• Vision Board Ideas To Visualize Your Ideal Future (With Examples)
    Manifestation,  Self Love

    Vision Board Ideas To Visualize Your Ideal Future (With Examples)

    In this article, discover the purpose of a vision board, plus get unique vision board ideas to help you start visualizing your ideal future today. (With images and examples below!)

    Vision Board Ideas To Visualize Your Ideal Future (With Examples)
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    What Is A Vision Board?

    A vision board is a collection of images and/or words that represent your goals and dreams. In essence, it’s a visual representation of all your goals located in one spot where you can easily access it every day.

    When you include images on your vision board, you can choose to include images that represent exactly what you want, or you can choose pictures that present an overall feeling of what it is you desire. (You can also include a mixture of both.)

    For instance, let’s say you want to own a house by the ocean one day. So you find an image of the perfect beachfront property and add it to your vision board. In this example, the house is a tangible thing that you desire.

    But it may not always be a concrete thing that you want. Maybe instead, your biggest goal in life is to feel a deep sense of freedom. In that scenario, you might choose to include an image that represents the feeling of freedom to you–like an open road, a field of wildflowers, or a person standing on top of a mountain with their arms stretched out wide.

    While images are typically the focal point of a vision board, you can also include words on your board that have special meaning to you. For instance, you might use words to caption your images, or you can include empowering quotes and affirmations that capture the feeling of your ideal life. You can also include written bucket lists on your vision board for extra motivation. (You’ll find examples of all of these below.)

    Finally, while it’s not common, you can choose to include just word descriptions on your vision board instead of images. One way to do this is to draw boxes on a piece of paper. (Of course, you can get more creative with it, too.) Label each box with a category, like Career, Family, and Health/Fitness. For each category, write a few sentences describing your goals.

    For example, in the Career box, you might write, “I am a successful health coach who makes a positive difference in the lives of all my clients. I coach people on how to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that goes beyond just fad diets; the positive changes they make last for their entire lives. I love what I do and am grateful every single day that I get to work in a job that feels fun and fulfilling.”

    In the end, there’s no wrong way to create a vision board as long as it feels right to you. The best vision boards will spark your inspiration and make you feel truly excited about the limitless possibilities for the life you’re creating for yourself.

    In This Article:

    What Is The Purpose Of A Vision Board?

    A vision board is used as a goal-setting tool to help you set and visualize your goals. It can also be used as a means of self-reflection.

    In your day-to-day life, it can be easy to lose yourself in deadlines, schedules, errands, and to-do lists. A vision board allows you a chance to step back and really see the big picture. It’s an opportunity to ask yourself what really matters to you and how you want your future to look.

    A vision board is also a commonly used tool in manifestation, which is the practice of consciously creating your future through the power of your own vibration. (You might know it as the Law of Attraction.) You can use your vision board as a tool to align your vibration with your desired outcome.

    For instance, let’s say that financial freedom is one of your life goals. On your vision board, you can include images that represent what it means to you to be financially free. Then, each day, you can take time to look at your vision board and immerse yourself in those images of financial freedom. When you do this, allow yourself to truly feel the positive emotions of having this financial freedom in your current reality. Feel this positive vibration in every cell of your body.

    So essentially, instead of waiting for the future to start feeling financially free, you’re letting yourself feel financially free today. By vibrating at the frequency of freedom and abundance today, you attract to you more of these experiences in your physical world.

    The same scenario would apply if you want to manifest a loving and committed partner. Instead of waiting for that person to appear in your life before you start feeling truly loved, start showing yourself the love you’re seeking. When you look at your vision board and see a picture of a couple holding hands, imagine what it will feel like to hold your future partner’s hand. Immerse yourself in this positive vibration.

    The more you practice feeling the positive emotions associated with the images on your vision board, the deeper this vibration becomes ingrained within you. You’ll begin carrying these positive emotions with you as you walk through your day and interact with the world around you.

    And this, in essence, is how you manifest: by becoming the thing that you desire today.

    This is one of my favorite ways to describe how manifestation works in just a few words:

    “What you think, you create. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you become.”

    If you’re interested in learning more about manifestation, I have lots of articles on manifesting throughout this site. You can find them all here. And for more manifestation tools, you can also check out the digital manifestation workbook, journal, and printables in my online shop.

    Vision Board Categories

    When you create your vision board, there are likely some obvious categories you’ll want to include, such as your ideal home or your dream job. But you’re not limited to solely these categories–and in fact, there are many other categories that might hold even more meaning to you.

    For instance, you might include an image that represents your spirituality and any practices that contribute to your spiritual self, such as meditation or religious services. You can also include images that represent your ideal self-care routine or how you’d like to approach your own personal growth and self-development.

    Here are some categories you can include in your vision board:

    • Career
    • Romance
    • Family
    • Health
    • Financial Wealth
    • Home
    • Vehicle
    • Lifestyle
    • Vacations
    • Fun
    • Self-Care
    • Personal Growth
    • Volunteer
    • Creativity
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Spiritual
    • Mental
    • Social
    • Things To Have
    • Things To Try

    Vision Board Mediums

    So how do you begin creating a vision board? Here are some ways you can get started:

    • You can go with the classic: a poster board, magazine cutouts, and some tape or glue. If you can’t find all your preferred images in magazines, you can also print images you find online.
    • You can also do the same as above but instead glue or tape your images to notebook or bullet journal pages.
    • And if you’re artistic, you might instead decide to draw your images instead.
    • For a portable vision board, you can create an album on your phone titled Vision Board or My Future. Save images to your album that represent your ideal life, and make it a point to regularly scroll through your album. You can also continue to add images whenever you find a photo that resonates with you.
    • There are also apps such as VisuApp that allow you to create your own personal digital vision board.

    Vision Board Ideas (With Examples & Images)

    Vision Board With Pictures

    Vision Board With Pictures

    One of the simplest yet most effective ways to create your vision board is to fill it with photos that represent your ideal life. In the vision board above, you quickly get a sense of the vibe the creator of this board wants to represent: vanlife, travel, health and fitness, meditation, reading, creating, and an overall sense of joy and freedom. Fill your board with photos that speak to you and resonate with your whole self: mind, body, and soul.

    Vision Board With Captions

    vision board with pictures and captions

    The vision board above includes not only pictures but also captions for each photo that sum up the essence of each image and what the owner of the board hopes to create in the year ahead. The addition of captions can add a little something special to a vision board, turning an abstract image into something a little more concrete.

    Vision Board With Affirmations

    vision board with pictures and affirmations

    Another fun and empowering way to make your vision board is to pair photos that speak to your soul with high-vibe affirmations that leave you feeling confident, empowered, and inspired. Every time you look at your vision board, repeat these affirmations and truly feel the positive vibrations connected to the words. This is the path to manifesting your dreams: knowing that everything you desire is already yours.

    Vision Board With Quotes

    One of my favorite ways to create a vision board is to pair photos with uplifting quotes that give me a little extra burst of confidence and self-belief. If you’d like some help getting started, you can find 26 inspirational quotes for following your dreams here.

    Vision Board With Goal List

    Another unique approach you can take with your vision board is to include a list of goals on your board. In the image above, the owner of the board has included a list of goals for the year ahead. You might also choose to include a list of overall life goals or bucket list items.

    Digital Vision Board

    One of the easiest ways to make a vision board is to create a Vision Board album on your phone. Save images to this album that align with the vision you have of your ideal future, and continue to add photos whenever you see something that resonates with you. You can also include uplifting quotes and affirmations here, too. (And the best part? It’s portable, so you always have your vision board within reach, no matter where you are.)


    Have you used any of these vision board ideas? Be sure to post your boards and tag me on social media!

    And for more manifesting tips, daily affirmations, and lots of positive vibrations, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.

    More Manifestation Resources


    Vision Board Ideas To Visualize Your Ideal Future (With Examples)
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  • how to release limiting beliefs
    Self Love

    How to Release Limiting Beliefs (and Create New Beliefs)

    In this post, learn how to release limiting beliefs using several powerful practices. These practices will not only help you release your limiting beliefs, but they’ll allow you to make space to create new, empowering beliefs that will serve you as you step into a new chapter.

    How to Release Limiting Beliefs (and Create New Beliefs)
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    What is a Limiting Belief?

    A limiting belief is a deep-seated belief that holds you back from realizing your true potential and living your fullest, most authentic life.

    Limiting beliefs can come in many forms. Here are a few examples:

    • There are already thousands of wellness coaches out there. I don’t have anything special to offer to stand out from the crowd. I’ll never be able to compete.
    • I’ll get back on the dating scene someday, but nobody’s going to love me the way I am now. First, I need to lose twenty pounds. My physical self has to be in peak shape to be loved.
    • Only really lucky people get to have that kind of success. I’ll never make it.

    Do any of these sound familiar? Or have you experienced similar types of thoughts that have held you back from taking the next step personally or professionally?

    Most of the time, you’ll find that your limiting beliefs are rooted in fear: fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of not being enough, fear of failure, and even fear of success.

    But know this: you are not your fears.

    And you have the power to rise above your limiting beliefs and fears. What held you back yesterday doesn’t have to continue to hold you back today.

    Below, you’ll discover how to release limiting beliefs using several powerful practices. You can use one or two of these practices, or you can try them all and see how they feel for you.

    Even more, these practices don’t just help you release limiting beliefs; they allow you to create new, empowering beliefs that will guide you in your journey forward, into a life filled with limitless possibilities.

    Do you want to dig even deeper into your limiting beliefs and begin creating a new story for yourself today? Check out the Releasing Limiting Beliefs workbook, part of the Authentic Self: Self-Love Workbooks series. In this 42-page digital workbook, you’ll identify your limiting beliefs and do the deeper inner work of releasing them so you can create new, empowering beliefs to guide your self-love journey. Plus, get affirmations and journal prompts for deeper self-reflection. Learn more here!

    How to Release Limiting Beliefs - five practices to release limiting beliefs on zannakeithley.com

    How to Release Limiting Beliefs

    Make a Reframed Beliefs List

    One of my favorite ways to release limiting beliefs is to make a list of new, reframed beliefs.

    To do this, you can use a sheet of paper or pull up a blank document on your computer. Make a table with two columns.

    Title the first column, Old Limiting Beliefs. Title the second column, New Reframed Beliefs. You can also use the titles, Limiting Beliefs I’m Releasing and Empowering Beliefs I’m Embracing.

    Under the Limiting Beliefs column, write down all of the limiting beliefs that have held you back. Maybe there’s just one or two really big ones, or there may be several you want to write down.

    Now, what’s the opposite of those limiting beliefs you just wrote down?

    In the next column, turn every limiting belief into a new, positive, empowering belief. Essentially, you’re writing a powerful affirmation here. If your belief is that you’re not good enough, affirm that you are good enough. Write what feels good to you!

    Repeat these new reframed beliefs as often as you need to. You might decide to look at them every morning and recite your empowering beliefs aloud.

    Here’s an example of how your list might look:

    Old Limiting BeliefsNew Reframed Beliefs
    I’m not talented enough to make it. Why even bother?I have what it takes to succeed and thrive. I’m more than enough.
    Nobody will want to date someone like me. I shouldn’t even try.I have so many amazing qualities to offer. There’s someone out there looking for exactly someone like me.

    Burn Your Limiting Beliefs List

    Another practice that might feel cathartic for you is to take the limiting beliefs list you wrote above and burn it. Let this be a representation of you letting go of your limiting beliefs and making space for something new in your life.

    If you do this, I do recommend still finding a way to turn those limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs. After you burn your limiting beliefs, you can make a list of positive affirmations that represent your new beliefs. Instead of focusing on the negative energy of your old beliefs, focus on the fresh energy of your new beliefs. Let this new energy carry you forward into your next chapter.

    Authentic Self: Self-Love Workbooks for Your Highest Self

    Visualize Releasing Your Limiting Beliefs

    Another one of my favorite practices for releasing limiting beliefs is to envision myself throwing my limiting beliefs off a cliff and watching them disappear.

    To do this, find a quiet, safe spot where you won’t be interrupted. Close your eyes. Imagine you’re standing at the edge of a cliff. Below is a deep chasm; you can’t see the bottom. Now, invite your limiting beliefs to come forward. See them with non-judgmental awareness.

    This means you don’t criticize yourself for having these beliefs. You don’t place labels on these beliefs as bad or wrong. Simply see them, just as they are.

    You might even send a little love to your limiting beliefs and acknowledge the ways in which they tried to serve you. For instance, you might say, “I recognize that you were trying to protect me from getting my heart broken, but I no longer need your service anymore.”

    Next, release these old beliefs into the chasm below. Watch them until they disappear. Feel yourself getting lighter without the weight of these fears pressing down on you.

    Now you have space to create new, positive beliefs. Create your new beliefs in love, kindness, and courage, knowing you have the strength to step into the life you were always meant to live.

