I’m sure that on your way over to this article, you might have been slightly confused, because if you have been a part of the Coffee Moon community for even a short while, you will know I am totally on board with the idea of manifesting.

And this article isn’t to say anything against it, but more to touch on what’s missing when it comes to the subject of it.

So, why is the manifestation movement a problem?

Well, despite wholeheartedly believing in the concept of manifestation (especially because I have seen it work in my own life)

I cannot help but notice there are many parts to manifesting which are going unspoken of.

We are taught to visualise, think positively, state affirmations and just believe it will happen.

But, manifesting is far from an A-B plan, there are a few extra details to this concept that are not often spoken of, maybe self-help experts want to keep it simple by not overwhelming their student with a lot to think about, or maybe if it gets too complex it takes the magic away, or perhaps they genuinely don’t know and therefore cannot teach it.

And despite the ever-evolving manifesting movement and all of its resources, I can relate to why you may still feel stuck and unable to make your dreams come true.

Here are some more thing you things you need to know when manifesting on purpose.

More Self-Love

When it comes to manifesting, self-love still doesn’t seem to get the credit it deserves.

I cannot emphasise this enough. If you have not spent an ample amount of time practising self-love, the train will not leave the station.

For manifestation to even begin to take place, self-love and self-image must be at the forefront of your mind.

This is impossible because self-love helps you to uncover and display a healthy balance of confidence, worth and self-respect, which are the foundations of what you need to manifest the life you dream of.

As you probably already know

To manifest, you must ask, believe, and receive. But to believe is more than just believing what you want is on its way. It’s believing in yourself that you are worthy of having it in the first place.

If there is something you want, a job, a house, a lifestyle, a certain type of relationship, but you don’t believe it is something you could truly have, it will reflect in your actions, and ultimately remain a fantasy and out of reach.

Visualise your dream home, write affirmations about the career you want, know the perfect partner will enter your life soon, but most importantly, and above all, practice self-love.

Self-love is the master key and the most important step to all manifestation.

Embody Your Best Version

Imagining and visualising are not enough to manifest your dreams. You must literally become the dream.

By not taking action, your dream life will be delayed, so you must act.

When you look online, it seems other people got what they wanted by having it land in their lap. But do you know the full story?

They do not go into great detail about the hundreds of rejection letters they received before they manifested their dream job.

They don’t often talk about the work they put in before they reached financial freedom.

Or how many people they dated before they got married. The boyfriends they neglected their self-worth for, and the number of times they had to heal their broken hearts before they finally attracted their soulmate.

Manifesting what you want isn't hard; it requires the least amount of effort, but you still must make an effort.

Whether that’s shifting your identity, changing your habits, or taking action to reach your dreams.

Documenting the not-so-great side of a journey takes the magic out of the destination, and therefore, people tend to only show the best bits, which can lead those on the outside to believe manifestation just appears.

Admittedly, for some, their belief is so strong, and their subconscious mind and conscious mind are working so well together that instant manifestation is possible, but there still would have been some action taken to receive it.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that just asking is enough. Once you have asked, believe it is done, then take any cues of inspired action from the universe to touch your dream. You must take action towards what you want and prepare to learn some lessons along the way.

The Law of Attraction is only ONE of the laws.

Popularly linked to manifestation is the Law of Attraction. The two are commonly known for going hand-in-hand, and if you understand the Law of Attraction, you understand the art of manifestation, right? Wrong.

What’s not often taught is, in order to get better at manifesting, you need to learn all 12 universal laws…

…and how to apply them to your life.

Yes, you read that correctly, there are a total of 12 laws which work together, and the Law of Attraction is only one of them. The 12 laws include the Law of Vibration, the Law of Cause and Effect and the Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy.

Does this now make sense as to why you might have felt stuck in a rut?

Certainly not everybody who has manifested their dream life is aware of these laws, but maybe they were already practising them without being conscious of it. Once you become aware of the 12 universal laws and how to apply them, manifesting will happen faster.

Manifesting vs Privilege

Black (tick), female (tick), working class (tick), single-parent home (tick). And although none of these things have ever stopped me from believing in myself and achieving some great moments in my life, you cannot deny that our upbringing, race, gender, class, etc. plays a part in the number of opportunities and open doors awaiting each of us in our very unique paths.

I’ve seen the argument a few times on whether a person has ‘manifested’ or whether they were just lucky enough to be born into ‘the right circle’ and surrounded by ‘right connections, and I think it should be spoken of more.

This argument is very much warranted since packaging privilege in pretty paper and then selling it as a manifestation is a cheap way of tricking the average person who doesn’t have the kind of access they would if they were afforded what society deems as favourable.

I even have to check myself sometimes, being an able-bodied heterosexual, I can't imagine if I added disabled and a lesbian to my tick list, how that would limit or delay my chances of success.

Unfortunately, it’s not a level playing field out there, which is why transparency is important, particularly if you’re telling your story to inspire others.

Those who are questioned about their privilege as a reason for their ‘manifestations’ should feel more inclined to have that discussion and less defensive.

Having said that, I also don’t believe people should be punished or discredited because of what they were born into.

Instead, I would encourage you to follow a diverse range of self-help teachers for new ideas and inspiration, especially those who came from humble beginnings and rose from the bottom to the top. What matters most is authenticity in the teacher’s message, especially when helping people to transform their lives through the teachings of manifestation and other related subjects.

Manifestation knows no face; it doesn’t know a religion or class. It only knows how you think and feel about yourself, so don't ever feel that because you don’t have any well-known connections, resources, or money to reach your dreams, you will miss out.

Focus on knowing your worth and believing that no matter your starting point, you can achieve anything you desire.

Finally…

The act of manifestation is simple, but the process of knowing how is much more complex, which is why so many feel as though they are going three steps forward and two steps back.

Knowledge is power, so inundate yourself with as much information as is available to you, then take action, and keep an open mind.

Once you’ve learnt your own way of making it happen, that’s when everything starts to unfold.

Is Manifestation Leading You Astray? Here’s Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Approach