I’ll never forget the first time I heard the word ‘manifestation.’ It was shortly after the book, The Secret was published. A friend of mine gave it to me as a gift. I think it’s still collecting dust on my bookshelf.

Shhhhh….don’t tell her.

I had good reason for not cracking the spine, but instead tucking it away. It was the whole premise that there was this ‘secret’ to getting everything you wanted in life. And if you weren’t experiencing that already you were missing something.

• Your thoughts were off.
• Your intentions weren’t right.
• You didn’t write it down daily.
• You didn’t meditate enough.
• You lacked gratitude.
• You forgot to do a vision board.
• You weren’t specific enough with what you wanted.

You catch my drift, right?

Here’s the thing with rhetoric that implies you’re missing something, or you’re not doing it right—it creates a fix-it culture. Meaning people buy into the belief that something is wrong with them. That they aren’t enough. The old adage that there is a right and wrong way to live. 

And if there is anything 2020 has taught me it’s that we spend so much time seeking outside counsel on an inside job. Cha-ching billion dollar self-help industry. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to getting support. I’m opposed to creating the demand for needing it. Playing off people’s deepest desires to sell them something they don’t actually need.

Selling the belief that if you apply these manifestation tools you’ll create a life full of abundance. But without them you’ll stay on the struggle bus. And while manifestation tools might work for some people, it’s not guaranteed to work for everyone.

So, I’m calling bullshit!! 

Why? 

Because you don’t need to subscribe to all the manifesting tools to live a life full of abundance. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Everyone is different. Making their journey different. So, if you’ve tried every manifesting technique, but nothing seems to work; perhaps it’s not you that’s the problem. What if it’s the technique?

I like blaming the technique!! It implies that you are perfectly whole exactly as you are right now. And that not every tool or technique that someone claims as your savior is the answer.

That’s why I want to offer you another perspective to creating your dream life full of abundance. If it resonates with you, great. If not, that’s cool too. 

So let’s dive in, shall we?

Here’s four things I believe about creating a life full of abundance: 

1. You Don’t Need ‘Manifestation’ Techniques to Experience Abundance

Contrary to popular belief you don’t need to adopt the trendy manifestation techniques to experience a life full of abundance. Prior to 2018, ‘manifestation’ was a blip in my memory from when I received The Secret as a gift. Up until now, I feel like I live a pretty extraordinary life. And I don’t write in a journal, or create vision boards. Heck, I’m not even that specific with my goals. Yet, I’ve achieved a tremendous amount of success both personally and professionally. So, if manifestation techniques were the only way to get what you want, how do you explain my story?

2. You’ve Got Everything You Need Inside of You Already

Nobody has the answers except for you. No shaman, life coach, or spiritual guru has the answers. The ‘secret’ to figuring out your next best step, or how to attract your dream partner is you. Not some magical technique (or method) that you’ll implement and voila it will land on your doorstep. You my friend are the magic. And you have everything you need right inside of you to make shit happen.

3. Cultivate What Feels Good for You

Your definition of success, happiness, joy, and abundance will look differently than others. Where we get stuck is looking at whatever one else has, and latching on to the idea that we want that too. Keeping up with the Joneses. All this does is keep us in comparison and chasing mode. So why not cultivate what feels good to you. At the end of the day that’s all that really matters.

4. There Isn’t A One-Size Fits All Approach

The cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work for creating a life full of abundance. Each of our journeys is unique. And what technique works best for you, might not work for someone else. Take me for example, I’ve never felt enticed to do vision boards. But, I can’t count the number of times I was told I needed to do one. Funny thing is I recently discovered through Human Design that I’m a passive manifestor. Meaning vision boards, writing down specific goals right down to the last detail isn’t my thing. 

We are all different in our own ways. And it’s something to embrace. Trusting that your way is the best way for you is all that matters. And if you feel like you’re lacking something in your life, tune in first before you seek something outside of you for the answers. And if you want to learn more about human design here is an excellent resource: My Human Design.