    Journal Your Feelings

    Instead of making a list, it might help you to explore your limiting beliefs in journaling.

    Journaling allows you the time and space to explore the limiting beliefs that have been holding you back. It also allows you to gently probe these beliefs and ask, “Is it true?”

    For instance, you might discover that the belief that you’re not talented enough has been holding you back from pursuing your dreams. But once you start writing about it, you realize that you’ve just been using this fear to stay small.

    Even more, you realize that it absolutely is not true.

    You are talented enough. And you have what it takes to succeed. You just had to recognize it for yourself.

    Explore your limiting beliefs with love and compassion through journaling. And in your writing, you can release these beliefs and create new beliefs that support your mind, body, and spirit.

    Here’s a few questions to ask yourself as you journal:

    • What’s stopping me from taking the next step to pursuing my dreams?
    • What fears do I possess?
    • What beliefs am I clinging onto?
    • If these limiting beliefs didn’t exist, what would I do?
    • Are these limiting beliefs actually true?
    • What new, empowering beliefs am I creating today?

    Express Gratitude for Your Limiting Beliefs

    One way to overcome your limiting beliefs is to make them a little less intimidating. And you do this by recognizing that limiting beliefs aren’t 100% bad, scary things.

    You possess these limiting beliefs for a reason. Most likely, they were protecting you from something. Take some time to explore how these limiting beliefs may have been trying to serve you. You can write this in a journal, create a list, or simply think about your answers.

    Then, thank these limiting beliefs for the ways in which they served you. Afterwards, you can use any of the practices on this list to release them, or you can simply say, “I’m ready to release you now.”

    Feel the space around you open up as you prepare to create new beliefs that are more in line with the life you want to live.

    Next Steps

    So you’ve released your limiting beliefs; what comes next?

    In the beginning, you may fall back into old thought patterns that don’t reflect where you want to go with your life. When this happens, don’t judge or criticize yourself. Rather, react with love and a whole lot of self-compassion.

    It helps to have positive affirmations on-hand that lift your vibration and help you to feel confident and empowered. Choose some of your favorite affirmations and save them to your phone (or print them out). Repeat them daily. To help you get started, I’ve linked to some of my favorite positive affirmations below.

    If you find yourself falling back into old, limiting beliefs, you can repeat any of the practices on this list. Remember that it took you years to cultivate these beliefs, so it will take time to release them fully. And that’s okay! In time, you’ll find that your old beliefs are slipping further and further away from your mindset, until you no longer fall back to them anymore.


    For even deeper healing as you let go of your limiting beliefs and embrace new, empowering beliefs, be sure to check out the Releasing Limiting Beliefs workbook. Begin writing your new story today.

    And for positive affirmations, self-love tools, manifesting tips, and spiritual resources, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.

    More Articles You May Like

    How to Release Limiting Beliefs (and Create New Beliefs)
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  • how to protect your energy
    Self Love,  Spirituality

    How To Protect Your Energy (7 Essential Practices)

    In this post, learn how to protect your energy with 7 simple yet profound practices. Plus, get positive affirmations for protecting your energy and images you can save for later!

    how to protect your energy
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    Protecting Your Energy

    One of the greatest self-care practices you can do on a daily basis is to protect your energy.

    But what exactly does this mean?

    Protecting your energy means choosing how you think and feel rather than allowing outside forces to dictate your thoughts and emotions.

    It means that no matter what’s happening in the outer world, you’re able to cultivate a beautiful inner world through your own thoughts, beliefs, and choices.

    And it means being true to your authentic self and not hiding or denying a single part of yourself for anything or anyone.

    Finally, it also means holding yourself accountable. For instance, if you’re in a group that’s gossiping about someone you know, you have the choice to engage in the gossip or step away. At all times, you can ask yourself, what action best serves my positive energy?

    Another question I like to ask is, what path feels most like love to me?

    For the example above, if love feels like walking away from gossip, then that’s the best thing you can do in that moment to protect your energy. Because ultimately, the best energy protector is love itself.

    Love might feel like morning meditations. It might feel like a walk in nature. It may feel like spending every Wednesday night alone, practicing self-care.

    In all instances, you can choose the path that feels like love to support and protect your divine energy.

    Below, I’ve listed seven powerful practices you can incorporate into your daily life to protect your energy. These practices range from using crystals and water as an energy purifier to taking social media breaks and setting loving boundaries. I encourage you to find the practices that resonate the most and begin to use them each day to protect your whole self: mind, body, and soul.

    And again, because it can’t be emphasized enough:

    The greatest way to protect your energy is to follow the path that feels like love.

    Love will always protect you. Love will always heal you. Love is your superpower.

    How to Protect Your Energy

    Affirmations

    Protecting your energy from external toxicity all starts with your mindset.

    While all of the practices on this list are powerful in helping you to protect your energy, nothing is as powerful as knowing that you are in control of your thoughts and that you’re the only one who gets to choose how you feel.

    That’s why I’m putting affirmations at the top of this list. Using positive affirmations (and truly believing them!) is a powerful way to own your energy and decide how you want to feel in any given moment.

    When I first started using affirmations, I used them all the time: when I woke up, as I got ready in the morning, while I worked out, as I was driving, while I cooked dinner, as I got ready for bed, and anytime the opportunity presented itself to embrace positive thinking.

    Eventually, though, this practice lessened: not because I suddenly forgot about affirmations but because the powerful words had become a part of me.

    I no longer had to constantly affirm that I was worthy because I knew in every cell of my being that I was undeniably and unconditionally worthy, no matter what.

    That’s why affirmations can be so powerful when it comes to protecting your energy. In the beginning, you may need to remind yourself to repeat them, but in time, the powerful, protective words will become a part of you.

    Below, you’ll find a list of affirmations for protecting your energy. You can also find more protection affirmations to guard your energy in this post.

    Affirmations for Protecting Your Energy
    • I am in charge of my own energy. I choose how I feel in every moment.
    • I am the only one who gets to choose how I feel.
    • I am choosing to feel grounded, calm, peaceful, and secure.
    • I am safe and supported, rooted in this present moment.
    • I have the power to rise above negative emotions that do not serve me.
    • Even when the world around me feels chaotic, I remain rooted firmly to the ground.
    • When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I allow myself space to pause and breathe.
    • I vibrate powerful, abundant, peaceful energy and attract this same energy in return.
    • I am strong, steady, and grounded.
    • I am always supported and protected.
    • I deeply appreciate my ability to remain calm and peaceful in all situations.
    • I am grateful for the abundance of strength that radiates throughout my entire body.
    Affirmations to protect your energy

    Crystals

    Crystals are a powerful resources for protecting your energy and helping you to remain grounded, stable, and secure.

    My personal favorite way to use crystals for energy protection is to wear them as jewelry, as this allows me to remain protected throughout the day, no matter where I go. I also like to keep protective stones in spaces where I know I might encounter some negative external energy, such as in my workspace and in the car. And if you’re doing an energy protection meditation, holding protective gemstones in your hands while meditating can be a powerful way to amplify your intentions.

    To learn more about how to cleanse, program, and use crystals, you can check out my blog post on how to use crystals here.

    Here’s a list of crystals and stones you can wear, carry, or keep in your space to protect you from toxic energy:

    • Hematite
    • Obsidian
    • Onyx
    • Black Tourmaline
    • Shungite

    If you want to learn more about the specific meanings of each stone, I’ve got you covered in this article on grounding crystals for stability and energy protection.

    Water

    For centuries, various cultures and religions have used water as a way to cleanse, purify, heal, and help one reach spiritual enlightenment. Don’t underestimate the power of water to cleanse your aura from toxic energy. Just like water can cleanse the energy of a crystal, water can cleanse your own energy both within and outside of you in a profound way.

    Ideally, you’d be able to spend time at the ocean or near a lake or river whenever you need a spiritual reset. But if that isn’t possible, that’s okay! A shower or a bath works just as well in cleansing your energy.

    One of my favorite practices is to meditate in the shower by imagining the water washing away any negativity within or around me. This practice only takes a minute or two but can positively affect your energy throughout your day.

    First, close your eyes. Take a deep, soulful inhale and a rejuvenating exhale. Concentrate on how the water feels on your skin. As the water falls around you, imagine it washing away any negative thoughts and emotions you’re holding onto. The water takes your tension and carries it to the drain. Anything that doesn’t serve your highest good is washed away from your body.

    Feel your body becoming lighter. Your mind is clear. Your heart is open. Anything that doesn’t serve or support your total well-being has been washed away, swirling down the drain, where it will be cleansed by the earth.

    When you’re done, smile and express gratitude. Feel the strength of your body, mind, and spirit.

    You are worthy, powerful, whole, and more than enough. Carry those feelings with you throughout your day.

    For more information on how water can heal and purify, I encourage you to check out this article from Sonima: The Radical Healing Effects of Water.

    6 effective ways to do a shower meditation

    Visualization

    When you feel like you’re surrounded by negative energy, visualization can be a profound way to replace any negativity in your auric field with positivy, protection, and love.

    While you may associate visualization exercises with meditation, you can actually take a moment to practice visualization almost anytime during the day.

    For instance, let’s say that you’re at work, and the energy of your coworkers, employees, and/or customers feels especially negative today. People are stressed and blaming each other for mistakes. The air around you feels tense, and that tension is starting to seep into your body, mind, and spirit.

    Take a moment to step back from the outer world. Close your eyes. Imagine a beautiful light is surrounding your entire body. This light might be white, gold, purple, or any other color that resonates with you. See that light protecting your body from any negative external energy that tries to seep in. Visualize yourself walking through your day, being protected by this light at all times.

    Know that you are always, always being divinely guided and protected. No amount of toxic energy can break through the loving shield of the Universe.

    Breathing Exercises

    A breathing exercise is conscious, purposeful breathing with the intention of calming the mind, relieving stress, improving your lung function, and grounding yourself to the present moment.

    What I love about breathing exercises is that it feels like a mini-meditation that you can do practically anytime and anywhere.

    Breathing exercises can be powerful practices to protect your energy because they allow you to step back from the external world and return to your inner self. And when you return to your inner self, you can release the stress and overwhelm of the outer world and cultivate a sense of calmness, peace, and groundedness within.

    My personal favorite breathing exercise is alternate nostril breathing, which you can read more about here.

    Another simple yet powerful practice is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. In this practice, you inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, pause at the top of your inhale for 7 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this 4 to 8 times in a session.

    Often, at the end of a breathing exercise, I’ll recite a few grounding affirmations to affirm that I’m in control of my thoughts and emotions. You don’t have to do this, but if you want, you can give it a try and see if this practice resonates with you.

    For more examples of breathing exercises, you can check out this article from Healthline here.

    how to protect your energy

    Social Media Breaks

    I don’t believe social media is universally good or bad; I think it’s all in how we use it and what kind of people/accounts we choose to connect with.

    In my experience, social media can be a beautiful platform for connecting with incredible souls, receiving positive messages, and creating a community based in love, kindness, compassion, and support. I think the use of social media has served my growth in many ways, especially in the past year.

    But there have also been many, many times when I’ve needed to step back and take a break from it all.

    I won’t go too in depth on the dangers of social media here, because I think it’s likely you’ve heard most of the arguments against it: it can be a highlight reel of people’s best moments, causing you to somehow think your life is “less than” because you don’t have everything another person has.

    It’s also easy to get trapped in the belief that likes and follows somehow have any kind of impact on your worthiness (which is 100% not true).

    And even if you only follow positive accounts, you might start to think that you’re supposed to be a positive, upbeat person 100% of the time, which also isn’t true.

    Taking regular social media breaks is necessary for protecting your energy in the long-term. Like I said, I believe there are a lot of really great aspects of social media, and in most cases, I don’t think it’s necessary to delete it entirely.

    But I do recommend scheduling social media breaks into your calendar. Also take non-scheduled breaks when you start to feel like social media is becoming an energy depleter instead of an energy restorer.

    And if there’s an account that makes you feel less than or causes you to feel negative or toxic energy within?

    Unfollow.

    Choose to consciously curate your social media feed to best support your mind, body, and spirit.

    Set Boundaries

    Boundaries.

    For most of us, this is likely the hardest practice on this list.

    Whether it’s in your personal or professional life, setting boundaries can be a difficult practice because it often requires having uncomfortable conversations. What helps me in this situation is to ask myself, what’s more uncomfortable? Having a conversation about boundaries, or not setting boundaries and continuing to live in a state of frustration, anger, and/or overwhelm?

    If you’re feeling hurt or resentful about something, then 10 times out of 10, the best thing you can do to heal your energy is to set boundaries.

    However hard it may feel, it is possible to make the practice of setting boundaries a little easier. How do you do this? By stepping forward in the energy of love.

    Often, we imagine conversations about boundaries to be hard, serious, and even negative. However, it is possible to approach this act with love and compassion for everyone involved. I recommend writing down your thoughts before having this conversation and scheduling time when you can have a calm conversation with the person or people you’re setting boundaries with.

