“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” —Paulo Coelho
Have you ever wished for something passionately and received it, like a dream job or an unexpected visit from a loved one? Have you ever constantly thought about a long lost friend, only to receive a call from them a few days later? Or have you admired a beautiful bag in a showroom, and someone unexpectedly gifts it to you? It may be astounding to believe, but our thoughts influence our reality. Each one of us has the power to create our own reality, and the process of bringing your desires into physical reality is called manifestation. In this article, we will understand the concept of manifestation and affirmations, and learn how to use these practices to manifest your dream life.
Manifestation and Affirmations: What are They?
Manifestation refers to the process of bringing something into reality through focused thought, intention, and belief. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs can shape our experiences and the world around us. By visualising and affirming our desires, we can attract and create the circumstances, opportunities, and outcomes we seek. Manifestation involves techniques such as visualisation, positive affirmations, and maintaining a positive mindset to align oneself with the desired outcome and bring it into existence.
Manifestation is based on the Law of Attraction and positive thinking. Simply put, this means that if you believe you can achieve something, you actually can. Rhonda Byrne popularised this concept in her book ‘The Secret’, which talks about the principles of manifestation, and how you can use it in life.
One of the most popular and effective manifestation practices is using affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that are repeated regularly to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. They are used to encourage and inspire oneself, fostering a positive mindset and reinforcing beliefs in one’s abilities and potential. Affirmations can help reprogram the subconscious mind, making it more receptive to positive outcomes and changes. By consistently practising affirmations, individuals can build self-confidence, reduce stress, and enhance their overall well-being. For example, saying “I am confident and capable” or “I attract positive opportunities” are common affirmations used to manifest desired goals and outcomes.
How to Practise Manifestation?
There are different ways to practise manifestation. This is a conscious process that takes time to master. Here are some simple things you can do to get started on your manifestation journey.
1. Gratitude Journaling
This is one of the easiest and most powerful methods to manifest your desires. This involves writing down all the things you’re grateful for. When you focus your energy on all the good things you have, your vibrational frequency increases. This makes it easier for you to keep an optimistic approach, thus attracting more wonderful things in life.
You can do this practice just before you go to sleep, or right before you start your day. Think of 3-5 things that happened during the day that you’re grateful for, and write them in your journal. Revisit your gratitude list at the end of every week. This practice will make you feel really positive, and will help you attract your desires faster.
2. Visualisation
Many people are “visual manifestors,” which means they can manifest easily when they can see their desires in front of them. If you’re a visual person, this practice is especially helpful for manifestation. All you have to do is close your eyes and visualise that your heart’s desires have been fulfilled. Imagine a specific scenario to fully feel all the emotions associated with achieving that goal, such as your first day at your dream job, the look of pride on your parents’ faces after passing an exam you’ve been preparing for, or a trip with your friends and family. When you visualise, tune into the emotions that come up. By practising this regularly, you train your subconscious mind to believe that what you’re visualising is real.
3. Scripting
This is a type of journaling practice in which you write down whatever you want to manifest as if it has already happened. While scripting, keep the following points in mind:
- Write about the end result. You don’t have to go into ‘how’ you have manifested your goal. Think about the final outcome you want, and write about that.
- Write as if you have already achieved that goal. This will cause your brain to believe that you already have the money, the job or the relationships that you want in life!
- Go into as many details as possible. For example, if you’re manifesting success in a new project in your job, write what the project is, who the people around you are, how they’re congratulating you and what you are feeling at that moment.
By doing this practice, you train your subconscious mind to believe that you already have your desires. This will help you match the energy of your desires, and attract what you want into your life.
4. Making a Vision Board
This is a really fun way to bring your manifestations to reality. Depending on your preference, you can make a digital or a physical vision board. For this, you will need pictures of the things you want to achieve. For example, you can put pictures of your dream house, dream vacation, and even the kind of person you want to be. Choose images that make you feel good, and represent your goals in some way. Keep your vision board in a place where you can see it every day. Seeing images of your goals on a daily basis can make you feel motivated and empowered. Making a vision board is a wonderful way to manifest multiple goals.
5. 3-6-9 Manifestation Method
This is an interesting manifestation method that can have a really powerful effect. You have to write down your desires 3 times in the morning, 6 times in the afternoon, and 9 times at night. By writing down your goals repeatedly, you impress them upon your subconscious mind, which helps you direct your attention and focus toward your goals.
6. Positive Affirmations
Pay attention to your self-talk, and you’ll observe that more often than not, it tends to be very discouraging and self-sabotaging in nature. While we have big goals, we don’t necessarily have faith that we’ll be able to achieve them.
Examples of negative self-talk are:
“I don’t think I can ever afford that vacation.”
“So many qualified people have applied for the job. I don’t really have a chance of getting selected.”
“I look so bloated in that dress. I just can’t lose weight.”
Replace these negative statements with positive affirmations as follows:
“I am saving money to go on the vacation that I deserve.”
