Have you ever wanted to turn your thoughts and dreams into reality? Apparently you can do that with the simple art of manifestation.
What exactly is it and where did it come from?
Manifestation is basically you thinking you can get whatever you want through sheer willpower. Manifestation probably existed way before our time but is now being practiced by the younger generation as a means to see if they can get what they want. It’s a lot more spiritual than anything we might think.
Did you know that it was born from the idea by occultists like Helena Blavatsky and Thomas Troward in the 19th century? Wild isn’t it?
Inner Workings of Manifestation
Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? Does manifestation actually work?
Well, yes and no.
Just thinking about what you want might not actually make it real. No matter how hard you think about it, if you make no effort in actually lifting a finger in that direction, you’re probably not going to get it.
It is said that when you manifest good things, good things will come to you. Along with this though, comes the Malaysian mentality of saying “see la how.” and “God willing.” There are a lot of ‘pantang larang’ and old wives tales that shape us in manifesting what we believe today.
Like when older generations of Malaysians claim that drinking warm water solves all of our health problems and now whenever we have a stomach ache or a cold, all we have to do is drink warm water and to some extent, it does make us feel better but does it really work or do we believe that it worked?
And what about the other things that you manifest but didn’t work? Like succeeding in something you struggle at? With any person you meet that grew up in the 80s or 90s, their response to their success would be from their hard work, grit and resilience.
I never once heard Dato’ Sri Aliff Syukri or Datuk Seri Vida mention how they manifested their million ringgit empire.
Now I’m not saying it isn’t possible, that visualising something won’t make it happen, but come on, how many times have you built a romance up in your mind only for it to fail miserably before you? Like when you imagine a scenario in your head with a person but after you guys buy a house together, you find out they already have a partner. This is assuming it actually started in the first place. I have quite a number of friends who are still-very-much-so single; I shall blame their lack of manifestation skills for this.
What Does it Do?
Let’s talk about the implications it has on a person.
Say you want to get a job, you keep thinking that you should get a job but you’re not actively looking. What did you think was going to happen? The job you want will suddenly fall into your lap?
Besides the obvious spiritual effort, manifesting is inclusive of labour work too. In this case, the act of thinking about a job is not enough for you to get it, you would also need to send out resumes, go for interviews and all that jazz. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Manifesting can also go both ways. Thinking about bad things constantly also counts as manifesting. Some people believe that thinking that your body has an illness will make you develop the said illness.
When our parents tell us that showering at night will give us pneumonia or other sayings like if we hear ringing in our ears, it means one of our family members is going to die. It sounds far fetched when you think about it although in retrospect, a thought has to be born from something.
But unless your parents are certified doctors, I suggest you get a second opinion and stop making your own conclusions about things the older generations have said, especially really dangerous stuff – it’s not doing you any favours.
With all this being said, manifesting isn’t bad. It’s what you manifest that matters.
But I guess, if you haven’t yet experienced it, what’s the harm in trying, yeah? So you could decide for yourself whether it actually works or not.
How Do I Manifest?
If you want to manifest something, it’s better to do it right, don’t you think? Here are some steps that you could follow to help you get started.
1. Think about what you want.
Before you start anything, think about something that you want. If you are unsure, you could always take some time to reflect and ponder about what it is that you want the most. It’s good to focus on one thing at a time.
2. Develop a plan on how to get there.
Thinking about what you want should also lead to how achievable it is. How long do you think it takes for you to reach your goal? Give yourself a timeframe if it’s something tangible. But if it’s something more related to mental health or feelings, it’s okay to be more flexible in the timing.
3. Put the plan in action.
After thinking about it and planning it out, it’s time for you to put that plan in motion. Don’t be afraid of failure. If you’re focused on what you want, all the obstacles would eventually become background noise to you or just a stepping stone to your success.
4. It’s okay to not get what you want. Reset, try again.
Sometimes, the universe has a different agenda for you and you might not always get what you want but that’s okay. Even being able to complete it halfway is an accomplishment in itself and it would give you an idea to start a new resolution or it gives you a heads up on what went wrong the first time.
In the end, whether or not you choose to pursue your dreams through belief, hard work or a shaman, remember that fate is a web that you spin on your own, and each decision you make will eventually lead you to the path that you were meant to be on.
That being said, what are you manifesting today?
