6 Ways You’re Blocking Your Manifestation Abilities

Manifestation, based on the Law of Attraction, states that people and their thoughts are made of energy and that by focusing on what we want, we can manifest it into reality. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, nothing seems to work out. When this happens, you can be sure that there’s some sort of internal resistance. Find out if these five common issues are blocking your manifestation abilities. (Estimated reading time: 7 minutes)

We all have desires. We want more money, a dream partner, a new home, or more clients for our businesses. Some we’re willing to work for more than others. 

No matter what our hearts are set on, it requires effort, dedication, and consistent action to manifest. Without those, nothing is going to move forward.

But what if you’re doing all the work, nothing seems to be working out, or progress is painstakingly slow? Despite all the steps you’ve taken and the sacrifices you’ve made, you may find yourself stuck in no man’s land.  

Whenever this happens, you can be sure that some internal resistance is blocking your manifestations. In other words, we get in our own way. True manifestation should feel natural, effortless, and easy.

The first step to unblocking is gaining self-awareness and acknowledging that there are issues that we need to take a closer look at. By going through this process, we align ourselves with the supportive energy of the Universe and gradually see a horizon of boundless possibilities.

The art of attracting what we want: decoding manifestation

The word “manifestation” is defined as “a sign of something existing or happening.” This could apply to anything, from the surge of an economic trend to signs of a health condition.

Manifestation has taken on a new meaning over the past few decades, after the growing popularity of the Law of Attraction—a pseudoscience that states that people and their thoughts are made of energy and that by focusing on what we want, we can improve our lives.

One of the early proponents of the Law of Attraction, Charles Haanel, a 19th-century American philosopher, wrote in his book, “The Master Key System”:

“The law of attraction will certainly and unerringly bring to you the conditions, environment, and experiences in life, corresponding with your habitual, characteristic, predominant mental attitude.”

There has been an unprecedented rise in interest in the topic after the release of the 2006 bestselling book, “The Secret,” which sold a whopping 30 million copies. Before “The Secret,” there were many books that covered the law of manifestation, including best-sellers “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale.

Contemporary new-age thought leaders, like Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and Gabrielle Bernstein, have followed in their footsteps and continue to advocate manifestation practices.

Manifestation, in this context, is bringing something tangible into your life using your beliefs, thoughts, actions, and emotions. In other words, if you think it, it will come.

Positive thinking and manifestation go hand in hand. Having positive emotion is believed to allow a person to attract positive outcomes. Those who practice manifestation use techniques like cognitive reframing to replace negative (limiting) thoughts with positive (empowered) ones.

So, is simply thinking about what we want enough to manifest our dreams? To answer that, we need to look at manifestation through the lens of science and psychology.

It’s not hocus pocus: getting real about manifestation

My relationship with the law of manifestation has wavered over the past two decades since I first read about it in the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. It’s a feel-good story about a shepherd, Santiago, who saw in his dreams that he would find a treasure at the Pyramids of Giza and go off on a quest to find it.

I could relate to Santiago’s ambition. At the time, I was preparing to go to college, traveling half away across the world to embark on a new chapter in my life. Coelho’s iconic line, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” fired me up.

Yet, after a few unfortunate events in my 20’s, despite my best efforts, I became disillusioned with the idea that “happy thoughts result in happy outcomes.”

As I began to appreciate the complexity of life and the countless factors that impact our outcomes, I became cautious about being seduced by the overly simplistic and naive notions popular among the masses. The rah-rah attitude of new-age gurus and their followers started getting on my nerves. I wanted to find more evidence to substantiate what the law states.

Quantum physics is the only field that I found to offer a probable explanation of how the law of manifestation works. Quantum physics and Nobel Prize winner Max Planck once said:

“There is no matter as such! All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force that brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together… We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.”

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung alluded to an “unseen force” when he wrote a lot about the phenomenon of synchronicity which he defined as “the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a supposedly meaningful manner.”

According to Jung, since there is no visible factor that connects the events, it must be the nonphysical impact of thought that connects them.

With such renowned figures in the field of science and psychology backing up the phenomenon, we have a compelling reason to believe in the effectiveness of the law of manifestation.

Manifestation tools: propel your success

Manifestation blocks are ultimately mindset blocks. These are thoughts, beliefs, and patterns that block your manifestation abilities. Manifestation tools can be highly effective in shifting our mindsets to healthy ones over time.

I believe that the law of manifestation becomes more potent when we focus on our transformation versus finding the magic pill. When we take those chances and walk out into the arena of life to deal with whatever comes our way, that’s when the magic happens.

Whether you believe in the law or not, using your manifestation abilities will fuel your enthusiasm and sharpen your ability to strategize and plan.

Here are five common ways you may be blocking your manifestation abilities:

1. You have undefined or conflicting goals: Being unclear about goals blocks manifestation for two reasons. Firstly, you don’t have a target to put effort towards. Secondly, the Universe can’t give you what you want if you’re vacillating and are hazy about what your aims are.

Solution: Write down your goals. Use the SMART framework, and review them regularly. Check in to see if your goals conflict with another desire or things that society says you should want, but you don’t.

2. You’re not taking action: Manifestation is a co-creative process. Some people mistakenly believe that manifestation practices alone—affirmations, visualization, scripting—are enough to gain traction. This is far from the truth. You must work in tandem with cosmic forces by taking intentional action. 

Solution: Ask yourself these questions and write down your responses: what are three things that I can do today that will bring me closer to my desire? What do I need to do in the next 3-6 months or one year to make it happen? 

3. You’re hyper-focused and pushing too hard: This is the opposite of not taking action that mostly overachievers and control freaks are guilty of. When we push our agendas from a place of desperation and a lack mentality, we create resistance against our desires.

Solution: Moderation is key. After you’ve given it your all and put your best foot forward, let go and allow outside forces to take over and bring your dream to fruition.

4. You’re missing signs because you’re not tuned in: Once we set our intentions, the Universe will respond by sending signs to us in the form of hunches, dreams, opportunities, chance meetings, and synchronicities to guide us along the way. When we’re constantly distracted and disconnected from our inner world, we risk missing these signs or are liable to dismiss them entirely.

Solution: Develop a mindfulness practice or another activity to slow down and process your thoughts and surroundings. Take note of anything unusual or uncanny occurrences, especially those connected to your goals.

5. You give off negative energy: Manifestation is all about energy. The energy you put out in the world is the energy you get back. When you’re bored, complaining, or apathetic, you’re sending our negative energy that draws in people and situations that mirror that.

Solution: Even if your circumstances are less than ideal, there are ways to feel better and find something to be grateful for. Lift your energy by cultivating feelings of joy and happiness. If you sense there’s some deeper unresolved pain, seek the help of a counselor.

6. You’re filled with doubt instead of faith: The manifestation process is fluid and ever-changing. We can never be sure about how the path to our desires will unfold and when. If things don’t appear to be working out or we face obstacles, we tend to lose hope.

Solution: Avoid going down the slippery slope of doubt and fear. Course-correct and trust that you’ll eventually get what you want (or something better) if you continue to work for it.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we don’t get what we intend to manifest. Whenever this happens, know that the door to your desire has remained closed for a reason. It’s leading you to another one that will be better for you and your evolution. When you get to that door, it will be blown wide open, ready to welcome you.

All my on your journey,

Seline

Question for you: What have been some of the biggest blocks to your manifestation abilities? What steps did you take to overcome them? Did they work?

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