or freedom, the thought can be imminent anihilation, or eviction notice or foreclosure. So big, so immediate, that it cancels out other possibilities.

The point that I intend to make with this is that there needs to be a realism and a sense of kindness when dealing with manifestation, as well as an awareness of being in a position that is privileged enough that allows for one to even have the mental bandwidth to stop and consider a shift of mindset.

The Mindset Shift

Now that we have concluded that you (hopefully) are in a situation to do this, let's talk about that mindset shift.

The mindset shift that's necessary to begin to create changes is, first, believing that such change is plausible. Thinking very hard that you're going to wake up a millionaire tomorrow is a lovely creative exercise, but it is hard to believe. When you are used to struggling financially and have been for years, it is hard to truly believe that the struggle will end. Maybe, the thing that you can somewhat realisitically see as an improvement is having three nutritious meals a day instead of watered down concentrate juice and a pack of ramen noodles. Having your focus set on "three nutritious meals" makes it more likely that you'll notice the opportunities to improve your nutrition, because your focus has shifted from the restriction of "what's the point in looking anyway?" and you may notice that there are some discounted tomatoes, or you'll be more open to accept your friend's invitation for lunch.

Through becoming aware of options and opportunities, we become more flexible, and more likely to see even more options. We gain awareness of the multiple ways in which something can happen that are not necessarily the obvious way, and a shift in mindset happens.

Actions-goal Alignment

What I call the actions-goal alignment is another important step. This is not necessarily the whole "behave as if you already had it" because that feels that we are lying to ourselves and we are too old to buy that. But, changing that for behaving as the person that has what you want can look like a merely semantic change, and yet, is way more powerful.

What I mean by this is entering the headspace of "How would a person that is in the situation that I want to be in behave?"

For instance, a person that is in a satisfactory, happy, healthy and committed relationship, would probably not be waiting for their ex to call. Or would not be holding on to someone who doesn't text back. A person in a satisfactory, happy, healthy and committed relationship doesn't have anything less than mutual interest, mutual feelings and joint plans for the future. So, in order to align goals and actions, to get into a satisfactory relationship it is key to stop entertaining draining, uncertain and tumultuous relationships.

A person that has healthy finances probably has their bills in auto-pay. Let's not look at the shopping sprees and the trips to Bali and Maldives, which is what gets all the attention in manifestation techniques. When you have your finances together, you are probably over shopping sprees already because you know that you can have that, so the want is not as intense. What is prioritized is comfort. Probably aiming to have your phone bill in auto-pay is going to do more to help you truly behave as if than imagining yourself rolling on a bed covered with hundred-dollar bills, simply because it is more realistic and feasible, and once you get into the mindset, it is easier to see what else can be done from there and to replicate past successes.

In a nutshell, make sure that your actions are consistent with the goals that you are trying to achieve. No amount of visualization, affirmation and thinking pretty thoughts are going to change anything if action doesn't follow through.

What you do >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What you think. Simple as that.

Give Yourself a Chance to Win

You can write checks from the Bank of The Universe for a hundred megazillion dollars all that you want, but chances are that they are not going to be cashed in the Bank of Reality, in the branch of Pay Your Landlord in Time or Else. However, when you give yourself a goal that is actually achievable and hard to miss, you will give yourself a chance at feeling that you are able to achieve what you desire, and that will set into motion a series of other factors that can create lasting change.

So, instead of writing a check from The Universe that says "My (two weeks old) business makes 10.000 a week", you can begin with "I am going to make $50 this week with this new side project that I have just started" and then you focus all your intent AND action in making that happen. And when that happens, you challenge yourself to aim higher, while still within realism. Progressively you do things, you create habits, you build connections and it is easier to access opportunities that were not available before.

It's Not Magical Thinking, It's Consistency

Manifestation, at least manifestation for real life, pushes yourself to do a great deal of thinking (not always pretty thoughts) and makes you self-aware. Not aware of whether or not you are thinking "damn, paying that electric bill stung!" because scarcity whatever, but aware of whether or not staying in a situationship with a dude who texts you back once every ten days is actually going to put you any closer to being in the relationship that you dream about.

It makes you wonder "What am I doing that is not consistent with the life that I want to live?" and, when you have an answer to that, it makes you wonder "What can I replace this with that actually helps me get closer to my goals?" until, progressively, the room for inconsistencies is more and more limited, and your actions favour your goals simply because they are aligned.

And the best thing about manifestation for real life is that you can still think "F*** MY ACTUAL LIFE!!!!!" from time to time, and it won't set you back.