Manifestation is an interesting idea.

We think taking loads of courses and workshops will make us master manifestors. So we pay $200 and enroll in our seventh course of 2023 while we wait for the magic to show.

I mean, I am all in for investing in yourself constantly; don’t get me wrong. But I’ve been there, forgetting the lesson Marie Kondo taught us: Toss the printed material from workshop; value comes from putting the knowledge gained into practice.

I was recently listening to a podcast on manifestation and the episode ended with a bunch of fiery self-introspection prompts, “How did the last thing you manifested come into your life?” “What is your way of manifesting?” “What is your process of manifesting?” “What have you learned by manifesting?”

As the pages started to fill, I was reminded of a truth we all know and too often forget: do not underestimate the power of self-work done by oneself—the time we spend meditating, reading, writing, solo traveling, questioning our beliefs, opening to new experiences, figuring out how we function, and getting to know ourselves a little better.

The compounded effect of all this knowledge is a true goldmine, and like all goldmines, we must be willing to risk and descend before we can see the goods.

My goldmine allowed me to manifest the best romantic relationship I’ve had. Nearing the one-year anniversary of when I met my soul mate, and in an attempt to pay tribute to manifesting love under any circumstances, I’m going to tell you a little about it.

I was in Bali, on my (not-so-original) own little Eat, Pray, and Love journey, soaking up the “higher living vibe” in the non-official self-care capital of the world, filling my days with yoga, beach walks, and cacao ceremonies, and allowing the transformation to happen and the “eat” part of the book to get to page 200 when I joyfully witnessed a strong yet serene confidence that I would be led to someone special. Seek and you shall find.

The best place to start the search on an island in the middle of a world pandemic is…Bumble.

You know the drill: Invest energy and time in people, knowing the probability of actually meeting them is less than one percent. For the record, this statistic is completely unfounded and speaks to my experience alone. Match. Good looking European. We talked for three weeks religiously. The day we were to meet, when we finally ended up in the same part of the island, is the same day I receive the following text: “Mariana, I have bad news. I just tested positive of COVID-19” and an attached picture of a nice-looking, young man with a stick up his nose.

Given the loving vibe of the Island of the Gods, I do not panic. I figure we can wait 10 days and meet when we are virus spread free. Day 10 comes slowly but steadily and with it the announcement of a massive island lockdown and exportation threats for misconduct.

“Mariana, I have bad news. I am going back to my country tomorrow, I don’t see the point of us meeting at this point.”

“Wow, the nerve of this guy” is all I can think. I did feel some disappointment and frankly even desperation crept up. He was plan a, b, and c. Why did I put all my eggs in one basket? I can’t believe my luck.

The monkey had fun for a few minutes before I snapped my fingers and mentally heard a sharp and clear “stop.” The moment I realized I had a choice was also the moment I chose to go all in and do it without attachment. I reminded myself of the mantra I kept repeating all month: “I am ready to receive great love, whatever that looks like.” So, the failed Bumble date turned out to be an epic solo date and a birthday celebration of newfound friends. Back at the Airbnb, feeling pleased with myself, I decided to pimp up my profile, adding some pictures and a bio description that left no chance of misinterpretation—with the whole “life is now and if we match let’s meet” speech.

Waking up to 30-plus matches and meeting my partner the next day is the found proof that this manifestation thing works when you do it your way and apply a strategy that works for you.

What did I learn from manifesting a f*cking awesome relationship, you ask?

1. Do the work. Find out what it is that is standing between you and what you desire and actively peel back those onion layers. If you’re not there yet, make yourself ready to receive it. The universe loves brave souls.

2. Talk to the universe. It will listen. Be sure to clearly communicate that you are ready to receive whatever it is that will bring you joy at the moment and get giddy and excited about it.

3. Understand why you want what you say you want. What emotion are you hoping it will bring you? What can you do to start connecting to that feeling today? If you want a life partner because you want to feel loved and understood, make sure to make loving and accepting yourself completely your main goal.

4. Make self-love a priority. Understand you are the only one who can decide the love you give yourself, whether you have a partner or not, decide to take care of yourself, become your own ally, and do not condition the love you give yourself to having a partner (or having any external metric of success).

5. Let go, flow, and trust. Trust the universe and its timing; everything comes in its right time.

What did your last manifestation process look like? What is your way of manifesting? Tap into your goldmine and be ready to receive everything you ever wished for.

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