Manifestation Magic: Believe It to See It

This article is a collaboration with Erica Adugwo, my friend and fellow Houstonian who is a certified transformational life and leadership coach. To differentiate our insights, each section includes the initial of the respective contributor.

If you’ve been following my blog for some time, then you know about my fascination with manifestation. This is the idea that we have the power to transform our thoughts into reality, positively and even negatively. I live by this philosophy, which motivates me to approach each day with optimism. I think that there is meaning in everything, so when I stumbled upon quotes that share a common message I knew it was no coincidence. With the help of words from various philosophers and writers, we will be discussing the power of believing. — F

The concept for this article came when I found the first quote by author Neville Goddard. I had been feeling discouraged due to not yet having reached my goals as far as views on this blog, and his words made me come to a realization. I cannot expect something to come to fruition simply because I want it. I have to believe in my potential and the possibility of what’s meant for me. Author Jack Canfield’s quote from Rhonda Byrne’s novel The Secret, offered me a different perspective. I can manifest anything I want, only if I believe. That is why I will continue to approach life with a positive attitude. I no longer define my blog’s success in numbers because I have the belief that the best is yet to come. — F

I believe in a benevolent Universe. I am inspired to always see the good, even in the bad. This does not mean I won’t experience hard times, but I know that everything ends up working out for my own good. It was my near-death experience that made me realize we are always being guided in the right direction to our destiny. As Goddard explained, we attract what we believe to be true, so if I believe in a benevolent Universe, then I can experience a life where despite trials and difficulties, a sense of joy, peace and fulfillment can still be found. Just as Canfield stated, we first have to decide what we want for ourselves. I believed I deserved to be healthy and that it was possible for me. If I could have it, then it is possible for another. Whatever it is, you must believe. — E

Belief is a mindset, a state of acceptance. Gandhi describes how just the mere belief that you can achieve something will give you the ability to do so. When you learn to acknowledge your own capabilities, you can accomplish anything you set your heart on; the very title of my blog supports this philosophy. To “Faith It ‘til You Make It” is to believe in one’s self, to carry confidence and optimism enough to reach your own idea of success. The effectiveness of both manifesting and praying depends on one key element: intention. In manifesting you might create affirmations, or encouraging statements, to repeat to one’s self that will help you focus on your desired outcome. Praying should be perpetual, with strong conviction and a clear purpose. You must believe that what’s meant for you is waiting for you because the Universe holds our fate. You must believe that in God’s time, prayers will be answered. It’s not as simple as asking for and immediately obtaining whatever you want. However you seek guidance, you can not expect results without patience, sustained faith, and sincere intentions. — F

Belief is powerful, when you believe in the power of your word and in God’s word anything is possible. I have learned that in the process of holding on to certain beliefs I might make mistakes, but if my beliefs match my everyday actions and my spiritual practice, then I am being congruent. If I believe that every action I take no matter how small will lead me to something bigger than myself, then I am on the right path. Say what you believe and believe what you say. Let your words and your actions align, and when you speak something into existence eventually it will take form as your reality. If someone says “I am poor, sick, weak”, their situation will remain so because our thoughts control our feelings and experiences. We must eliminate limiting beliefs that hinder our perception of the world around us. A higher sense of truth will transform into a greater reality, the reality you accept is what will manifest. — E

When we make the choice to believe something, we can either feel uplifted and inspired, or drained and disempowered. So the question we must ask ourselves is, “What do I choose to believe about myself, my neighbors, and the world in general?”. A belief is the individual truth of man. We can not change what may happen to us, but we can choose our attitude towards any given circumstance. This idea was originally provided by Viktor Frankel, whose exact point I brought up two years ago in my very first blog post. There is no denying the simple truth that our thoughts have an impact on our experiences, this is the Law of Attraction. So while manifestation is highly disregarded as nothing more than a fad, I stand firm in my belief of its magic. The wonderful things in life are ever-present, you just have to believe it to see it. — E & F

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I have been intrigued by philosophy for many years now, so getting to discuss manifestation was exciting! As a life coach, Erica posts analyses on life and mentality as well as motivational quotes on her social media. One day I had stumbled upon her Instagram page and one of her posts read “Faith it until you make it”. This was just months after I had started this blog site, and I let her know this. Soon after I learned that we are both from Houston! Her account is one of my favorite pages to find positivity and words of encouragement. If you want to check out her content yourself, visit her Instagram @/erica.k.inc or Twitter @/KellechieSpeaks. Thanks again to Erica for providing her insights for my blog!

Cherish

At the beginning of this year I was celebrating the clock striking midnight on New Year’s alongside my best friend, as per our tradition. Little did we know that we’d only get to see each other once more before the whole world would fling into chaos.

This time has marked a shift in the way we must go about our everyday lives and in my personal outlook on life itself. If this year thus far has taught me anything it’s that time is precious. There’s no telling what tomorrow may bring, so cherish life as you know it.

With each passing day in quarantine I began to treasure how I was living pre-pandemic. The simple things that I had not appreciated before, I missed. More than anything, I missed being able to freely see my friends. I think I’ve been going so stir crazy during this time not because I’ve been bored or I can no longer go out to public places, but because I’ve been unable to have a typical hang out. You never realize how mentally necessary it is for you to be around those that bring you the utmost joy, and that understand you best, until you’re no longer allowed to do so. 

It wasn’t until this month that I was finally able to see my best friend before she was to head back to college. This would be the first time in months that I’d be visiting with any of my friends. Although her school called for all students to “quarantine” before returning to campus, I was her only exception!

I wasn’t sure how I would feel opening my front door and seeing my best friend again after so long. I never thought the next time I would see her would be behind a medical mask. It felt surreal, but we were both incredibly happy to see one another and fell right back into our normal ways. The night was spent catching each other up on gossip and laughing at the top of our lungs. She was finally able to show me the presents she’s had for me for months both from last Christmas, just because of her forgetfulness, and the one meant for my birthday that was spent in quarantine.

The agonizing wait to see each other was undoubtedly worth it. There’s only one thing I cherish more than life and that is the unbreakable bond I share with my best friend Temora.