7 Simple Ways to Manifest Abundance

“You can have many great ideas in your head, but what makes the difference is the action. Without action upon an idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, and no reward”

― Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Abundance… It’s a lovely word. Just saying it makes us feel good. But why? What does it really mean? Close your eyes and repeat it over and over like a mantra for 60 seconds… What associations does it bring to mind? Does it make you think about happiness, wealth or even love? Maybe something else. Before being able to create a realistic path to abundance, it’s important to get clear on what it is. And what it is not. In its most basic form, the word is a noun defined as: a very large quantity of something.

Although, these days, when we talk about “cultivating abundance,” we don’t mean gathering an enormous bushel of rosemary. Ironically, the word has outgrown itself. Today, it’s a kind of positive catchall. Retaining a kernel of its original meaning, abundance still denotes a very large quantity of something, however that certain something usually implies goodness. Now here’s where it gets tricky and interesting: what that goodness is... well, it’s different for each of us.

True, having a little extra sounds does seem appealing. Part of why I think abundance-speak has become so popular is because many of us feel lacking on some level and yearn for more. And abundance is that more. It fills a silent void. I wonder though… Is it possible... instead of truly craving more... maybe what we really desire is the extra something that brings to a place of balance?

Imagine a time in the near future… You have the life you want and feel fulfilled in all areas. Would you still be looking for more? Or might you appreciate each joyful moment?

If abundance represents the kind of balance that leads to fulfillment, then how do we get more of the good stuff flowing in our direction? It begins with awareness. And action.

#1 –– Decide What You Want

Dedicate a blank unruled notebook to manifesting your goals. Write the word abundance atop the first page. Below it, without censoring yourself, write what your life would look if you attained what you desire. Put everything down, words, sentences, pictures… Continue until the page is full. Then close the book and also your eyes. Take a deep breath through your nose into your belly. Slowly exhale. Open your eyes and decide what abundance means for you. Think on it for a few more breaths and hold these discoveries in your mind. After you feel clear, turn to a fresh page. Write a short paragraph of no more than 4 sentences that defines what your personal abundance looks like.

#2 –– Prevent Self-Sabotage

Keep you notebook handy. Close your eyes and envision yourself having what you want. Does the visualization come easily? Notice what happens… Are there any thoughts, feelings or images getting in the way? After a few minutes, open your eyes. Write down anything you believe is stopping you from having what you want, from the large to the subtle. After 5 minutes, stop writing... Read the page as slowly as possible.

#3 –– Vision Pages

Working from the above exercise, take each aspect/fear/barrier that blocked you from having what you want and dedicate a page in your book to each obstacle. Glue an image to the page that represents you freely experiencing the desire without obstacles. For instance, if there’s a financial barrier, chose an image that represents wealth. Or an intimacy conflict, select a visual to associate with a healthy relationship. Spend time daily looking at each image. Then take it a step further… create positive mental associations in by visualizing yourself in different scenarios where you are unblocked. Daydream in great detail… Imagine yourself freely enjoying these aspects of life. See generous energy flowing to you and from you. 

#4 –– Befriend Money

We can’t talk abundance without addressing the green paper elephant in the room. Even if your wants don’t directly link to money, it’s still crucial to establish a harmonious relationship with your finances in order to create balance. Issues with money are one of the leading causes of stress. So… if you have a blindspot in this area it can halt progress in other areas of life. Particularly, if your notion of abundance includes travel and a higher standard of living. Instead of feeling anxious about money, reframe it as a source of financial empowerment. Decide what you want financially. Be as specific as possible. If you want to increase your income, write down ways to make that happen. If debt is creating stress, think about how to ease the burden. Maybe you want to invest responsibly but aren’t sure how... Whatever your needs are surrounding wealth, view them without judgement and explore.  

#5 –– Jealousy Halts Progress

How can we be happy when we can’t experience joy for others? Carl Jung once said, “what you resist not only persists, but will grow in size.” And it couldn’t be more true when it comes to jealousy; when we genuinely support others and share in their successes, it’s uplifting. And that energy spirals off and grows within us. When we give our brain the chance to feel these positive sensations, it creates new related neuro-associations (thoughts and feelings that branch off) which, contribute to the positive emotion as though we’ve experienced that success ourselves. These thought-threads branch off and weave their own similar tapestries within our mind’s eye. Resentment is dangerous because it generates new feelings of unworthiness and conflicts with abundance. For more about how this works read the groundbreaking book, written decades ago, “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind,” by Thought Movement pioneer, Joseph Murphy.

#6 –– Daily Happiness & Gratitude

Right now, think about your life in the most positive light. Where are you fulfilled? Maybe it’s family. It might be a close circle of friends. Are you healthy, and/or making a point to take care of your wellbeing? What are you thankful for? Recognize that others may not have these gifts. Express sincere thanks. Say it out loud. Also, quietly to yourself throughout the day, making sure to remember those areas where you already have abundance.

#7 –– The Habit Continues…

Like Yoga, meditation and eating healthy, think of abundance as another whole/body practice. Break your goals down into specific steps in your notebook. And perform 1-3 actions daily. Don’t simply perform a step and cross it off your list. Take time to think about what each one means. Feel good about the forward momentum you are creating. Reward yourself with positive mental associations. And remember... each action done with awareness already is a kind of natural abundance.