“I am a qualified, talented, and hardworking person. I am going to get that job.”
“I am working towards my desired physique, and I’m proud of the progress I’m making.”
Even though you may find it difficult to believe these statements initially, keep repeating them every single day. This will help you develop faith in your ability to achieve your goals.
Manifestation vs Affirmations: How are They Different?
| Manifestation | Affirmations |
| 1. Manifestation is the process of bringing your desires to your external reality. It is an umbrella term which includes conscious practices, positive beliefs, and inspired actions you take to attract your dream life. | 1. This is a practice that aims to improve your self-esteem and transform your belief system by repeating positive statements. |
| 2. Manifestation practices include journaling, visualisation and scripting. | 2. Saying affirmations is a specific practice in which you repeat positive statements to yourself in order to reinforce your self-belief. It is a part of manifestation practices. |
| 3. In order to manifest, you need to set a clear intention, have the desired outcome in mind, rewire your thoughts, and take aligned actions towards your goals. | 3. You can use different ways to affirm. You can either do an affirmation meditation, create your own affirmations and repeat them aloud or mentally, or use affirmation apps to prompt your practice. |
| 4. Through manifestation, you can expect to attract specific results related to specific experiences. | 4. Affirmations aim to strengthen your self-belief, fostering personal growth and a positive internal mindset. |
| 5. Here is a manifestation example:Attracting financial abundance by deciding the desired amount of wealth you’d like to attract, applying different manifestation techniques to visualise the desired outcome, and taking active steps to reach your financial goals | 5. Here is an example of affirmations:Boosting your self confidence by repeating positive affirmations such as, “I am worthy of love and happiness.”, “I am smart and knowledgeable.”, “I am confident.” |
Benefits of Manifestation and Affirmation
Practising manifestation and affirmations can have many benefits. Here are some of the prominent benefits of these practices.
- When you actively manifest something, you direct all your focus and energy toward achieving that particular goal, greatly increasing your chances of success.
- Also, because manifestation is based on the power of positive thinking, practising it can also make you feel more optimistic and hopeful.
- Sometimes, we find ourselves playing the victim and operating from an energy of self-pity. Manifestation helps you take charge of your life and thus, it can do wonders to boost your self-confidence.
- There are studies that have shown that when you keep repeating certain things mentally or verbally, your brain considers it true and works according to that. Thus, when you affirm positive statements to yourself every day, your energy shifts, and you start having more faith in your abilities.
- Studies have also shown that positive affirmations help you be more in touch with your physical health. Repeating positive affirmations reduce stress, and they are positively linked with academic achievement.
Can You Manifest with Affirmations?
Yes, manifestation with affirmations is a great way to start your journey down this path. You can start with affirmations that are readily available online or create your own custom affirmations tailored to your goals. Let’s understand this with an example.
Let’s say you’re trying to manifest a well-paying job. First, get very clear on what kind of job you want and what your desired income is. Once you have a clear picture in mind, create 3-5 affirmations related to your goals.
It is best to create the affirmations in the present tense so that you can reprogram your mind into believing that you already have your desired job. Here are some affirmations you could use:
“I am so grateful for my job as a ____ (desired designation) at ____ (name of the company).”
“I absolutely love my job and look forward to work every day.”
“My skills are valued in my workplace.”
“I have very supportive and encouraging colleagues.”
If you find it difficult to believe in these statements initially, don’t worry. Tweak them in a way that suits your needs and repeat them to yourself. It’s a good idea to make this a consistent practice. For best results, say them aloud in front of the mirror soon after you wake up and just before you sleep. When you affirm repeatedly, your mind starts believing it, and you will start attracting opportunities that bring you closer to your goal.
By doing this, you will not only increase your self-confidence but also operate at a higher frequency, which will help you manifest faster.
Manifestation is a very powerful practice that can help you turn your dreams into reality. Make affirmations a part of your daily routine, and you will start noticing positive changes with consistent practice. It is very important to have faith and trust the timing of the universe. If you wish to get started on your manifestation journey, you can get in touch with us at SoulSensei. Our panel of Soul Senseis will guide you. Remember, what you desire is out there, waiting for you. Go out there and manifest it!
Sources
- B., Sharmistha. “Is There a Difference Between Manifestation and Affirmations?” LinkedIn, Sharmistha B., 3 May 2024.
- Gupta, Sanjana. “How to Manifest What You Really Want in Your Life.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 1 Jan. 2024.
- Moore, Catherine. “Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?” PositivePsychology.Com, PositivePsychology.com, 10 July 2024.
- Perry, Elizabeth. “Manifestation Methods: What Is Manifesting, How to Do It and Does It Work?” BetterUp, BetterUp, 17 Feb. 2022.
- Singh, Anjuri Nayar. “Manifestation and Affirmations: Are They the Same or Different?” HealthShots, HealthShots, 7 Mar. 2024.
