Manifest Your Dreams

Whether you want to create a more balanced lifestyle in general or create something specific like a new career, relationship or health regime, it all begins with the end in mind. By this, I mean envisioning the results you want. The more clearly you are able to imagine and get a sense physically, mentally and emotionally of the type of lifestyle you want, the better chance you have of attaining it. It's just like planning a vacation. First you need to decide what scenery, temperature, atmosphere, activities and so on. Then you can choose the location, time frame and mode of transportation. So it is with choosing the life you want. All it takes is spending a little bit of time using your imagination to envision what you want, what you are doing, how you feel and any other relevant components. From then on, each day you can ask yourself "what can I do today to support myself in moving towards my goal?"

The next step is to accept where you are in the present. You may not like where you are and you may feel as though you are a long ways away from your vision, but the energy spent denying your present reality can sap you of all the needed energy to move forward. Accepting present circumstances without judgement goes a long way to create the momentum required to achieve your goal.

If you find you are going over the same territory time and time again with no change, it may help to identify any blocks or resistance on your path. One way to do this is to draw the patterns you keep repeating in your life. This picture may look like a roller coaster ride, a spiral, or a limiting box. But once you have it on paper you can get a more objective view of the situation. It's easier then to see what the triggers, motives and payoffs are for each stage of the pattern. Fear of being rejected may prevent you from meeting new people, speaking your truth or becoming more visible in some aspect of your life. An unconscious habit of negative thinking and self-criticism might be stopping you from taking the next steps in your career. The need for external approval may be causing you to say yes to others' demands and no to your own desires. Most people have the same underlying needs in life: acceptance, love, freedom, passion, security, joy, safety, fun. We each may pursue and attain these in different ways, but often they will underlie most of our behaviors. So if you're pattern of worrying or hiding from new challenges in life is preventing you from going for your dreams, find a healthy way to satisfy the need for safety and security while pursuing the exciting unknown at the same time. Discovering ways to accept and love yourself while creating boundaries that give a sense of safety, yet at the same time provide flexibility to encompass vistas of unknown territory, will support you as you pursue your dreams.