    In other words, try to approach this with a sense of clarity and calm rather than letting yourself get consumed by the heat of the moment and potentially saying something you’ll regret later.

    Also remember, boundaries aren’t always about another person. Often, they’re about what you need. For instance, maybe you need one night a week to yourself without any interruptions. This may mean that you need to set a boundary that Wednesday nights are your nights. By dedicating this time to yourself, you’ll actually be able to show up better the rest of the week for the people in your life.

    So remember, boundaries aren’t a negative thing. They’re a way you can show love to yourself, which ultimately will positively affect all aspects or your life.


    Recap: How to Protect Your Energy

    • Recite empowering, grounding affirmations to affirm that you are in control of your thoughts and the only one who gets to decide how you feel.
    • Use protective crystals and gemstones such as Obsidian, Onyx, Black Tourmaline, Hematite, and Shungite.
    • Let the power of cleansing water purify your mind, body, and spirit.
    • Visualize a healing light surrounding you and protecting your auric field.
    • Do breathing exercises to calm your mind, let go of stress, and ground yourself to the present moment.
    • Take social media breaks whenever it feels as though social media is depleting or negatively affecting your energy.
    • Set loving boundaries that serve your total well-being.

    In what situations do you feel most in need of energy protection? And what practices have you used to protect your energy? Share your favorite practices in the comment box below!

    And for more empowering self-love tips, be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest!

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  • blog banner with title: How to Design a Morning Routine for Manifestation
    Manifestation

    How To Design A Morning Routine For Manifestation

    In this article, discover six powerful practices for creating your ideal manifestation morning routine. Plus, get suggestions for how to incorporate these practices into your morning whether you have just five minutes or an entire hour to dedicate to your personalized plan for embracing the new day with positive energy. (And don’t forget to download your free morning routine template below!)

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    Creating Your Ideal Morning Routine

    When it comes to manifestation, a well-rounded morning routine is one the most underrated tools in your manifestation toolkit.

    By creating a morning routine that supports you mind, body, and soul, you set a positive foundation for the entire day ahead.

    In this article, you’ll discover six powerful practices you can incorporate into your manifestation morning routine to help you feel empowered and uplifted as you prepare for your day.

    Don’t have a lot of time in the morning? That’s okay! I also offer suggestions for how to fit these practices into your schedule whether you have five, ten, twenty, or sixty minutes.

    And for more guidance on creating your ideal morning routine, you can learn about how to use a morning routine checklist to help you stay on track of your goals here.

    Plus, don’t forget to download your free printable morning routine template below!

    In This Article

    internal advertisement to learn more about the Dreams, Goals, & Manifestation printables

    Manifestation Morning Routine Components

    Positive Affirmations

    A positive affirmation is a present-tense affirming statement that’s designed to boost your self-belief and support your overall well-being: mind, body, and soul.

    Here are a few examples:

    • I am worthy.
    • I am enough.
    • I am competent, capable, and strong.
    • I am equipped with all the tools I need to succeed.
    • I am true to myself, always.
    • I accept all of myself.
    • Who I am, exactly as I am, is truly beautiful.

    Affirmations are great because there are so many ways you can incorporate them into your morning routine, and they’re especially versatile if you’re pressed for time.

    You can write some of your favorite uplifting affirmations on post-it notes and stick them to your mirror to read as you get ready for your day.

    You can also write them in a bullet journal or on a notepad.

    And if you don’t want to write them down, you can silently repeat them to yourself as you’re eating breakfast.

    And finally, you can even set them up as notifications on your phone to pop up just when you need them in the morning.

    Positive affirmations are the cornerstone of a well-rounded manifestation morning routine, as they’re a quick and easy way to lift your vibrations and align you with your desired emotions without taking any time at all.

    Visualization

    My favorite way to describe visualization is intentional daydreaming. You might also consider it daydreaming on purpose.

    In manifestation, visualization allows you to simulate the experience of already having your desires in the present moment. This is a profound practice to help you get clear about what you want and begin vibrating at the frequency of your desires today.

    So why should you include visualization in your morning routine?

    Among other benefits, visualization increases your motivation, helps you to become more mentally resilient, opens your creative mind to previously unseen possibilities, and helps you to vibrate at the frequency of your desires, thus activating the Law of Attraction. (You can read more about the benefits of visualization in this article.)

    If you’re new to visualization practices, one of the best ways to start is by using a guided meditation. You can find some of my favorite guided meditations for manifesting here. I personally use the InsightTimer app for all of my guided meditations. (That’s not an affiliate link. I just truly love this app and recommend it wholeheartedly.)

    You can also spend a few minutes looking at your vision board and immersing yourself in the positive feelings of having your desires today.

    For instance, if a brand new Tesla is on your list, imagine yourself driving that Tesla. Feel the smooth steering wheel beneath your fingers. Imagine how good it’ll feel when you’re driving that car on the freeway. See if you can spend at least 30 to 60 seconds focusing on each item on your board.

    Gratitude

    Gratitude is another practice that can take as much or as little time as you want.

    Many people set the intention to focus on gratitude as soon as they wake up in the morning:

    “Thank you for another new day and for the air in my lungs. Thank you for my beating heart. For my safe home. For a restful night’s sleep. Thank you for all the love that’s within and all around me.”

    This is an incredibly powerful practice. How many times have you woken up and immediately started clicking through mental to-do lists, feeling stressed and anxious about all that needs to get done?

    Gratitude is a way to shift that narrative.

    It’s about being in the present moment rather than living in the past or worrying about the future.

    And even more, it’s about focusing on all that you have rather than seeing big gaping holes of lack everywhere you look.

    Here are a few ways you can incorporate gratitude into your morning routine:

    • Create gratitude lists. Every morning, list 1 to 3 things you feel grateful for that day. If you want, you can get a special notebook for this purpose; you can also used lined paper, notecards, sticky notes, or whatever you have lying around.
    • Have a dedicated Gratitude Box. Each morning, write one thing you’re grateful for on a slip of paper. Insert the slip into a small box or mason jar. Then, at the end of a year, remove the 365 pieces of paper and read through them, feeling that wave of appreciation wash over you all over again.
    • Keep a gratitude journal. You can write down several things you’re grateful for each morning, or you can focus on one thing and write all the aspects of that thing that you especially appreciate.
    • Simply acknowledge your gratitude. You don’t necessarily have to write it down. As you’re showering, eating breakfast, or commuting to work, you can think about all the things in your life that you feel thankful for.

    You can learn about the benefits of gratitude and why it’s an especially powerful practice when it comes to the Law of Attraction in this article.

    Daily Intention Setting

    One of the most profound practices you can do each day to support your manifestations is to set daily intentions.

    Unlike a goal, which is the thing you ultimately want to manifest into your reality, an intention is how you want to be as you work towards your goals.

    For instance, if you want to manifest financial prosperity, you might set the intention to be the embodiment of abundance in your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

    Set a daily intention that feels good to you. And if you find that you’ve strayed from your intention (i.e. you’re not being the embodiment of abundance like you had intended), that’s okay!

    As soon as you have that realization, you can simply choose to return back to your intention and realign with the thoughts, feelings, and overall frequency of your desired manifestation.

    Here are some examples of intentions you can set:

    • Today, I will be present in every moment.
    • I will hold strength in my heart and clarity in my mind.
    • I will be my most authentic self in all moments.
    • As I move through this day, I will choose love over fear.
    • I will accomplish everything I focus on.
    • I will take deep breaths and inhale confidence when I feel anxious or nervous.
    • Today, I will succeed in everything I do.
    • I will accept all opportunities that come my way.
    • I will ask myself in all moments, “How can I serve?”
    • In all moments, I will find things to be grateful for.
    • I will be the highest version of myself.
    • I will spread kindness in my words and actions.

    Journaling

    If you’re ready to skip this section because you don’t think you have time for journaling, don’t leave just yet. You might be surprised by all the journaling tactics you can do in just a few minutes.

    I cover different types of manifestation journaling extensively on this site, so I’ll briefly summarize a few journaling practices and link to each corresponding article below.

    • Scripting: Scripting is the practice of writing about your dreams and desires in story-like form, as if you already possess everything you want to manifest right now. For instance, if you want to manifest a specific job, you can write as if you’re living a day in that dream job. The key to unlocking the magic of scripting is to truly feel the positive emotions of already having everything you desire. Then, carry these positive feelings with you throughout your day. To learn more about scripting and download a free Law of Attraction scripting template, click here. Estimated Time: 10 to 20 minutes.
    • 55×5 Manifestation Method: To practice the 55×5 Manifestation Method, choose an affirmation, then write down your chosen affirmation 55 times in a row for 5 days straight. For example, if you want to manifest a trip to Hawaii, your affirmation might be, “I am so grateful that I’m going on my dream vacation to Hawaii!” On Day 1, grab a journal or notebook and write this affirmation 55 times in a row. Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 – same thing. And again, allow yourself to feel the positive emotions attached to this affirmation as if it’s already come true. To learn more about the 55×5 Manifestation Method, click here. Estimated Time: 10 to 20 minutes depending on the length of the affirmation.
    • 369 Method: To practice the 369 Method, choose an affirmation just like what you’d use for the 55×5 Manifestation Method. Write down your affirmation 3 times in the morning, 6 times in the afternoon, and 9 times in the evening. Do this for 21 days in a row. As you write it down, maintain high vibrations and make sure to be consistent. You can learn more about the 369 Method here. Estimated Time: 3 to 5 minutes.

    Meditation

    One big plus meditation has going for it? You can actually incorporate almost all of the practices above in a ten-minute meditation.

    You’ll find guided meditations dedicated to gratitude, positive affirmations, visualization, or setting daily intentions.

    And you’ll even find manifestation meditations that include all of these components in one track.

    If you’re first starting out with meditation, I highly recommend using an app to help you get started. Many of these apps have beginner meditations to introduce you to the different concepts, often focused especially on breath work.

    Here are a few of the best ones that you can try out today:

    Finally, before you get started, know that this is not a competition. Nobody gets extra credit for meditating longer or being more still than everyone else. Ten minutes (or even five) is all you need to start a morning meditation practice.

    And please, please know that meditation is not about being perfect.

    My mind wanders all the time when I’m meditating. And that’s okay!

    Meditation teaches us to notice those moments, acknowledge them, and gently allow ourselves to come back to the present moment, over and over again.

    Suggested Morning Routines (Based On Time)

    We all have our non-negotiables when it comes to our morning routine.

    Some of these are for personal hygiene and cleanliness reasons, like showering, brushing teeth, and moisturizing routines. Drying and straightening/curling hair, putting on makeup, and picking out the perfect outfit might be components of your morning routine. And you might also like to sit down and eat a real breakfast before you head out the door.

    Only you know what your non-negotiables are, so factor in the time it takes to complete these tasks as you decide how much time you can realistically dedicate to your morning routine.

    And know that it’s okay to start small.

    If you’re able to wake up ten minutes earlier to add a ten-minute manifesting practice to your day, that’s incredible. Truly. By taking that seemingly small step, you show the universe that you’re committed, focused, and persistent.

    Just the very act of committing to yourself is going to open up so many amazing opportunities and experiences for you. Over time, you may want to add another five minutes or find new ways to maximize your time. You’re in the driver’s seat here, and you get to decide what’s right for you.

    Five Minutes

    • Complete the Morning Routine template below!
    • Or, instead of the template, you can spend your five minutes practicing visualization. Then, as you’re getting ready for the day, you can mentally go through your gratitude list, recite some uplifting positive affirmations, and set an empowering intention for the day.
    banner to download your free manifestation morning routine template

    Ten Minutes

    • Complete the above Morning Routine template. Then, with any remaining time, do a short visualization practice. You can use your vision board or complete a five-minutes guided meditation. For extra positivity, keep repeating positive affirmations as you get ready for the day.

    Twenty to Thirty Minutes

    • Do a ten to fifteen minute meditation. Then, complete the Morning Routine template. If you have any time remaining, add some extra affirmations or do a one-to-two minute visualization. Keep reciting affirmations and internally focusing on the things you’re grateful for as you shower, eat breakfast, and commute to work.

    Forty Minutes

    • Do a ten-minute meditation. Then, complete twenty minutes of journaling. With the remaining time, complete the Morning Routine template. Keep affirming your worthiness and focusing on all the wonderful things you feel grateful for as you finish getting ready for the morning.

    Fifty to Sixty Minutes

    • Complete thirty minutes of journaling, then a 10 to 20 minute meditation (or vice versa). Use any remaining time to complete the Morning Routine template. Or, if you prefer, you can use a separate notebook to write down your intentions for the day. Keep focusing on gratitude and positive affirmations as you get yourself ready in the morning!

