From Manifestation To Mindset

From Manifestation to Mindset: Is Manifestation a Bad Word?

I’ve been rethinking my use of the word manifestation for a while. I’ve know for a long time that the definitions are multiple and diverse. The formula I was taught consists of clearly stating what you want and repeating it in order to get your subconscious working on finding a path to that end. But it also requires acting on opportunity and keeping an open mind. It requires one to work towards their goal but at the same time being open to unexpected, and sometimes unexplainable, twists that get you there faster than you thought. So when that lead shows up you have to take it.

What I don’t believe in is repeating a phrase over and over hoping what you want magically drops out of the sky. If this does work, I hope people are asking for money and not a grand piano. Or an anvil. Anyone else watch The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Show Saturday mornings?

Maybe I’m The Problem

But recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Kara Lownthiel’s Unfuck Your Brain podcasts. I love listening to this woman. So, I headed over to her site where she states how her coaching works and adds that it isn’t ‘some manifestation, law of attraction bullshit...’  I laughed out loud. Was I offended? Absolutely not. I’d love to have coffee with this lady. Moreover, I totally got it. Manifestation has a ‘woo-woo’ do-this-and-that-will-happen vibe to it. As well, it is often touted as  a way to get something tangible, material. That’s not what that is to me. Or at least it’s not just that.

So Kara set me thinking about my use of the word. Am I really talking manifestation? Or am I talking more about visualization, a positive attitude, a clear goal, a plan and hard work? Maybe the ‘manifesting’ is the faith that fate will meet you half way. And it usually does. Maybe, to me, it means knowing precisely what you want to achieve and psyching yourself up to reach it. Maybe I’m the problem. Or at least the one who needs to find another word. As a writer, I can be insanely picky about finding the right word.

Goals are for Hockey

I’m not really fond of the word goal. It’s been overused. It seems to have so much hype attached to it. Reaching your goals, setting goals, meeting goals, 10x-ing your goals, crushing your goals. I hear the word goal and the image of a YouTube video featuring a former marine turned author talking about getting up at 5 a.m. and thinking like a psychopath, springs to mind. And I’m just turned off. Besides, I’m from a hockey town and the word goal has more to do with  more with a scoring than reaching.

And sometimes it’s not even about reaching a goal in the sense of  getting something or progressing to somewhere. It’s just having a new outlook or a different attitude. The way I use manifestation wasn’t always about reaching a goal. Sometimes, it was changing how I felt. I’ve used the technique to get over failures and bad work fallouts and even breakups. Nothing on the outside changed, but I reset in order to be different.

Mindset

I thought maybe mindset would be a better word. Because when I talk about manifestation what I’m really talking about is how to go about getting into the proper mindset. How to clearly define what you want. How to remind yourself, and your subconscious that this is what you want or how you want to be.

In fact I think maybe mindset would be a good word because on one hand you’re doing the work: getting clear on what it is you want, taking steps to get there, embracing the fear and taking chances. And on the other hand you’re having faith in that intangible mechanism that seems to meet you halfway.

You can call it fate, the universe, God, the collective unconscious, divine mind. It doesn’t matter. When you get into that mindset you are not only prepping yourself but also prepping that other energy.

Maybe it’s completely self contained. It’s just you telling your subconscious to always be on the lookout for ways to reach achieve what you want. when we are primed to look for something we see it

Maybe what’s happening is opportunity is being created. I didn’t think you could actually create opportunity. But after reading this online, yes you can. Or at least, really up your chances. And when you are in the right mindset and doing the work, you will connect with opportunity.

So, in 2021, I’m gonna drop manifestation in favor of the word mindset. Because really with the right mindset you can achieve anything.

Photo by Kenny Gaines on Unsplash

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