Since June 2023 I have shifted my thinking and have meditated almost daily on positive affirmations. These have been listened to and repeated. I’ve also been writing them down and saying them aloud. Regardless of how I’ve pondered on these affirmations, the fact is that I’ve pondered fairly consistently for nearly a year and a half. And, I can honestly say that my life has been better for it!
How It All Started
Believe it or not, my journey began at the nail salon! I was getting a pedicure (one of my guilty pleasures) while my wife was getting a manicure. I don’t always accompany her to the nail salon – she gets her nails done way more regularly than I get my pedicures. But on this occasion, I was with her. I was enjoying the massage chair and scrolling through one of the news apps I have on my cell phone when I ran across an article about a spiritual leader who left professional Christian ministry and now is an author, activist, speaker, spiritual director, professor, and Chaplain. His name is Jim Palmer. Before I left the nail salon, I had already downloaded his book, “Inner Anarchy: Dethroning God and Jesus to Save Ourselves and the World.” In fact, I had already begun to read it before my nails dried!
Where It Went From There
After I read Palmer’s book, I began to look for other books with similar themes regarding spirituality. I consider myself a Christian and knew what it meant to have a personal relationship with God, but I have always had a connection with nature, animals, and people. I’ve always felt that all beings have souls and we are all connected to one another and with the world in which we live. One thing led to another and I found myself reading and researching as much information as I could find. And my search into spirituality led me to a new search of positivity, self improvement, goal setting, and so much more!
I listened to and watched countless YouTube videos from the likes of Dr. Joe Dispenza, Bob Proctor, Lavendaire, Abraham Hicks, and Jake Ducey. I listened to numerous Mel Robbins’ podcast episodes and recently finished listening to “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield.
Each video, podcast, audiobook, and ebook reinforced the fact that we – meaning each and every one of us – can make our hopes, dreams, goals and aspirations into reality, if we just believe it to be true!
This means we have the ability to manifest our own realities.
The Word of the Year
According to an article published today by Prickett in BBC News (Prickett, 2024), the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024 is “manifest.” This word has become popular because of its use by pop stars, athletes, and other celebrities. Online searches for the word manifest have increased significantly since the COVID-19 Pandemic’s peak in 2020.
The meaning and usage of the word has changed as well. It’s traditional definition includes the noun “to show something clearly through signs or actions” and the adjective “easily noticed or obvious.”
The definition now includes “to manifest – to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen.”
Too Good to Be True
Some people think this is “magical thinking” or pseudoscience. I thought that way, too. That is, until I started my personal journey to manifesting my own wants and desires. The people I followed and listened to explained that manifestation is feeling the way you would feel as if you already had the desired result you were wanting. Once you feel it, you reinforce it with words said aloud or in your head, and this would reroute brainwaves to make new connections. These new connections would subconsciously and consciously allow you to make changes in your life – subtle and grand – that would bring you closer to your goals and not allow you to waste time on things that would distract you.
I’m sure the neuroscience part of what I feebly attempted to explain above is much for complicated than that. But, in essence, feeling like you have already accomplished your goals, allows you to set your mind on a path to reach those goals. Science has proven that your brain doesn’t know the difference between physically doing something and thinking about doing something. To the brain, the person who physically practices piano has the same result as someone who only rehearses and practices in his/her mind. This is how athletes visualize a routine or something specific in their sport. This visualization is very powerful and can give those who use it a boost of self-confidence.
C’mon, Is this for Real?
Again, let me reiterate that I was a skeptic – a non-believer in the power of manifestation! But, I have been utterly blown away at the results in just the last year and a half! Am I a multimillionaire? By no stretch of the imagination, but my income has significantly increased in ways I never saw coming. My personal relationships have been enriched. I’ve gotten to travel and make memories that will last a lifetime. And, I started this blog which I hope will positively enrich the lives of those who read it.
Where I Am Now
I could have never imagined all of the things I was able to accomplish this year, but did I? My manifestation routine includes writing positive affirmations that are two paragraphs long. I try to do this every day, but don’t always. However, I have been fairly consistent since June 2023.
My goals are to improve my relationship with my wife, become healthier and lose weight, make more money, and work from home full time. Have all of those miraculously materialized. No, not quite. But, in each and every one of those areas, improvements have occurred and I’ve gotten much closer than I ever thought (or didn’t think) I could in the past.
And I know that I will continue to make strides and get closer to those goals, if not accomplish them, in the near future.
My hope is that your dreams become your reality, your journey never ends, your goals are reached and exceeded, and that love surrounds you with every step!