    Are you ready to create your perfect manifestation morning routine? Share your ideal routine in the comment box below! And for more manifesting tips, daily affirmations, and lots of positive vibes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Manifestation

    How To Visualize (For Manifestation)

    Below, learn how visualization can help you achieve your goals, plus discover exactly how to visualize in order to manifest your deepest dreams and desires.

    How To Visualize (For Manifestation)
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    What Is Visualization?

    My favorite way to describe visualization is intentional daydreaming. You might also consider it daydreaming on purpose.

    Which, if you’ve been told your whole life to get your head out of the clouds, may seem kind of weird.

    Why would we want to daydream on purpose? What’s the point? Isn’t daydreaming just an illogical way to pass the time?

    Not exactly. In fact, I’d argue that daydreaming with clarity, purpose, and intention is one of the most worthwhile ways you can spend your time.

    Just hear me out.

    In manifestation, visualization is a tool you can use to connect your dreams with your current reality. It allows you to simulate the experience of already having your desires in the present moment. Not only can you see your dreams and desires unfold in your mind’s eye; you can also experience the sights, sounds, and feelings of this ideal world, too.

    What makes visualization truly powerful is that it helps you to get in alignment with universal energy. This makes you more receptive to connecting with your intuition and taking inspired action.

    But there’s even more than meets the eye when it comes to the power of visualization. Here’s why visualization is so important when it comes to achieving your goals and manifesting your dreams:

    Visualization is a creative practice. When you visualize, you activate your creative subconscious mind. In turn, this opens your mind to discovering creative opportunities and previously unseen possibilities for achieving your goals. You’re more open and receptive to paths you may not have noticed before. 

    Visualization helps you to become more mentally resilient. One of my favorite examples of this is Michael Phelps, who regularly used visualization as part of his Olympic training.

    He didn’t just visualize everything going perfectly, though; he’d visualize all potential scenarios, including things that might go wrong, like water getting into his goggles. This made him more mentally prepared the day of the actual competition. It paid off, too, because when water actually did get into his goggles during an Olympic race, he didn’t freak out. In fact, he set a world record in that race, even with this potentially devastating obstacle.

    Through visualization, you can prepare for anything. If challenges and obstacles arise in your outer world, you have the strength and resilience to persevere because you’ve already overcome this challenge in your mind many times before.

    Visualization increases your motivation. Part of the magic of visualization is that your brain can’t actually tell the difference between your powerful visualization and reality; it has the same activity whether you’re physically doing the action or envisioning it in your mind. The more you practice visualization, the more real this image becomes for you. After visualizing something multiple times, you may even develop more courage and confidence to actually do the thing–all because in your mind, you’ve already done it before.

    And finally, visualization helps you to vibrate at the frequency of your desires, thus activating the Law of Attraction. The longer you hold onto this vibration, the more you’ll effortlessly become a magnet for all that you want. (And the more often you practice this, the easier it will be to hold this positive vibration.)

    Below, learn how to visualize for manifestation, and discover several powerful visualization practices you can start incorporating into your life today. Plus, learn about the power of combining visualization with positive affirmations to achieve your goals and manifest your dreams.

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    How To Visualize

    Meditation

    One of my favorite ways to practice visualization is through a manifestation meditation. A manifestation meditation is a meditation specifically designed to help you align with the positive thoughts and emotions of your desires, lifting your vibrations so that you become a magnet for all of your deepest dreams. This practice is a powerful way to get clear about what you want to manifest, lift your vibrations to match your desires, and let go of limiting beliefs and resistance within.

    Visualization is the cornerstone of a manifestation meditation as it allows you to see in your mind’s eye exactly what it is that you want to manifest. Many guided meditations will take you through a day in your dream life; you’ll be able to visualize all the details of your ideal life, including the house you live in, who you’re surrounded by, and what you do during your day. The key to a successful visualization is to not only see the details play out in your mind but to feel all the high-vibe emotions of having your desires right now. When you do this, you directly connect yourself to the experience of having the thing(s) you desire, becoming a magnet for your dreams to manifest in your reality.

    Here are the steps to practice a manifestation meditation utilizing visualization:

    • Find a comfortable spot where you won’t be interrupted. Set aside at least 10 minutes to do this practice, though you can take more time if you’d like. You can sit cross-legged or on a chair with your feet on the ground. Relax your shoulders and open your chest so your heart center is open to receiving. Place your hands on your knees or thighs with your palms facing the sky (in receiving mode).
    • Spend a minute or two getting relaxed. Unclench your jaw and breathe into any tension you feel in your body. Then, breathe it out. Take a few deep, conscious inhales and exhales before letting your breath steady into a normal, comfortable rhythm.
    • What do you want to manifest? Bring it to the surface now. Visualize a perfect day in which all of your dreams and desires have already come true. Start with seeing yourself waking up. Where are you? How do you feel when you awaken for the day? Picture all the details of where you are, who you’re with, and what you do throughout your day. As you visualize, allow yourself to feel all of the positive emotions of having all your dreams and desires right now. If you want to manifest love, allow yourself to feel truly loved, protected, and cherished. If you want to manifest career success, allow yourself to feel successful, joyful, and thriving. Feel into these positive emotions in every cell of your being. You can even let a soft smile lift your lips if you’d like.
    • Finish your visualization by picturing yourself sitting or laying in bed at night. Breathe in gratitude for this beautiful life you’ve created. Feel grateful for all that you have and all that’s coming. Inhale gratitude and exhale it back into the world. Allow yourself to sit in sincere appreciation for a minute or two as you reflect on your beautiful life.
    • Repeat a few high-vibe affirmations that further increase your vibrations and align you with the positive feelings of having all your dreams and desires.
    • Finish your manifestation meditation by picturing yourself letting go. Visualize your desire as a balloon, a ball of light, a paper lantern, or anything else that feels right to you. Release it into the universe and see it flying up into the starry sky. Watch it until it disappears, then smile and lean into ease knowing that all of your dreams are on their way to you right now.

    Note that you don’t necessarily have to visualize a day in your dream life. If you want to manifest love, you might visualize your perfect first date with your soulmate. You could visualize the moment you realize you’ve fallen in love or your first holiday together. Truly, the possibilities are endless, so feel free to get creative here. You might write down all the scenarios you want to visualize and check them off one at a time.

    Want help getting started with this? Here are a few of my favorite guided visualization meditations in the Insight Timer app:

    Vision Board

    A vision board is a collection of words and/or images that represent your highest self living your ideal life. Common components of a vision board include your career, relationships, home, car, health, wealth, spirituality, lifestyle, hobbies, self-care activities, and anything that represents the life of your dreams. There truly is no limit to what you can include on your vision board as you’re the only one who knows the dreams in your heart.

    Vision boards are typically used for goal-setting purposes and can be a powerful tool in manifestation. They help you to set your intentions and get clear about what exactly it is that you want to manifest into your experience. They can also be used for the purpose of raising your vibration. In fact, this is where a vision board truly shines.

    A vision board isn’t purely about setting goals; it’s about allowing yourself to experience all of the positive feelings of having all of your hopes and dreams right now. Is your board filled with images of travel, adventure, and freedom? Or is your deepest desire to have stability, a beautiful home, and a loving relationship?

    Whatever it is that you dream of, allow yourself to feel all of the positive emotions of having it all right now.

    Allow yourself to feel freedom. To feel love. To feel passion. To feel abundance. Feel all of these positive emotions now, knowing in your heart that everything you desire is already yours.

    When you focus on the lack and absence of your desires, you attract more lack into your current experience. But if you vibrate at the frequency of already living the life of your dreams, you attract more of this beautiful abundance to you.

    And that’s the magic of the vision board.

    It isn’t simply about slapping some pretty images on a poster board and glancing at it from time to time.

    It’s about knowing that you have the power to create your life and showing the Universe exactly what you want – then, through your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, drawing that life to you.

    Here are some tips for creating your own vision board:

    • Think big. When you start to create your vision board, you might be tempted to only add things to it that seem “realistic.” But who actually says what’s realistic and what isn’t? Fill your board with the biggest, most extravagant dreams you’ve got. All of it. Let limits be a part of someone else’s story. You’re the one writing your story. You’re creating your path. You. Are. Limitless.
    • Add quotes. Empowering quotes and affirmations are an often overlooked yet profound part of your vision board. Find quotes and affirmations that truly resonate with you. Add them to your vision board and read them aloud each day.
    • Create in a state of joy. When you create your vision board, try to find a time and place when you’re free from distractions. As you create your board, allow yourself to feel all the positive feelings associated with your dreams. Let joy and peace permeate your being. Know that you’re on the right path, and this is exactly where you’re meant to be.
    • Choose authenticity over perfection. When you create your vision board, you’re not just envisioning your perfect life; what’s more important is creating your authentic life. What feels true to you? Maybe it’s not something that would make sense to anyone else, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to as long as it feels right to you.

    Scripting

    Scripting is the practice of writing about your dreams and desires in story-like form, as if you already possess everything you want to manifest. It’s similar to the visualization practice described above in the meditation section, except instead of sitting and visualizing it all in your mind, you’re writing this vision down on paper.

    If you want to manifest your dream job, you can script a typical day in the life of your dream job as though you already have it right now. If you want to manifest better health, you can write about how it feels to be perfectly healthy, fit, and strong. And if you want to manifest love, you can script a day in the life with your perfect partner, as though this person is already in your life in this moment.

    Like other visualization practices, the key to unlocking the magic of scripting is not just to write the words but to truly feel the positive emotions of already having everything you desire. Allow yourself to feel joyful, peaceful, free, happy, healthy, and loved now. When you invite these feelings into your inner world, you become a magnet for even more positive feelings and experiences to manifest in your outer world.

    If you’d like to learn more about scripting, check out this article, where I explain scripting in detail and also provide you with a free downloadable scripting template to help you get started.

    Start Scripting Your Dream Life With The 30-Day Manifestation Journal

    Do you want to fully immerse yourself in the positive vibrations of all your dreams and desires? Check out 30 Perfect Days, a digital manifestation journal available in my online shop! Each day, you’ll discover a unique scripting prompt that will help you to live as if you already have your dreams and desires right now. Additionally, you’ll find space for daily gratitude, acknowledging the miracles that appear in your everyday world, uplifting affirmations, and more. Comes with editable text fields so you can choose to either type directly into the journal or print and hand write! Click here to learn more!

    scripting journal

    Live As If

    “Living as if” essentially means to live as though you already have received your desired manifestation. You’re already working in your dream career. You already share a life with your soulmate. You already live in the dream house and drive the perfect car. Like other practices, the key is to truly feel the empowering feelings of already having these things in your current experience.

    Find moments throughout your day where you can practice living as if. For instance, let’s say you’re driving home from work. While you’re driving, imagine that you’re driving your dream car. Touch the steering wheel as though this is the steering wheel to the car you’ve always wanted to drive. You might take it a step further by also envisioning that you’re driving home from your dream job. Even just practicing this for five minutes at a time can raise your vibration and help you get into that good feeling place of already having your desires.

    You might continue this practice when you get home. Visualize yourself pulling up to your dream house. Feel excited when you pull into the driveway. Allow yourself to feel immense gratitude for this incredible place you get to call your home.

    You can practice this throughout your day: when you wake up, as you’re driving to work, while you’re shopping at the grocery store, while you’re eating, as you’re getting ready for bed, and any other time it feels right for you. To make it less overwhelming, start with just three to five minutes at a time. Eventually, you might increase this to ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, or even longer. This is a great method for incorporating visualization throughout your day (as opposed to just practicing visualization in one sitting for ten minutes a day).

    Combining Visualization & Positive Affirmations

    Visualization is a powerful practice on its own. Using visualization and positive affirmations is a game changer. This lifts your vibration and fosters mental strength and resilience. By continually visualizing your ideal future and affirming your undeniable worthiness, you train your subconscious brain to believe you already have what you desire.

    When you first start using affirmations, it may feel kind of weird at first. You’ll likely have to continually remind yourself to use them throughout your day. In time, though, you’ll no longer have to remind yourself because it will become second nature. And eventually, you won’t even need to use them at all. Why? Because the empowering words you’re affirming will become part of your subconscious brain – part of the very foundation of who you are, woven into the fabric of your being. You won’t have to affirm that you’re worthy because your inherent worthiness will be so ingrained within you, you’ll already know this at a subconscious level.

    This makes visualization and positive affirmations a powerful pair. If you practice a manifestation meditation, incorporate affirmations into your meditation. If you have a vision board, see if you can have an accompanying affirmation for each image. Continue to practice visualization and repeat positive affirmations so that they come so naturally to you, your brain truly believes you are everything you’re visualizing and affirming. (Because you are. Truly. You are worthy. You are powerful. You are more than enough. You have so much to offer. You really can have it all. You are limitless.)

    You can click here to start exploring the thousands of positive affirmations I share across this site.


