I’m sure you can relate to this: It’s a new year and you have new inspired dreams, desires, and goals! You feel big changes bubbling up inside and think to yourself, “This is MY year! I’m gonna rock it this time.”

Three weeks later, your dreams are dashed and the wind is knocked from your sails. Nothing happened and you’re back to square one! History is bound to repeat itself. Oh, no!

In this article, we’ll explore what is messing up your manifestations and what to do about it!

I’m sure you know of people who manifest amazing things in their lives and you wonder just what is their secret sauce. You doubt your own abilities and ask the debilitating question, “Why can’t I do that?”

Well, I’m here to tell you that you can do that! You are equipped with the same resources to manifest as everybody else. You literally can be, do and have whatever your heart desires.

But first, you have to understand a few things, like the principles of manifesting and certain Universal Laws… but most of all, you have to get out of your own way!

Let’s back up a bit and cover the 4 Steps to Manifest Anything:

1. Ask
   
2. Align
   
3. Allow
   
4. Take Aligned Action
   

From what I’ve observed over the years is that most people get tripped up on Step #2: Align. It’s the step that throws most people off course and consequently messes up their manifestations.

Energetic Alignment is Step 2 in the Manifestation Process. It’s not a one-and-done step! Alignment takes self-awareness and daily practice. Let’s explore what Alignment is and how to maintain it.

Alignment means becoming a vibrational match to the things you’re wanting. Since everything is energy, including you – your body, mind, and spirit are constantly broadcasting certain frequencies or vibrations out into the atmosphere. Your vibration or “vibe” is attracting back to you people, places, and situations that match your vibe much like a magnet – 100% of the time whether you are aware of it or not.

Let’s use an example. Let’s say you tell your spouse, your couples counselor, and anyone interested that you want your marriage to work and that you’re willing to do what it takes to improve it. But in your heart, you feel depleted, lost, and resentful towards your husband and in the deep spaces of your mind, you equate marriage to prison and yearn for a change.

Well, you cannot fake alignment! Your inner broadcast always overrides lip service. Energy never lies and the Universe is always responding to your inner broadcast.

So, you might as well come clean and own your deep desires instead of squashing them and manifesting even more misery – which often leads to illness and disease, which is the ultimate misalignment and assault to your very spirit. (Another topic altogether. I digress.)

Getting into alignment and maintaining alignment requires self-awareness and daily practice. It doesn’t have to be a difficult task and should be treated with a gentle and compassionate approach. Once you gain momentum with this, it becomes easier and easier as you replace old habits with new ones that truly serve you.

The first part of getting into alignment is to clear your energy. Think, “Out with the old and in with the new!”

1. Check yourself. Does your desire feel realistic to you? Do you believe you can really lose that weight, for example. How’s your sense of worthiness? Do you feel you deserve what you’re asking for? If not, you’re starting the manifestation process uphill and it will be difficult if not impossible unless you do the inner work necessary.
   
2. Clean up debilitating limited beliefs. Your beliefs are just thoughts you keep thinking. They are subjective and mutable. Don’t get so attached to them and allow them to dictate your story. You can change your thoughts and beliefs anytime – and it’s imperative to swap those crappy thoughts for ones that truly serve you. This takes self-awareness and the ability to observe yourself.
   
3. Get rid of ANTS. Dr. Amen labels “automatice negative thinking” as ANTS. They are pesky, annoying and can take over lots of ground in a short time! Catch your ANTS and redirect your thinking to a different, more positive place. This too takes practice, but in time it becomes your new reality. It’s a necessary practice if you want to get out of your rut and manifest BETTER.
   

Now that you’ve made some room, it’s time to align your energy to the things you’re wanting to manifest.

1. Act as if. Even if your belief isn’t completely lined up with your desire, pretend it is so. Imagine what your life would be like with that desire in place – a highly profitable business, an ideal romantic partner, children, marriage, amazing health, a reunited family, traveling to South America and hiking Machu Picchu…
   
2. Maintain a healthy vibe. Feed your energy well with things that inspire you, like good music, positive TV, and uplifting books. Ground yourself regularly by being in nature or playing with your pet. Practice self-care on the regular and treat yourself with loving kindness. Make up mantras and affirmations that can shake you out of a funk fast! Something as easy as, “I own this day” or “I’m a love magnet”… you get the idea.
   
3. Weed your garden. Become the constant gardener of your life! Nobody else will. Plant your garden (dreams and desires) with love, fertilize and water it expecting your inevitable harvest (manifestations). Occasionally pull the weeds as they pop up (doubts, limiting thoughts, old beliefs) and toss them in the trash. You’ll have weeds, but you’ve got bigger tools to deal with them – much bigger tools! Use them, gardener!
   

Manifesting is not hard work, but it does take awareness and practice. “Efforting” will only further block your progress, so be easy with this. Once you understand and buy into the manifesting process, it will become so much easier! And then it becomes a lifestyle of wash, rinse, repeat!

Remember your inner brilliance!