Manifesting goes mainstream
Hello Wonderful Readers!
This week, we all heaved a great sigh of relief as the United States welcomed compassionate, competent leaders who seem to actually give a shit about humanity.
And Bernie memes. Keep em up, good people of the internet!
For real, tho - raise your hand if you can get down with this sentiment:
Also this week, my New York Times app suggested an article about manifesting (they know me so well). I was instantly drawn to the clever title, “Manifesting, for the Rest of Us” and the image of hands lighting a red candle.
A Seinfeld reference on top of a witchcraft reference? Baby, I am here for it.
The article talks about manifesting, the law of attraction, and The Secret, which is cheesy but still kind of worth reading.
I’ll admit, I was tickled to see such a woo topic, even after seeing real evidence of its effect, in an esteemed publication like The Times.
Personally, I started practicing manifesting about four years ago, right around the beginning of the Trump administration. I was recovering from a severe depressive episode, one that caused me to move back home with my parents for a few months because I was unable to write, work, or otherwise take care of myself.
The idea that I had the power to create the life I wanted was especially appealing at a time when I felt a complete lack of control. That I could attract positive changes by raising my own vibration, and good things would come if I could open my mind and heart to receiving them sounded like a welcome change from lying face-down in a hole I’d dug myself into.
So, I started practicing manifesting and never looked back.
Since that time, I’ve manifested:
My running coach, Jenn Shelton, one of my personal sheros
A running sponsorship from Hammer Nutrition
My husband
My first house
Cash to pay for said house
I’d even say I manifested race times. On two occasions, I finished ultramarathons in the exact time I held in my mind throughout the race. One was Siskiyou Outback 50k, which I finished in 5:38 (30 mins faster than my previous 50k record) and the other was Waldo 100k, which I finished in 14 and a half hours.
On both occasions, I focused hard on the number but never shared it with anyone else.
Of course, every one of these manifestations involved a lot more work on my part than simply wishing for it. Finishing any ultra requires months of commitment to daily practice. Buying a house is one of the most complicated processes I’ve ever taken part in. Even something as basic as sponsorship involved time and effort.
But all that work felt so much more meaningful when I knew it was moving me closer to a vision I’d been focusing on for hours, days, or months.
Manifesting also helped me get crystal clear on what I wanted. When you know what you want, you don’t waste time pursuing things that aren’t that.
The key is not only to speak or write down what you want but to imagine the experience of having it.
For example, when Jason and I were talking about buying a house, I would write down or say out loud, “I’m so happy and grateful we found the house of our dreams with enough land to have two dog yards and a large garden and we’re within a day’s drive of my family in New Jersey.” I did this every day for almost six months, getting so clear on what I wanted that I knew the first house we made an offer on wasn’t it.
But the day I pulled the plug on that house, my husband sent me a link to the one I’m standing in right now. It was perfect and now it has three big fenced-in areas, two for dogs and one for my garden.
Another benefit is that manifesting encourages you to keep your vibe high. Saying you’re happy and grateful and open to receiving all the blessings of the universe won’t work if you’re really focused on something that makes you feel like shit.
This past year, it’s been challenging to maintain any degree of positivity. Just a quick glance at the headlines or social media feed can feel like an assault on the psyche.
Even without doom scrolling, the air’s been abuzz with fear, rage, and a very real threat to our lives.
This brings me to another interesting point this article makes:
The law of attraction is tainted as well by an undercurrent of racism, one obvious enough to have spawned its own meme, “Maybe you manifested. Maybe it’s white privilege.”
I’ll admit that a lot of what I have came easily to me because I’m a white, cisgender woman from an upper-middle-class family. I know it’s not enough for me to simply acknowledge this and be on my way, so one thing I make sure to do is support businesses, creatives, and entrepreneurs who face layers of discrimination I’ll never experience.
That being said, the law of attraction does impart a message of personal responsibility that can come off as shaming. Basically, it says that if you’re not as happy, healthy, wealthy, or beautiful as you want to be, it’s because that’s the reality you created for yourself.
Let’s just say “fuck that” for a moment and try to see this another way.
I think the more significant message is empowerment. I think believing you have the ability to influence your own reality, whether that means changing your environment or just getting a Power Ranger toy you really want, is a force in and of itself.
And, honestly, having faith in that belief is the hardest part.
I could go on forever, but I’ll leave you here.
What do you think about all this? If you know any tips or tricks to manifesting, please share them by replying to this email.
Until next time, loves!
xoxoxo
Lauren