    What are your favorite visualization practices? Do you have any tips for how to visualize your deepest dreams and desires? Share your tips and experiences in the comment box below!

    And for more manifesting tips, daily affirmations, and lots of positive vibes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!


    How To Visualize (For Manifestation)
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    Manifestation,  Quotes,  Self Love

    30 Inspirational Vision Board Quotes (With Images)

    Looking to create an empowering vision board that will help you set goals and manifest your dreams? Below, discover 30 inspirational vision board quotes, plus save and print the quote images to add to your vision board and keep you feeling uplifted, inspired, and empowered.

    vision board quotes
    Pin this! 30 Inspiring Vision Board Quotes (With Images)

    What is a Vision Board?

    A vision board is a collection of words and/or images that represent your highest self living your ideal life. Common components of a vision board might include your career, relationships, home, car, health, wealth, spirituality, lifestyle, hobbies, self-care activities, and anything that represents the life of your dreams. There truly is no limit to what you can include on your vision board as you’re the only one who knows the dreams in your heart.

    Vision boards are typically used for goal-setting purposes and can be a powerful tool in manifestation. They help you to set your intentions and get clear about what exactly it is that you want to manifest into your experience. They can also be used for the purpose of raising your vibration. In fact, I think this is where a vision board truly shines.

    A vision board isn’t purely about setting goals; it’s about allowing yourself to experience all of the positive feelings of having all of your hopes and dreams right now. Is your board filled with images of travel, adventure, and freedom? Or is your deepest desire to have stability, a beautiful home, and a loving relationship?

    Whatever it is that you dream of, allow yourself to feel all of the positive emotions of having it all right now.

    Allow yourself to feel freedom. Feel love. Feel passion. Feel abundance. Feel all of these positive emotions now, knowing in your heart that you create your abundance from within.

    When you focus on the lack and absence of your desires, you attract more lack into your current experience. But if you vibrate at the frequency of already living the life of your dreams, you attract more of this beautiful abundance to you.

    And that’s the magic of the vision board.

    It isn’t simply about slapping some pretty images on a poster board and glancing at it from time to time.

    It’s about knowing that you have the power to create your life and showing the universe exactly what it is that you want – then through your thoughts and emotions, drawing that life to you.

    manifestation printables learn more

    How to Make a Vision Board

    When you think of a vision board, you might imagine a poster board or bulletin board covered in images from magazines and/or the internet. And while this is definitely still a powerful way to create your vision board, know that there are other options!

    My first vision board was what I called a “vision web,” and it was simply a sheet of paper with my name in the middle and lines that branched off the circle. At the end of each line, I wrote one to two sentences in present tense that described my dreams (i.e. “I am a writer . . .”). You can start off with something similar, or you can choose to draw your dreams instead of writing them. (Or both!)

    I also like to keep a portable vision board with me at all times on my phone. I do this two ways: through an app and by saving images to a dedicated album in my photos. My app of choice is VisuApp, which allows me to add images, categorize them, and even add empowering affirmations to my photos. In my photos on my phone, I have an album called My Life in which I save photos that resonate with me. These photos range from a beautiful house and my dream kitchen to my dream wardrobe to photos of gorgeous meadows and the night sky, which represent freedom and peace to me.

    And of course, you can definitely print and cut photos, then glue or tape them on a medium as big or small as you’d like, from a poster board to a sheet of paper.

    However you choose to approach your vision board, have fun with it! It’s okay if you forget to add some things or if you change your mind about any of the images you’ve chosen. Your first vision board doesn’t have to be your one and only. You can change it as many times as you need before it finally feels right, and it’s totally normal for some of your dreams to change in time. Especially when you start to realize that some of the things you’ve put on your board have already come true.

    Tips for Creating a Vision Board

    • Think big. When you start to create your vision board, you might be tempted to only add things to it that seem “realistic.” But who actually says what’s realistic and what isn’t? Fill your board with the biggest, most extravagant dreams you’ve got. All of it. Let limits be a part of someone else’s story. You’re the one writing your story. You’re creating your path. You. Are. Limitless.
    • Add quotes. Empowering quotes and affirmations are an often overlooked yet profound part of your vision board. Find quotes and affirmations that truly resonate with you. I’ve included 30 of my favorite vision board quotes below. If any resonate with you, you can add them to your own vision board. You can save any of the images below to your device and add them to the vision board album you create on your phone, or you can print them and add to your physical vision board (or bullet journal).
    • Create in a state of joy. When you create your vision board, try to find a time and place when you’re free from distractions. As you create your board, allow yourself to feel all the positive feelings associated with your dreams. Let joy and peace permeate your being. Know that you’re on the right path, and this is exactly where you’re meant to be.
    • Choose authenticity over perfection. When you create your vision board, you’re not just envisioning your perfect life; what’s more important is creating your authentic life. What feels true to you? Maybe it’s not something that would make sense to anyone else, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to as long as it feels right to you.
    scripting journal

    Vision Board Quotes

    1. “Follow your bliss.”
    vision board quotes

    2. “The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.” – Fabienne Fredrickson

    vision board quotes

    3. “You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

    vision board quotes

    4. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

    vision board quotes

    5. “Always remember, this dream was planted in your heart for a reason.”

    vision board quotes

    6. “Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not.” – Deepak Chopra

    vision board quotes

    7. “Do what brings you to life, then. Follow your fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

    vision board quotes

    8. “I’m on the path. The path is unfolding. It will reveal itself to me in its perfect timing, and all is really well.” – Abraham Hicks

    vision board quotes

    9. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

    vision board quotes

    10. “Your inner knowing always knows the way.”

    vision board quotes

    11. “Believe you deserve it and the Universe will serve it.”

    vision board quotes

    12. “Be the one who decided to go for it.”

    vision board quotes

    13. “What’s coming is better than what is gone.”

    vision board quotes

    14. “Create the life you can’t wait to wake up to.”

    vision board quotes

    15. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

    vision board quotes

    16. “Choose courage over comfort. Choose whole hearts over armor. And choose the great adventure of being brave and afraid. At the exact same time.” – Brene Brown

    inspirational quotes

    17. “You are here to create your very own fairy tale.” – Abraham Hicks

    inspirational quotes

    18. “Perhaps imagination is not where we go to escape reality but where we go to remember it.” – Glennon Doyle

    inspirational quotes

    19. “You’ll see it when you believe it.” – Wayne Dyer

    inspirational quotes

    20. “When we have the courage to walk into our story and own it, we get to write the ending.” – Brene Brown

    inspirational quotes

    21. “What’s yours will find you.”

    inspirational quotes

    22. “Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive.”

    inspirational quotes

    23. “Don’t dance around the perimeter of the person you want to be. Dive deeply and fully into it.” – Gabrielle Bernstein

    inspirational quotes

    24. “Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.” – John Updike

    inspirational quotes

    25. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho

    inspirational quotes

    26. “The only force that can stop me is me.”

    vision board affirmation

    27. “Anything I can imagine, I can create.”

    vision board affirmation

    28. “Trust that feeling. It’s your life force. Your genius. Your destiny screaming to be realized.” – Marie Forleo

    inspirational quotes

    29. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” – Michele Ruiz

    inspirational quotes

    30. “You are what you manifest.”

    inspirational quotes

    Have you ever created a vision board? What’s your favorite way to create your vision board? Share your tips and experiences in the comment box below!

    And for more manifestation tips, plus a daily dose of positive affirmations and self-love, be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest!

    More Quotes and Affirmations:


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    Pin this! 30 Inspiring Vision Board Quotes (With Images)
  • meditation practices for beginners
    Meditation,  Mindfulness

    Meditation Practices For Beginners

    Want to start a meditation practice but unsure where to begin? Here, I list 7 types of meditation practices for beginners, including mindfulness, body scan, visualization, and chakra meditations. I also provide you with links to guided meditations you can try at your home today!

    meditation practices for beginners
    7 Types of Meditation Practices for Beginners

    Meditation

    If you’ve never meditated before, the thought of starting a meditation practice can feel kind of daunting. How do you start? When’s the best time to meditate? How are you supposed to sit, and what the heck do you do with your hands?

    Here’s my overarching answer to all questions about starting a meditation practice: Start where you are with what you have.

    There will never be a perfect time to start meditating, and yet, it is always the perfect time to start meditating. You don’t need any special equipment. You don’t need to wait for a certain time of day. And you definitely don’t need to cultivate the special superpower of being able to clear your brain of thoughts. At most, you just need yourself and a few minutes of quiet.

    Below, I’ve listed seven of the best types of meditation practices for beginners who are new to meditation. While you can definitely choose any of these in any order, I’d recommend starting with mindfulness meditation, as that lays the foundation for so many other types. At the end of each section, I link to associated meditations in the Insight Timer app. Please note that I have absolute no affiliation with the Insight Timer app, or any other meditation-based apps. I objectively chose Insight Timer to highlight for the following reasons:

    Insight Timer Features

    • It offers over 55,000 guided meditations and music tracks for meditation completely free. You can purchase a paid subscription to receive access to courses, but this is not required for meditations. You have total access the 1000s of meditations they provide for free. They also support over 3,000 meditation teachers on their app and website. This page offers great perspective into why I personally use and believe in this app.
    • Because it offers 1000s of free meditations, once you’ve tried your first few meditations, you can freely and easily explore other meditations. You can also bookmark ones that resonate most with you.
    • On top of meditations, it includes music, talks, and a timer feature that allows you to time and track your own unguided meditations. The app also lets you download meditations for offline use.
    • There’s a social media element that allows you to see others who meditated at the same time as you. You can even send them a short message, such as, “Thank you for meditating with me.” But if you don’t like this feature, you can alter your settings and remain private.
    • There’s also several categories broken down by benefits (sleep, healing, health, happiness) and practices (mindfulness, visualization, gentle repetition). Finally, there’s also Beginner Kits to help you when you’re just starting out. (Still, all free.)

    While I’ve linked to the meditations on Insight Timer’s webpage, I’d definitely recommend downloading the app on your phone for easier access.

    (Of course, if you find a different app that you want to use, go for it! You can even try multiple apps and see which one you like best. Also, you don’t need an app to meditate, but it’s definitely helpful when first starting out.)

    Meditation FAQs

    Now, before I get into the different types of meditation practices for beginners, here are some answers to a few more common questions that you may have:

    What time of day should I meditate?

    When I first started, I thought I needed to meditate as soon as I woke up because that’s what I had read in articles and blog posts. Meditating first thing in the morning is a great practice. But so is meditating an hour after you wake up. Or two hours later, at lunch time, before dinner, after dinner, or before bedtime. Basically, anytime you want. So the short answer: There is no right or wrong time to meditate. Do it when you have time and when it feels right for you.

    How should I sit when I meditate? And what do I do with my hands?

    In many of the guided meditations, the teacher will give you some instructions on how to sit, usually giving you a couple options. If you’re on the floor, you can sit cross-legged with your hands on your knees and your palms facing up or down. If you’re on a chair, you can sit with your back straight, hands on knees, legs uncrossed. And it may seem weird, but often, you can lay down as well. It took me a while to try a meditation laying down, but it truly gave me a different and enriching experience. Now, I’ll choose different positions depending on how I feel and what kind of meditation I’m doing.

    What if I can’t clear my mind of thoughts?

    This is one of the biggest misconceptions of meditation and why many people believe meditation isn’t for them. If you listen to just about any meditation teacher, they’ll tell you the same thing: Meditation is not about clearing your mind of thoughts. If it was, I’m not sure any of us, not even the most advanced meditators, would ever succeed. The last thing we want to do is suppress or evade our own thoughts.

    At its heart, meditation (especially practices rooted in mindfulness) is about non-judgmental observation, conscious awareness, and gently rooting ourselves in the present moment. When you’re meditating and your mind strays, don’t berate or speak down to yourself. You are not “wrong” for having a thought. Simply notice. When I first started, I’d use the phrase, “Ah, I’m having a thought.” I imagined I was observing something curious and interesting but that I didn’t need to hold onto. Allow yourself to become an objective observer of your own mind and accept that thought. Then, gently guide your brain back to the present moment.

    Below, I’ve written about seven different types of meditation practices for beginners. I’ve also included associated Insight Timer guided meditations (all 10 to 14 minutes long). Feel free to check them out or find your own meditations, using any of the great apps that are available. But again, you absolutely don’t need an app for meditation. I think they’re extra helpful for beginners, but the only thing you truly need to start meditating today is yourself.

    Mindfulness Meditation

    What exactly is mindfulness meditation? First, let’s look at the word mindfulness. Have you ever gotten lost in thought? Do you find yourself thinking about an event in the recent past and going over all the details? Do you replay old scenes over and over again, getting pulled into those past emotions? Or what about making up scenarios and obsessively playing out scenes of the future that haven’t even happened?

    In one of my previous jobs, as I got ready for work in the morning, I’d think about all the things my boss had done recently that upset me. Then, I’d make up things I imagined he’d do to upset me even more. I was angry, frustrated, and upset—all before even stepping foot out the door!

