THE 3 BIGGEST MANIFESTING MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”
Manifesting. It’s such a magical word, isn’t it? It sounds so effortless - you think a lot about something you want and it just appears, right? Wrong. Contrary to popular belief manifesting is not magic and it does actually require a bit of work. If your dreams are still just that and they haven’t materialised in to something a little more tangible, it could be that you’re making some common mistakes.
First of all, let’s talk about what manifesting is not. Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 movie, The Secret, and subsequent book of the same name have given manifesting a bit of a bad reputation among the wider (cynical) community. The two are linked but are not the same thing. The Secret focusses solely on the Law of Attraction which, in my view, is only one area of manifesting (we’ll come to this later).
Enjoying this post? Check out my colourful alter-ego, Chromagik for all the lowdown on manifesting with the power of colour!
The dictionary definition of the verb manifest is ‘to make clear or evident to the eye or the understanding; show plainly.’ Essentially you are bringing in to being that which you think about. But manifesting is not simply wishing or hoping for something, and here’s why: when you wish for something you’re ultimately saying that you don’t already have it. That automatically puts you in a lack mindset. Now, if you’re new to all this I should point out here that the Universe only gives us more of what we think about, so if you’re always thinking things like ‘I don’t have enough money,’ you’re amplifying that belief.
“What manifesting does is align your body, mind and spirit, reframing your negative thoughts in to positive ones to empower you to take action towards your goals, rather than away from the things you don’t want.”
Alarmingly, 90% of the thoughts you have each day are the same as the ones you had yesterday and even more shocking is that around 85% of these are negative. By spending most of your time thinking about what you don’t want the body reacts accordingly, keeping you in fear mode. This is a low vibration state of being and, as the saying goes, like attracts like so you’re only going to attract more low vibe energy.
What manifesting does is align your body, mind and spirit, reframing your negative thoughts in to positive ones to empower you to take action towards your goals, rather than away from the things you don’t want. Another example of low vibe thinking is if you’re constantly bemoaning the fact that you only seem to date weirdos, guess what? You’re sending out that message to the Universe so that’s what you keep getting. Flip it to say things like ‘I can’t wait to meet someone who is loving and respectful’ and see what happens. It lets the Universe know that you’re open to it.
If you are thinking positive thoughts and keeping your frequency at a high vibration but are still not seeing results it could be that you’re making one or all of these three big manifesting mistakes.
1. INCONSISTENCY
As is the case with anything you want to get good at, consistency is key. If you’re not spending at least 10-15 minutes a day focussing on what you want to manifest then it ain’t gonna happen. By making it a daily practice you’re sending out the message that you’re serious about reaching your goal. However, doing a regular meditation practice and visualising want you want is only part of the process. In order to manifest successfully not only do you need to see it, but you need to feel it and believe it too.
Using pink hues, especially in the bedroom, can increase compassion and feelings of love. Ataraxia II & III, acrylic on canvas.
Being able to really feel what it will be like to drive your dream car, walk through the door of your fantasy house by the sea or be in the arms of your soul mate is crucial.
This is where art can be a great tool for manifesting. Colour stimulates your emotions and senses, it really helps you to embody the feeling of what you’re trying to materialise. Let’s use the dream house scenario. Surrounding yourself with the colour blue so that you see it every day can really help you to feel what it would be like to live by the sea. You’ll find it easier to envisage the view from your infinity pool, you’ll be able to hear the waves crashing on the shore or the seagulls circling above and smell the salty air when looking at an abstract painting with blue tones because your mind will begin to associate it with your dream.
If you want to bring love in to your life keep a piece of art in pink hues in your bedroom. Pink is the colour of compassion so in order to attract love, you first have to be it so you can operate at the correct frequency. Mindfully meditating with art allows you to stay in the present and focus on your emotions.
2. ONLY FOCUSSING ON THE END GOAL
This is one way to get seriously discouraged. Of course you have to know what you’re aiming at but if you only focus on the outcome you’re probably going to fail. Writing that bestseller or winning the Oscar can begin to seem unachievable if you are only thinking about the end goal but if you can break it down into practical steps you’re much more likely to to succeed. Again, visualisation is key. You have to imagine yourself sitting at your laptop writing, or taking the acting classes.
A lot of people suffer from ‘I’ll be happy when...’ syndrome, believing that they will only be happy once. they have accomplished their goal. Picturing each step of the journey towards it removes self-doubt, fear and limiting beliefs because you’re breaking it down in to manageable chunks. What this does in take the onus off the outcome so that you can enjoy the pursuit of your dream and you’ll find you’ll be more motivated to keep pushing forward.
3. NOT TAKING ACTION
This is where so many people slip up. As I mentioned earlier, the common misconception with manifesting and the Law of Attraction is that you just have to think about your dream and it will magically happen. Yes, consistently thinking about what you want to manifest is essential but here’s the rub: you do actually have to do something! Otherwise it really is just a dream.
I like the satnav analogy for this bit. Basically, you can set the destination but you still have to drive the car! This is how the Law of Attraction really works, by taking aligned action. I have come up with a handy way to remember this:
Align Thoughts Take Real ACTION
Good huh? When you align your thoughts and intentions (mind) with the right action (body) you set a course that is easier to navigate and are less likely to get lost. You’ve already visualised the steps you need to take so now all you’ve got to do is get moving. A word of warning though. One other little thing that can hinder our chances of manifesting is impatience. When you’ve been aligning your thoughts and taking action but nothing seems to be happening you can get caught up in what Gabby Bernstein calls ‘manic manifesting’.
If you start getting anxious about when your manifestations are going to start showing up you risk sinking back in to desperation and lack and spiralling in to negative states of mind which, as you now know, are not cool with the Universe.
It’s important to remember that everything happens when it’s supposed to and there is no time limit. All you need to remember is that manifestation precedes desire, meaning that what you want is on its way, otherwise you wouldn’t want it.
Create your own magic.
Kx