Here we go!
1. Give yourself permission to want what you want.
As far as I know, the Universe has not provided us with a rule book that dictates when we deserve to hope for a raise, to make more money or to have the relationship we want. I am pretty sure that such a rule book does not exist. We decide what we deserve. No one else does. So, if you want to open up a glass blowing studio in Costa Rica, don’t wait for someone to tell you that you deserve to want it. I don’t believe that we can be given such a huge capacity to feel and be told not to want. Desire is the reason we do anything. And that’s how we are designed to live.
2. Be really willing to receive.
You might think, “Duh! Of course I want to receive it. I am asking for it, aren’t I?” Truthfully, that does not mean that you are willing to receive it into your life, heart and body. Look for and challenge limiting beliefs that could prevent you from being open to receiving what you desire. One way to accomplish this is by taking your dream all the way to the end, watching a movie of its highest potential in your mind (visualizing yourself living/having it) and seeing how far you allow yourself go in your mind until you start feeling undeserving or uncomfortable. Then look into the “why” and work with that.
3. Be willing to doubt your doubts.
The truth is, the whole Universe is being managed while we are watching TV, shopping, making love and mowing the lawn. There are so many things in the Universe that work perfectly without us doing anything about it. We are not in charge of the weather, the sky, the oceans or earthquakes, yet we are gullible enough to not believe in miracles. The only limit is in our minds. Our conditioned, human minds. Just accepting this idea and reminding yourself of this fact will consistently help you wave away doubts.
4. Pick and choose who you share your dreams with.
There are people out there whose volunteer gig is dream-crushing. For whatever reason, they can’t go beyond their own conditioning of what can or cannot happen in life. If you are the kind of person who needs a lot of encouragement and gets easily affected by others’ negative comments, be very discretionary about who you share your goals, dreams and aspirations with, especially when they are in the gestation period. Protect the soil where you planted the seed for your dreams. Don’t let others’ hang ups about what is possible in life contaminate your vision.
5. Do your best to keep your vibration up.
Here is what’s real about life: we don’t feel happy all the time. Our emotional (vibrational) barometer doesn’t always point to Optimistic. Thankfully, there are many ways to raise your energy. Giving ourselves and others compliments is a sure way to increase our vibration. If you are feeling low on happiness juice, compliment a mother for her baby’s cute outfit at the grocery store or visualize and appreciate a pet you adore. Develop a practice of stating good things that are true about you to yourself (even out loud), such as, “I love my toes. People love homemade lasagna. I am a good friend,” etc. What if it is a rough day and everything seems to be going wrong? Then accept it! Allow yourself to feel as crappy as you already do. Really. The energy of acceptance is much higher than the energy of resistance.
6. Take inspired action.
When it comes to “doing something” to move your dream along, the golden rule is to take inspired (in-spirit-ed) action. Meaning, staying open and alert to messages you receive from the Universe and following that fluttery feeling towards action that feels right. That inspired action sometimes comes as an unexpected nudge to call up a friend from college, who used to be very active in fundraising for nonprofits (if you are looking to start a nonprofit organization, for example). It is nice to have a plan and by any means, utilize plans in any way you can. Just don’t rely solely on your mind to manifest goodness in your life. Your intuitive guidance, when you are open to hearing it, will move you faster than you might imagine.
7. Strive to rise above jealousy.
Feeling jealous of someone’s awesome relationship, promotion or their new beautiful home is natural and human, but the quicker you move past that, the better it is for your manifestation process. When we feel jealous, our energy is invested in the scarcity side of the abundance continuum. It is a lower energy to try to manifest with. If you can, think about how their happiness effects the positive vibration in the Universe. Find some good aspects of them having it. If it seems like they are doing your thing, see that person as someone paving the way for you while making their own mistakes. Learn from them; don’t hate them.
8. Use a mantra to deal with your current less-than-ideal situation.
Remember that the small apartment, the dysfunctional relationship or the physical ailment that might be active in your life right now have helped you give birth to new desires. Now, while you are in it, use mantras to open up your consciousness to possibilities. For instance, if you are at a job where you feel under-appreciated and inadequately compensated, instead of saying “I hate this job,” say, “I prefer to work at a job where my skills are verbally and financially rewarded.” This way, you get to acknowledge the discomfort, but build a more hopeful and open language around it.
9. Trust your soul’s path.
You are free to want what you want, and it does not make you less or more spiritual. Everyone’s goal is to be happy on their journey here. Is someone’s happy you’re happy? Some people want to have five kids and devote their life to their family. They are perfectly happy and fulfilled that way. Some people are destined to make a name for themselves by sharing who they are. We don’t know what anyone’s soul plan is and what they are here to learn. Consider and even make peace with the idea that marrying a doctor or buying a summer house in the Hamptons may not be in your soul’s plan. Keep this in mind and still want what you want. Wanting something and being attached to it are not the same thing. Practice trusting the bigger plan.
10. Do your inner work.
Our core beliefs are like the gateway to our experience of life. Many beliefs are formed when we are too young to have the experience base to know or judge if those beliefs are facts. We didn’t have a choice in the matter as we were growing up. But now as adults, we have the power to upgrade our belief system, and thus, change our lives for the better. Look for outdated, limiting beliefs in an area of life where you could use an upgrade. Pay attention to your judgments. Especially about things like happy couples, rich people, skinny women, etc. Your awareness of your judgments will lead you to what your subconscious is holding. Challenge and clear up these outdated beliefs that you find. We all deserve to feel good and manifest good things that make our path easier, smoother and more enjoyable. We are here to co-create with the Universe. We cannot control everything, but we can develop new perspectives that help the process to move along faster. Happy manifesting! Featured photo credit: Dreaming by Moyer Brenn via flickr.com
