I could really use a new Mercedes. POSITIVE, POSITIVE, POSITIVE. I have a Mercedes. I own a Mercedes. I AM a Mercedes.

 The concept is simple…want a new car, a new job, a new husband? All you have to do is think about it!  

At the age of 17, I was pretty intrigued by this notion, as well. But then I discovered that the Law of Attraction and manifestation is a little more complicated.

Positive thinking wasn’t exactly a new concept to me when I read The Secret. My mother taught me about the power of positive affirmations way before there were best selling books about it. We’d “positively affirm” our way out of head colds and tough exams and bad days. What was new to me was this concept of manifesting physical things that were outside of myself simply by just telling myself that I had them.  So I figured it was worth a shot, and went to work visualizing, thinking, and feeling a brand new white convertible. Unless you count a 2-day rental in Los Angeles three years later, this particular manifestation didn’t go very far.

Since then, I’ve learned a thing or two about manifesting for reals. And it’s worked more times than I count. Here’s how you can do it too. Step 1: Put The Secret down. Step 2: Continue reading this post.

Keep yourself healthy — physically and emotionally 

Like everything in the Universe, we are all operating at a certain vibration. And so are our thoughts, our attitudes, and our emotions. The higher our vibration, the more open we are, and the easier it is to attract what we desire. Like a beacon of light in a dark sea.

Everything we “consume” on a daily basis affects our vibration for better or worse. And our bodies tell us that. Junk food makes us feel like shit. An all-day Orange Is The New Black binge, while totally worth it, will likely lead to some level of lethargy and a sudden lack of motivation.  As physical beings in a 3D world, we’re operating  at a pretty low vibration by default.  The key is to find a good balance between high(er) vibes and our daily lives in order to manifest what we desire.

Eating fresh food as much as possible, practicing gratitude and compassion, staying in the moment, rolling out the yoga mat now and again, and surrounding ourselves with people who genuinely make us feel like an awesome human being, are just a handful  of the easiest ways to keep the vibes high.

Manifest out of love, not fear

On a scale from low to high vibrations, fear (the fabric of all suffering) would be the lowest and love (the fabric of all being) would be the highest. Fear is the foundation of narcissism, jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. Love is the foundation for passion and compassion, contentment, gratitude, and so on. Manifestation is not just about thinking or saying something with affirmative words, it’s about having a positive, love-based intention.

The Law of Attraction says like attracts like, right?  So if you want a Mercedes because Fred has one, and you can’t possibly let him have a nicer car than you, because otherwise Susie might start sleeping with Fred instead, then you’re manifesting out of fear. You’re not open nor are you ready to receive. If anything, you’ll get your car, but you’ll also get more fear along with it.  And Susie will continue to do whatever she damn well pleases.

To me, the Law of Attraction is simply two or more entities operating at a similar vibration.  Your vibes attract your tribe, yo. So if there’s a particular person or circumstance you want to manifest, you not only have to raise your own vibration, but they also have to be on that vibration. So here’s something to chew on: as you begin to raise your vibration with all that daily yoga and kale, what you thought you wanted to manifest might not be what you want anymore.  Because that object or person of your previous desire is now operating at a lower vibration than you. It’s like when you start exercising five days a week and are suddenly less interested in Doritos.

And that brings me to my next point….

Look at the deeper meaning of your desires

In my last year of college, I wanted to write for Cosmopolitan Magazine. And if I couldn’t do that I wanted to go to Uganda to report on rebel conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two completely different life paths and interests. And also both quite difficult (although, I did get a meeting with Cosmo! *pats self on back*). But if you zoom out a bit, you can assess what it is I really wanted out of life. I wanted glamour, but I also wanted to get my hands dirty. I wanted stability, but I also wanted adventure. I wanted to do something fun, but I also wanted to do something impactful.

If you told me five years ago that I’d end up doing PR for an Indian music app,  I would have been very depressed. (This was before Silicon Valley was cool.) But right here in the now, I couldn’t be happier with my current work situation. Sure, I’ve evolved to have dreams and goals beyond this job, but it certainly offers me everything I wanted five years ago, and most of what I still want now. The evolution of dreams is part of the growing process.

The point is that often times it isn’t the specific things you want, it’s a feeling or a lifestyle. So look at it from a broader perspective. Figure out what excites you on a deeper level, and work on manifesting that instead.

Or what if…

Ok, here’s a mind fuck: what if “manifesting” is nothing more than our intuition telling us what’s already on the way?

Mind blown? Yeah, mine too.

From my iPhone with love…and stardust.

xoT

I’m Teresa. I’ve moved more than 15 times in 8 years. I’m the publicity siren for an Indian music app, among other things. I like cities — namely New York and Mumbai.  I like to say that my childhood dreams of being a professional dancer have manifested as an ability to dance between two worlds — the conventional and the magical. I can move with the shakers, but I wander with the dreamers. From high rises to sunrises, from shareholders to shamans, from five stars to shooting stars — I see it all, and I love it all.  My mission in life is to merge these two worlds. This blog is just the beginning.

Send nice words to tb@teresabigelow.com. Or you can find me on Twitter and Instagram.