When I was in Costa Rica, I bought a t-shirt that said “Manifesting.”

It made me stop and think, “What does manifesting actually mean?”

What Some Believe Manifesting Is

The dictionary describes manifesting as “the practice of thinking aspirational thoughts with the purpose of making them real.”

Manifesting is something that is crazy popular right now. And there are a surprising number of people claiming that it works.

Different people look at it in different ways.

Some say that manifesting has a ton of complicated roles.

Others say that it can be whatever you want it to be.

Some believe it has to do with spirituality.

And for others, let’s just say it tends to be what some people might consider a little bit more woo-woo.

My view is probably different than a lot of other people’s opinions on it.

What I Believe Manifesting Is

I believe that manifesting is more than just aspirational thoughts with the intent to make them real.

I don’t have anything against good intentions. But all the good intentions in the world are not going to help you manifest what it is that you want.

To me, manifesting is starting with a thought and then putting in the work behind it to make that thought more than just a good intention.

In other words, when you want something, as you focus your attention on it and do the work that it takes to make it happen—you can make it happen.

For example, if you want to get a specific job and you focus all of your attention on it, you’re going to have a much better chance of getting that job if you actually submit a resume and put in an application.

If we don’t put in the work behind our thoughts, all they ever manifest in the end are hopeful feelings and good intentions that really don’t go anywhere.

For me, manifesting is all about putting in the work behind the thought. That’s where the actual magic happens.

What a PhD Says Manifesting Is

As I researched manifesting, I came across an article sighting the works of Denise Fournier, PhD. LMHC.

This is what she said about manifesting:

“Manifestation is about creating a vision for the future, putting energy and intention into making that vision a reality, and then aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions accordingly so that your vision can come into fruition.”

Too many people believe manifesting starts and ends with our thoughts. But it’s really so much more than that.

If we truly want to manifest a better future for ourselves, it absolutely begins with our thoughts.

But those thoughts must be followed by diligent action and putting one foot in front of the other until we reach that ultimate outcome we’re hoping for.

This is true for anything that we hope to attain in life.

As Fournier said, “That process is the same one we go through whenever we work on ourselves. Try to change our circumstances or commit to reaching a personal goal. It involves intention mindset and directed action”

Manifesting involves our thoughts AND our actions working together to bring about what it is we desire.

Does Manifesting Actually Work?

As I’ve been studying the phenomenon of manifesting, there have been a lot of questions about whether or not manifestation actually works.

Personally, I think it all depends on how you go about it.

If you’re going to just sit there and hope for something to change, nothing will ever change.

But if you change your mindset, change your attitude, and put in the work behind it, you can absolutely make things happen.

It might not happen immediately. It may even take longer than you expected.

It may not be the exact job you wanted, and it may be a different experience than you had hoped for.

But if you do the work, change will happen.

It’s all about changing your mindset and putting in the work to make your dreams a reality.

You have to acknowledge that manifesting isn’t the same as making a wish.

Just putting it out there doesn’t make it so.

But as you think it, then go and build it, you will be able to do remarkable things with your life.

Don’t Stop Believing

I want to be clear that I am not saying that our thoughts are not powerful.

It’s like the positive affirmations I talk about all the time.

The more you repeat things to yourself, the more you will stay focused on those things.

And the more you build yourself up with your thoughts, the easier it is to accomplish your goals.

Our thoughts are the driving force behind our actions.

Manifesting will never work without both our thoughts and our actions working together to help us achieve greatness.

We must never stop believing, even when what we hope for doesn’t happen right away.

Just keep on believing and doing the necessary work to make your dreams a reality.

When you look around the world, you are going to see many people saying that they manifested things into existence.

When this happens, what you really need to ask yourself is, “How much work did they put into it to make it happen?”

Because intentions are great, but without action, nothing moves forward.

So, if you are wanting to start manifesting things into your own life, dream it, believe it, then get to work and make it a reality.

That’s how change really happens.