    Now, can you imagine living a life where you’re always living in the past or future – never in the present?

    (Read More About Mindfulness: What is Mindfulness? Plus 15 Powerful Quotes)

    This is where mindfulness comes in.

    Mindfulness is conscious awareness of the present moment through an unattached, objective, and unemotional lens. Mindfulness allows you to notice when your thoughts have strayed and to gently return them to this present moment. The key here is that you don’t judge yourself for your straying thoughts; it happens to everyone. You can simply notice that you’re having a thought and then release it without judgment.

    A common analogy is to think of it as clouds passing over you in the sky. Imagine you’re laying on the ground looking up at a perfectly blue sky, and a cloud passes above you. “Look, there’s a cloud,” you think. Then it floats out of your vision, and you let it go without attachment.

    In mindfulness meditation, you’re not trying to rid your head of thoughts; you simply notice with objective awareness when you’re having a thought, and then you let it go and return to this present moment.

    So how exactly do you stay grounded in this present moment?

    Most often, it’s through your breath. In many mindfulness practices, you simply keep your focus on your breath coming in and going out of your body. And when you find your thoughts going astray, you return your focus to your breath. In the beginning, it might help you to use numbers or a counting system. For example, for every inhale, you may think a silent one, and for every exhale, you think two. Or you can count to ten: every inhale is an odd number and every exhale is an even number. When you get to ten, you return back to one and start all over again.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    Kate James’ Mindful Awareness Meditation (just under 10 minutes) gently guides you through the act of bringing mindful awareness to your present experience. This is a really wonderful meditation for guiding you through the process of becoming an objective observer of yourself.

    Laurie J. Cameron’s Mindful Breathing With Compassion is a beautiful 10-minute practice that combines mindful breathing with a loving-kindness practice.

    Body Scan Meditation

    Body scan meditation is an extension of mindfulness in that it allows you to consciously notice how different parts of your body are feeling in the present moment without judgment.

    In a body scan meditation, you start at your feet and make your way up, paying attention to the way each body part feels. (If you prefer, you can start at your head and move downward.) Are you carrying tension in this particular body part? Are there any feelings or sensations? Don’t attach any value to your answers. For instance, if you’re feeling tension in your shoulders, don’t label this as bad. Just notice.

    Now, there are differing beliefs on what a person should do next. For some, the act of simply noticing is the goal of this meditation. The reason is that this grounds you in the present moment and cultivates a sense of mindfulness. Others go one step further by consciously releasing the tension they perceive. One way to do this is by breathing into the tension. As you exhale, visualize the tension leaving your body and evaporating into the air. Another technique is to actively tense up your muscles and then relax them. You might also visualize a wave of relaxation flowing through your body.

    While a body scan meditation can be done anytime, it’s especially beneficial in helping you to relax at nighttime. If you find yourself laying in bed at night unable to fall asleep, don’t try to suppress your thoughts. Instead, simply redirect your thoughts. You can do a body scan meditation right there in your bed. Simply relax your muscles and release the tension from each part of your body.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    Wendy Chan’s Mindful Body Scan (just under 11 minutes) is a simple but powerful meditation that gently guides you through noticing the different sensations in your body without any judgment or labeling the sensations as good or bad.

    Tara Brach is one of the most well-known meditation teachers both on and off the Insight Timer app. Her Basic Body Scan & Breath Awareness (11 minutes) is a perfect meditation for beginners.

    Loving Kindness Meditation

    Loving kindness meditations have become one of my unexpectedly favorite types of meditations. Why unexpected? To be honest, when I first read about the concept, I didn’t really get it. So I’m just supposed to wish goodwill for others? Of course that’s something I want to do always, but couldn’t I just inherently do that outside of meditation?

    It took actually experiencing my first loving kindness guided meditation to truly understand the gentle power in this practice.

    What is Loving Kindness?

    The goal of a loving kindness meditation is to extend kindness toward yourself and others in your life. In my first loving kindness guided meditation, I was instructed to visualize I was standing in front of myself. I looked myself in the eyes, and I repeated these words:

    May you be well . . . may you be happy . . . may you live with ease . . . may you know you’re always loved.

    Then, I was instructed to picture someone I loved and cherished deeply standing in front of me and to recite those same words. Next, I visualized someone who I sort of, kind of knew but who I didn’t have any positive or negative feelings toward, such as a grocery store cashier or a neighbor down the street. Again, I envisioned looking them in the eyes and repeating those words. Then, I was guided to envision someone I felt negative feelings toward, to look this person in the eyes, and to recite these same kind and loving words as well. And finally, I extended these words to the entire universe in which I am connected.

    There are many variations of a loving kindness meditation, but at their core, they all promote feelings of love and compassion. Like most types of meditation, I’d advise not to focus on this as the end goal, though. Don’t try to feel love and compassion. Just allow yourself to follow the process and open yourself up to whatever arises. Don’t place any judgement or value on your feelings. Just be.

    Beyond the Meditation

    One great thing about this practice is that you don’t have to be sitting alone in a dark room to practice loving kindness. If you’re a beginner, it helps to do a few guided loving kindness meditations to understand the process and follow some of the different variations of this meditation. Soon, though, you may find different opportunities to engage with these practices.

    For instance, when you’re getting ready in the morning and find yourself feeling stressed about the day ahead, you can look at yourself in the mirror and repeat words of loving kindness. If you have a boss who causes you to feel negative emotions, you can visualize looking them in the eyes and repeating these same words. This doesn’t mean that you agree with or accept the things you may not like about them. What it means is that you have the power to realign with your highest self and to choose love over resentment, anger, or pessimism.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    I love Vanessa Michele’s Loving Kindness For Yourself & Others (10 minutes) to cultivate a sense of love and compassion for yourself and the world around you.

    Camilla Sacre-Dallerup’s Loving Kindness and Compassion (10 1/2 minutes) meditation is a beautiful variation of a traditional loving kindness meditation.

    Visualization/Guided Imagery Meditation

    In a visualization meditation, you focus on a specific visual in your mind’s eye. If you’re doing a guided meditation, your instructor will gently guide you through a series of visuals that you follow in your mind. At its foundation, visualization meditations are still rooted in mindfulness. When you’re practicing a visualization meditation, you may find your mind wandering, thinking about the day ahead or noticing the very loud garbage truck outside your house. (I use that specific example because it happens to me nearly every Monday morning!) It’s okay if your mind wanders. Just notice, then allow yourself to return to the visualization.

    So in a visualization meditation, what exactly are you visualizing? This is where, if you’re someone who likes concrete directions and specific answers, you may get frustrated. Because the truth is, there’s an infinite amount of scenes you may visualize in your mind’s eye.

    For instance, I’ve done a lot of manifestation visualizations. Some of these guide me through visualizing a perfect day in my dream life, while others have taken me to golden waterfalls where abundance is infinite and always flowing. I’ve also done visualizations where I’ve floated down a gentle river and allowed myself to flow effortlessly with the water, trusting where the water takes me. I’ve visualized journeys into my own heart where I explore all of the dark and light inside of me. And I’ve also visualized standing in front of a beautiful ocean and releasing all of my hopes and dreams into the sea, entrusting the water with all of my heart’s desires.

    There are so many visualization meditations available to you, and so many different goals and reasons for why you might perform a visualization meditation, it’d be impossible to list them all here.

    The Key to Visualization

    A key for many visualization meditations is to not only see these scenes playing out in your mind but to experience them with all of your senses. If you find this to be difficult at first, it’s okay. This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong or that you’re not “cut out” for this type of meditation. I encourage you to open yourself to the process and simply let it be whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be a big or overwhelming thing; I’ve experienced many incredible guided visualization meditations that were only ten minutes long.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    Carrie Suwal’s Attracting All That You Desire (10 1/2 minutes) is a powerful meditation for manifestation that includes both visualization and affirmations.

    My overall most-played meditation on the Insight Timer app is Rishika Anya’s Breaking Through Limiting ThoughtForms (just under 11 minutes). This is a powerful visualization meditation to help you break through limiting thoughts that no longer serve your ultimate wellbeing.

    Affirmations Meditation

    Affirmations meditations are generally pretty straightforward. These are guided meditations in which a teacher recites a series of affirmations, and you repeat these affirmations, either silently or aloud. Often times, a meditation dedicated to reciting affirmations will focus on a specific topic. Some of the guided affirmation meditations you may find include affirmations for abundance, self-love, worthiness, and health. You can also find morning affirmations specifically dedicated to cultivating a positive mindset for the day ahead. There are even affirmation meditations dedicated to specific topics such as childbirth.

    Usually, the teacher will advise you on how to follow along with these affirmations. Sometimes, instead of repeating them, you simply breathe into each one and feel them into your being.

    Note that you may encounter affirmations in other types of meditations as well. For instance, in a guided visualization meditation for manifestation, the teacher may include affirmations to affirm your worthiness of beautiful abundance in your life.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    Liza Colpa’s Manifestation & Affirmation Practice To Gain Confidence (12 minutes) is a perfect one for utilizing both visualization and affirmations to guide you in your personal growth. I absolutely love all of Liza’s meditations, so if you like this one, I’d definitely recommend checking out her others as well.

    Karen Wang’s Words of Affirmation (10 minutes) beautifully guides you through a series of affirmations for self-confidence and empowerment.

    Chakra Meditation

    Chakras are your body’s spiritual energy centers. When our chakras are unblocked, energy flows freely within our body, mind, and spirit, and we feel a sense of alignment and peacefulness. When a chakra is blocked, we feel imbalanced, and this often manifests in negative physical, emotional, and spiritual symptoms (anxiety, creativity blocks, and digestive issues, for instance).

    There’s truly so much to talk about when it comes to chakras, so I’ve created this beginner’s guide to understanding and unblocking your chakras. And if you want to learn more, here’s some further reading from one of my go-to sites, the Chopra Center.

    Chakra meditation usually focuses on unblocking any blocked chakras so energy can flow freely. Some meditations will focus on increasing awareness and unblocking one specific chakra, while others do an overview of all the chakras. Below is a list of the chakras, their associated colors, and their locations within your body:

    • Root: Red, at the base of your spine.
    • Sacral: Orange, at your lower abdomen.
    • Solar Plexus: Yellow, above your belly button, below the chest.
    • Heart: Green, at your heart.
    • Throat: Blue, in your throat area.
    • Third-eye: Indigo, on your forehead, between your eyebrows.
    • Crown: Violet, at the top of your head.

    If this is your first introduction to chakras, I’d recommend starting with a meditation that guides you through all of the chakras and their different colors. Once you feel like you have a good foundational understanding of chakras, you can search for guided meditations that focus on unblocking a specific chakra.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners

    Dexter and Alessandrina’s Personal Transformation: Energy Centers Chakra Discovery is a 12-minute guided meditation that leads you through each chakra in your body and its associated color. It’s a really great one for beginners!

    Carrie Suwal, who I mentioned above in the Visualization Meditation section, has some beautiful chakra meditations that focus on trauma, depression, healing the heart, anxiety, and overall balancing. Note that most of these are a little longer than the others that I’ve listed, but if you’re drawn to gentle voices like I am, I think you’ll really love Carrie’s soft and tenderhearted guidance.

    Mantra Meditation

    Out of all the meditations I’ve listed here, I have the least amount of experience with mantra meditations. But I wanted to include it because it’s a great alternative to the standard mindfulness meditation. In a mantra meditation, you focus on a word or a single syllable (and sometimes a phrase) for the entirely of the meditation. If you focus on a word, this word has no meaning. You wouldn’t say something like love, kind, peace, or any other word you have a connection to. Often, this word may not even be in the same language you speak. Some common examples of syllables or words you may repeat include om and ram.

    (Okay, because I’m one that doesn’t like labeling anything in meditation as “right” or “wrong,” I concede that there are mantra meditations out there that will use a word that holds meaning to you, such as love or peace, and while you may receive a different type of experience, there is nothing inherently bad about this!)

    During your meditation, you’ll repeat your chosen mantra (or the one your instructor has provided for you) over and over again. There is no rush here. Keep a smooth, relaxed, even tone. Focus on the sound of the mantra, and when your mind wanders, bring yourself back to the sound, just as you would in a standard mindfulness meditation practice.

    As in all of the types of meditation listed here, you’ll likely find variations of this practice depending on the teacher. I’d recommend starting out with a guided meditation for this one, but after a couple times, this is one type of meditation that you may feel more comfortable trying without guidance.

    Insight Timer Guided Meditation Practices for Beginners:

    One of the first mantra meditations I ever tried was Dexter and Alessandrina’s Ganesha Mantra Meditation for Removing Obstacles (14 minutes). I’d recommend trying out some of the other meditation practices I’ve listed above before this one, but when you’re ready to try something different, this offers a really unique and powerful experience.

    Hannah Leatherbury’s Mantra of Peace is nine-minute meditation that uses a phrase in the Sanskrit language that translates to “Lead me from the unreal to the real; Lead me from darkness (ignorance) to light (wisdom); Lead me from death (limitation) to life everlasting (freedom).” She also has a beautiful five-minute Mantra of Wholeness.


    This is the first of several posts I’ll be releasing on meditation practices for beginners. If you have any specific questions or topics you’d like to see addressed, feel free to leave your requests in the comments below or send me a note through the Contact form. Also, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates on new blog posts and receive an uplifting message in your inbox every Monday morning.

    Looking for more tips and tricks?

    The incredibly talented Liz from Liz in Lotus has put together an awesome in-depth and comprehensive guide to all the basics of meditation for beginners! Her post includes tips on how to start a meditation practice and links to guided meditations (and more!). Check out Meditation Basics For Beginners: Benefits And Ultimate How-To Guide at Liz in Lotus today!

    meditation practices for beginners
    7 Types of Meditation Practices for Beginners
  • journal prompts for manifestation
    Manifestation

    10 Journal Prompts for Manifestation

    Below are ten powerful journal prompts for manifestation, designed to aid you in creating your dream life. These prompts are filled with visualization, affirmations, gratitude practices, and lots of self love. Keep an open mind and an open heart as you start each journaling entry, and remember that you are worthy and deserving of living the joyful and abundant life of your dreams.

    Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product using my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

    Journal Prompts for Manifestation
    Pin this for later! 10 Journal Prompts for Manifestation

    Getting Started With Journaling

    Journaling is one of the most powerful and underrated tools we have in our toolkit to create the lives of our dreams. Admittedly, I’ve even overlooked it in previous blog posts, even though I write in my journal every single morning. Historically, I’ve gravitated toward thirty minutes of free writing, but recently, I’ve discovered that using journal prompts has helped me to reframe my perspective in ways that I hadn’t on my own. These prompts have also led me to inspired ideas and new areas of self-discovery.

    When you decide to step into your power and manifest your dream life, journaling isn’t a requirement by any means. However, it’s an incredible tool that will add value to your journey as well as solidify your intentions. I use techniques such as visualization and affirmations in meditation and my daily life, but there’s something concrete and tangible about describing these visualizations and writing out my affirmations on a piece of lined notebook paper.

    When Should You Journal?

    I like to journal first thing in the morning as I sip my first cup of coffee of the day, as I find it allows me to start my day on the right foot and gets me in the frame of mind I want to be in. However, you can journal anytime it feels right for you. Sometimes, we have to fit it in when we can, and there can also be something rewarding about closing your night with a journal entry and feeling those positive vibes before you drift off to sleep.

    (Side Note: My journaling practice started with learning about Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” technique from her acclaimed book, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I can’t overstate how much this book changed my life. While this method doesn’t use prompts, it was super helpful in helping me to establish journaling as a habit.)

    Do You Need Any Special Tools?

    Definitely not!

    I like to keep it simple, so I use these simple yet elegant Mead notebooks for much of my freehand, non-guided journaling.

    Now, if you want to take it a step further, there are some really awesome manifesting journals you can purchase that will provide you with daily quotes, guidance, and prompts as you walk forward on your manifesting journey. I absolutely love Steven Canyon’s Law of Attraction 100-Day Guided Manifestation Journal for this purpose. For one, the workbook is absolutely beautiful. You can write in it, but it’s so pretty, you almost don’t want to! Secondly (and more importantly), it’s filled with thought-provoking, high-vibe questions along with uplifting affirmations. This one’s an absolute must for creating success in your manifesting journey.

    Download 30 Perfect Days: A 30-Day Manifestation Journal Today!

    Are you looking for a manifestation journal you can start using today? Check out 30 Perfect Days, a digital manifestation journal available in my online shop! This 30-day manifestation journal is designed to help you align with the emotions of having your dreams and desires in the present moment. Each day, you’ll receive a unique scripting prompt that will help you to live as if you already have your dreams and desires right now. Additionally, you’ll find space for daily gratitude, acknowledging the miracles that appear in your everyday world, uplifting affirmations, and more. Comes with editable text fields so you can choose to either type directly into the journal or print and hand write! Click here to learn more!

    scripting journal

    Manifestation Journal Prompts

    Below are 10 powerful journal prompts for manifestation, designed to help you create the beautiful, joyful, and abundant life of your dreams. These journal prompts for manifestation can be completed in any order you want, and you can even choose the ones you like best to do multiple times. (I do the visualizations weekly!)

    Journal Prompt: Visualization of Your Dream Life

    Write the details of a full day in your dream life. Use the present tense. (“I am . . . “; “I wear . . .”; “As I walk through my home, I notice . . .”) Where do you wake up? Who are you with? What does your morning routine look like? Describe the details of your home. Where is it located? What do you do during your day? What do you wear? Where do you go during the day? If you work, what kind of job do you have? What are the predominant emotions you feel throughout the day? Use all your senses; describe what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. How do you feel when you go to sleep? What are your last thoughts before falling into a peaceful slumber?

    Be as detailed as possible, and remember to keep an open mind to any and all possibilities. This is your dream life. You’re the creator. Let your inner knowing guide you through your vision.

    Why It Works: The first step of manifesting is to set an intention. In order to create the life of your dreams, you first have to get clear about what you want. In manifestation, you don’t need to know how you’re going to achieve your dream. Rather, you just need to know what it is that you want. This practice will help you to gain a clearer vision of exactly what your dream life looks like. It will also help you to feel all of the positive vibrations of having your dreams in the present moment, allowing you to become a magnet for your desires.

    Journal Prompt: Gratitude

    Write down everything you’re grateful for today. There is nothing too small or too offbeat to write about. If you wish, you can use the prompt, “I am grateful for ___ because _____” to discuss each item in detail. If you get stuck, consider writing about different people in your life. You can also discuss various objects in your home or moments of your life that you’re grateful for. Nothing’s off limits here. You can even discuss adversity and hardships that brought you growth.

    Why It Works: Gratitude is the foundation for all abundance. When I began consciously cultivating a daily gratitude practice and shifted my default perspective from one of lack to one of appreciation for all that I have, my life completely transformed. All of the things I’d written on my vision board that once seemed so far away were suddenly in my grasp. The quickest and easiest (and most joyful) way to get everything you want is to just love and appreciate all that you already have. As Rumi wrote, “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” For more on gratitude, check out 53 gratitude journal prompts to cultivate joy and love here.

    Journal Prompt: Body Appreciation

    Write down a list of everything you’re grateful for about your body. Consider each body part: each muscle, limb, organ, and system that keeps you going throughout your life. If you’d like, you can choose a few body parts to write several sentences on (such as the mouth that shows your radiant smile and allows you to taste yummy food). Here are some examples:

    “I am grateful for my eyes because they allow me to _________.”

    “I am grateful for my heart because it is __________.”

    “Today, I really appreciate my legs because they __________.”

    Why It Works: Same as #2, but this time, we’re focusing solely on your body. Why? Because your body is your home. It’s what you live in every single day. It’s an incredible gift to have these bodies. To have working lungs and a beating heart. Yet, so many of us tear our bodies apart. Whether or not your intended manifestation relates to your body, cultivating a deep love and appreciation for your body (and treating it like an ally, not an enemy) will only serve to open up space for your manifestations to happen faster. It’s time to stop fighting against yourself and start celebrating every single worthy and loved part of you. Here are 42 body-positive affirmations to help you get started!

    manifestation printables learn more

    Journal Prompt: Speak to Your Younger Self

    Imagine that the five-year-old you is standing in front of you, and in your mind’s eye, envision looking into the eyes of your younger self. Now write positive affirmations to this younger version of you as if you’re speaking directly to them. Tell them how worthy, deserving, and loved they are. Deliver them positive and supportive messages. Speak with wholehearted love, kindness, and compassion. This entire journal entry is dedicated to affirming your worthiness.

    Why It Works: In order to manifest your desires, you have to truly believe in yourself. And most importantly, you must believe that you are worthy and deserving of your dreams. I chose to have you speak to your younger self because it allows you to let down your guard. Sometimes, we have a hard time telling ourselves that we deserve joy, but when you look into the eyes of your childhood self, it becomes easier. If you’d rather look into your own eyes as an adult, or choose a different age, please do whatever feels best for you! For extra inspiration, check out my post, 65 Positive Affirmations for Manifestation.

    Journal Prompt: Passion and Purpose

    What drives you? What lights up your heart? Where are you happiest? What activities make you feel most joyful and alive? Write about the things that you feel passionate about. These can be dreams, causes, groups of people, or important messages you want the whole world to know. Write with passion and conviction. What’s important to you? Only you know what makes your soul feel alive. There’s no right or wrong answer. As you write about your passions and dreams, consider ways you might be able to combine these different passions into a career or pastime that will make your heart soar.

    Why It Works: You have a unique set of skills and passions that make you you. Do you love to write? Are you passionate about fitness? Does it light up your soul to help others? When you write about your passions, you open yourself up to inspired ideas. For instance, writing is one of my passions. I spent years writing fiction stories, and while I enjoyed it, there was always something missing. Finally, I asked myself, what else am I passionate about? The things that make my soul light up are supporting other women and helping people to reach their dreams (and to gently and compassionately guide them so they know they’re worthy of their dreams). When I combined writing with these passions, finally, magic happened.

    Journal Prompt: New Perspectives

    Write in detail about your day yesterday (or a recent day that you can remember vividly). Who did you see and speak to? What did you eat? Did you drive anywhere? What movies, TV shows, or sports events did you watch? What moments brought you joy? Discuss any obstacles or hardships you encountered throughout the day. How can you reframe these negative experiences positively? What did you learn from these moments? How did you grow? Even if yesterday felt like a crummy day, write about it as if it was actually a really great day. This isn’t asking you to suppress the bad. Rather, consider choosing a different perspective when possible. For instance, maybe standing in line at the grocery store for what felt like an eternity or hitting all those red lights were really opportunities to pause and breathe. What happened during this day that you’re grateful for?

    Why It Works: This ties back to #1 and #2: gratitude. Our lives are the sums of stories that we tell ourselves. And in manifestation, you attract what you put out in the world. So if you believe that you’ve had bad day after bad day after bad day, you know what you’ll attract? More bad days. But if you shift your perspective and choose to view these days as positive opportunities and experiences that you feel grateful for, you know what’ll happen then? You’ll receive more positive opportunities and wonderful experiences to feel grateful for. You don’t have to suppress the bad stuff. Rather, consider all the ways these “bad” things helped you to grow.

    Journal Prompt: Your Highest and Most Authentic Self

    Envision your highest and most authentic self. This is the real you—the greatest and most loving version of you. What is your highest and most authentic self like? How do you make other people feel? How do you move about your day? Are you energetic or calm? How do you speak? How do you walk? What’s your aura like when you walk into a room? What kinds of activities do you do? Do you move fast or slow? What types of clothes do you wear that make you feel good? If you’d like, you may envision a typical day in your life, and imagine how your highest self would react to the various ups and downs of your day.

    Why It Works: This ties back in with visualization. It helps you get clear on what you want and who you want to be. I also have found that having a picture of my highest self has served me in my daily life as I’ve dealt with various interactions, made important decisions, and chosen how to spend my day. Whenever I’m unsure about something, I can ask, “What would my highest and most authentic self do in this situation?” Your highest self is the person living your dream life, so by making the same decisions that this version of you would make, you’re choosing the path that leads directly to your dreams (and becoming the person you dream of being).

    Journal Prompt: Celebrate You

    What are your favorite things about yourself? What are your talents? In what ways are you an awesome friend? What makes you a good employee and/or manager? What makes you a good partner? List some of your superpowers. This is the day to celebrate you. Compliment yourself. Write about the compliments other people give you. And accept those compliments! If you get stuck, write down some positive affirmations. Affirm your worthiness! If you need some help coming up with affirmations, you can download my free ebook, 400 Powerful Affirmations Designed to Uplift, Inspire, and Empower Your Highest Self.

    Why It Works: When you believe in yourself, the rest of the world will have no choice but to believe in you, too. You deserve to be loved, and you deserve to be celebrated. You. Are. Enough. Accepting compliments is hard for many of us, so it’s important to start practicing now! Why? Because when someone compliments you and you deny their words, you’re showing the universe that you don’t really believe in yourself—that you don’t really want this positivity in your life. But when you stand tall and own your worthiness, you’re showing the universe that you are deserving of every kind word and more. That opens you up to receiving more kindness, more generosity, and more positivity and goodness. Start celebrating yourself today; it will take you further than you can ever imagine. (And also, you’re worth it!)

    manifestation workbook guide learn more

    Journal Prompt: Envision Your Success

    What would I do today if I knew I wouldn’t fail? List out all of the things you would do today if you knew undoubtedly that you would succeed. As you write, visualize your success. Imagine how this will feel and write out these feelings. Don’t limit yourself, and don’t hold back. Remember that you cannot fail!

    Why It Works: More visualization, but this time, it’s a little closer, as these are all the things that you would do today if you knew you couldn’t fail. As I said earlier, you don’t need to figure out the how when it comes to manifesting. The universe will always guide you to the next step when the time is right, and you’ll always know that it’s right by the way it feels. Notice how you feel as you write. Do any of these fearless steps feel really good? One of my all-time favorite quotes is by Jack Canfield: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” Our fears sometimes prevent us from taking the next step, but if you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

    Journal Prompt: Letting Go

    In what areas of my life are there things I can let go of in order to make room for new opportunities and exciting possibilities? What things am I justifying keeping, and why? When you let go of a job, person, belief, or another aspect of your life that may be holding you back, it’s easy to see what you’ll lose but hard to see what you might gain. Focus on the possibilities and experiences you might gain by letting go of the things that are holding you back.

    Why It Works: In order to allow new people, experiences, opportunities, and resources into our lives, we need to make space for them. Sometimes, there are people, experiences, or things that once served our growth, but now they no longer contribute to our total wellbeing. Identifying these things is the first step. Letting go is the next, often more difficult step. I’ve let go of friendships, jobs, and even entire cities during my journey, and while it was never easy, it opened up space for new incredible people and experiences to enter my life. It isn’t always easy, but when you know in your heart that it’s the right choice, it’s always worth it.


    And there you have it: 10 powerful journal prompts for manifestation. How’d that go? If you have your own great journal prompts for manifestation, comment down below! I’d love to hear what kinds of prompts and techniques have worked for you.

    And for more manifesting tips, daily affirmations, and lots of positive vibes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram! And don’t forget to check out the Dreams, Goals & Manifestation Printables and The Ultimate Manifestation Workbook, available now in my online shop!

    Looking for more journal prompts for manifestation? Turn any of these visualization prompts into your next journal entry!

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    Journal Prompts for Manifestation
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    Manifestation

    9 Powerful Tools for Manifesting Your Future

    Want to become the author of your life story? You already have everything you need inside of you to make it happen. In this post, I share nine powerful tools for manifesting your future. And the best part? They’re all completely free.

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    Pin this for later! 9 Powerful Tools for Manifesting Your Future

    Tools for Manifesting Your Future

    What does your dream life look like?

    Does it involve living in a beautiful home surrounded by a loving family? Or are you more of the vanlife type, wanting nothing more than to travel the country on four wheels? Is there a dream career you’ve always envisioned for yourself? Or maybe it’s not a specific “thing” you’re looking for. Maybe it’s a feeling: freedom, peace, joy, abundance, passion, love.

    Whatever it is, there is no right or wrong answer. The “dream life” looks different for everyone.

    For me, it’s always meant being a writer. For years, when people asked me what I did for a living, I politely and passionlessly spoke about my comfortable office job while internally wishing I could say, “I’m a writer.

    You see, I’ve had a dream of being a writer since I was seven years old, but for the past decade, I worked in jobs that left me feeling empty and unfulfilled because I didn’t believe I was worthy of living the life of my dreams. I knew I wanted to make a change, but I didn’t know how. That’s when I started learning about the Law of Attraction.

    It seemed . . . interesting.

    I liked the idea, but my inner skeptic had a louder voice than my inner believer, so it took some time for me to go all in. But as I slowly released the skepticism and doubt, I began practicing the concepts I learned about. And on this journey, I discovered the tools to help me quit my day job and start living the life I truly dreamed of—a life where I knew I was worthy of anything and everything I desired.

    And the best part?

    I already had every single one of these tools inside me. I just had to learn how to use them.

    Below, I share nine powerful tools for manifesting your future. These are the practices I used for discovering my inner worthiness and creating my dream life. While you don’t have to do every single item on this list daily, I encourage you to keep an open heart and an open mind as you embark on this journey to manifest the life of your dreams.

    manifestation printables learn more

    Tool #1: Visualization

    To create the life you desire, you first have to know what you want.

    If there were no limits or constrictions, what would you be doing in your dream life? Where would you live? Who would be surrounding you? What primary emotions would you feel? What does your highest and most authentic self look like?

    Perhaps there’s no greater example of the power of visualization than how it’s helped Michael Phelps to achieve Olympic glory. It’s no secret that Phelps put in many long hours of practice, sometimes without a single day off for years at a time. But what you may not know is his commitment to practicing visualization.

    For months before a big event, Phelps spends two hours a day undergoing mental rehearsal to prepare for an upcoming race. He visualizes both the good and the bad, and he sees himself overcoming obstacles to win the race. By the time he actually dives into the pool the day of the race, he’s already swum it hundreds of times in his mind.

    So why do elite athletes and performers commit so much time to visualization? It may have something to do with the way our brains work. You see, your brain can’t actually tell the difference between the powerful visualization and reality; it has the same activity whether you’re physically doing the action or envisioning it in your mind.

    How to Visualize

    You don’t need to be a world champion athlete to utilize visualization to enhance your life. Set aside ten minutes every day to close your eyes, and visualize yourself achieving your goals. What does it feel like? Joyful? Peaceful? Freeing? Feel those emotions. Utilize all your senses. See yourself living that dream life. Listen, touch, taste, smell. Like Phelps, you can even imagine some worst-case scenarios and visualize yourself overcoming these obstacles.

    Once you start this daily practice, you’ll be amazed at the transformative effects it has on your life.

    To illustrate the power of visualization, watch this Tedx talk by Ashanti Johnson on how her daily practice of visualization changed not only her life but ultimately the lives of her community through her work.

    Tool #2: Gratitude

    I used to have a lot of “bad” days.

    You know the ones: those days where you come home from work feeling completely drained and defeated. Every single bit of your mental energy is consumed by running through the terrible things that happened. And then you might even make up imaginary conversations between yourself and your boss or colleagues, just to upset yourself even more.

    It was exhausting.

    Thankfully, I found a powerful tool to help me get past this negative mindset and release my bad days:

    Gratitude.

    I learned to re-frame my default perspective from one of frustration and negativity to one of appreciation.

    How to Practice Gratitude

    The best thing about a gratitude practice is that you can literally do it anywhere and at anytime. You can have a gratitude journal if you want, or you can commit to finding things in your current experience to feel grateful for.

    I don’t always succeed, but I try practice gratitude first thing when I wake up. It might look something like this:

    Every morning, I wake up in a warm and safe bed with a healthy body. I have working lungs and a strong heart. I have the privilege of experiencing this world with all of my senses. I’m surrounded by family and friends who really love me. I have food in the pantry. My car runs. The air I breathe is clean. The water I drink is pure. I have a safe home.

    Every single day, I can create an endless list of things to feel grateful for just by opening my eyes.

    It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Choosing gratitude over suffering. But I’m here to tell you, it’s more than just nice. It’s life transforming. My daily practice of gratitude has become more than just a way to reframe my perspective.

    The truly incredible thing is, I’ve found that the more I feel grateful, the more things flow into my life to feel grateful for.

    When I look around me now, I don’t see things that are breaking; I see everything coming together. Even when something doesn’t go my way, I can instantly recognize it as an opportunity. Ten times out of ten, it just means my path is leading me to somewhere better.

    Living the life of your dreams doesn’t start with external world around you. It starts internally. By changing your perspective and viewing your life through a lens of inherent appreciation and gratitude, you open yourself up to receiving even more opportunities, experiences, people, and things to feel grateful for.

    If you want to start a gratitude practice in your daily routine, check out these 40 gratitude affirmations to love this moment right now.

    Tool #3: Giving

    All the good you put out into the world always comes back to you.

    This is the concept that first made me want to learn more about the Law of Attraction. I’ve always believed in karma, though I usually associated it with the negative i.e. if you do something bad, it’ll come back to haunt you. I never really flipped that statement on its head and thought that the good stuff could come back to me, too.

    It’s important to know that you don’t just have to give money, which is likely the first thing a lot of us think about when we hear the word giving. However, giving isn’t solely about finances.

    When you think about what you can give, think about things that make you feel good.

    Sometimes, the best thing you can give to another person is simply your presence. You want to know where I started?

    With my smile.

    I’m an avid runner, and I love running through the beautiful Boise parks. I used to never run without a baseball cap and sunglasses, even on a cloudy day. My sole mission was to avoid contact with people at every corner. One day, though, I consciously decided to take off the sunglasses and let myself be seen. When I crossed paths with another runner or a group of walkers or a family, I’d glance over, and if we locked eyes, I’d offer a smile. And you know what happened?

    People smiled back.

    Sometimes, they smiled first. Kids offered high fives and cheers. Other runners would share motivation and encouragement, and I’d share it back. I truly felt like I was part of a community, and it felt really good. The more I put out there, the more I got back, and this has extended to all facets of my life.

    How to Practice Giving

    Give what you can. Give what you want to give. Give what makes you feel good. And watch in awestruck wonder as all of the wonderful things you’ve given come back to you in magical and miraculous ways.

    manifestation workbook guide learn more

    Tool #4: Affirmations

    When’s the last time you told yourself you were worthy of something? When’s the last time you said, “I deserve ________”? That blank can be filled with anything: I deserve love. I deserve joy. I deserve to live the life of my dreams.

    Does it feel kind of weird to say you deserve something?

    I know it did for me. I felt like it was somehow the “wrong” thing to say, like I wasn’t being humble enough. In fact, in order to get over the icky feelings, I had to reframe it through the lens of people I cared about. It was easy for me to say that my best friend deserves joy or that my nieces and nephews deserve unconditional love. If I could say all these good things about people I loved, why couldn’t I say them about me?

    How to Practice Affirmations

    Affirmations are unbelievably powerful. For me, affirmations began as a conscious daily practice. I read through different affirmations and found the ones that resonated most with me. Then, I dedicated myself to repeating those affirmations in the car or while I was getting ready in the morning.

    Affirmations are a way to reprogram the subconscious mind, so with time, we truly become the things we’re affirming. The key is always to use the present tense. It’s not, “When I get the [job/partner/opportunity] of my dreams, I’ll be worthy.” You are worthy. Right now. You don’t have to wait to affirm your worth. It’s the best and easiest thing you can do for yourself in this moment right now.

    If you want help getting started on incorporating affirmations into your life, you can check out my free ebook, 400 Powerful Affirmations to Uplift, Inspire, and Empower Your Highest Self. You can also check out the Affirmations section in my blog. I’d also recommend starting with this blog post on how to use affirmations so they actually work.

    Tool #5: Meditation

    You don’t have to meditate to create the life you desire. But for me, meditation has transformed my view of myself and the world in a way that I don’t think would’ve ever happened if I hadn’t started meditating.

    Beginning a daily practice of meditation taught me how to accept and receive love, slow down, appreciate the seemingly negative experiences, affirm my worthiness, and witness and understand my own thoughts in a way I never had before. If you haven’t meditated before, I know it can seem intimidating at first. It was for me. Just remember, the goal of meditation isn’t to clear or suppress your thoughts.

    All you have to do is sit, observe, and be present. One day at a time. One minute at a time. One breath at a time. Nothing more. Nothing less.

    You don’t have to do or become anything when you meditate. You don’t have to try. All you have to do is just be.

    To learn more about how to do a meditation specifically for manifesting your dreams, click here.

    Awesome Meditation Apps

    Tool #6: Habits

    While it’s definitely possible to make big transformations and start living your dream life in a very short amount of time, the most transformative long-term shifts come when you cultivate daily habits.

    When discussing major shifts and transformations, we tend to discuss that “one big thing” that happened and often gloss over the small, consistent improvements we make on a daily basis. But in his book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement . . . They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous. It is only when looking back two, five, or perhaps ten years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent.

    How to Begin Cultivating New Habits

    When you want to build a new habit, start small. The easier you make it, the more likely it will stick. When I started meditating, I committed to just ten minutes in the mornings before work. With many of the other practices on this list, I actually found ways to combine them with things I was already doing in my daily life. For instance, I’d repeat positive affirmations while getting ready in the morning or driving to the grocery store. Same with my gratitude practice. It was nothing big or overly complicated—just subtle but powerful shifts in my conscious thinking.

    You don’t have to wait for a big, life-changing event to start incorporating these practices in your life. As Clear writes, “If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses, and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.

    Tool #7: An Abundance Mentality

    In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey characterizes an abundance mentality as the belief that there are enough resources for everyone to share.

    This is opposed to the scarcity mindset, which is rooted in the belief that we’re all competing for a limited amount of resources.

    A person with an abundance mindset will celebrate and rejoice in the successes of others, while a person with a scarcity mindset will feel bitter and resentful toward another’s accomplishments because they believe this decreases their own opportunities for success.

    When you view resources as being limited, the feeling of competition arises. Because there seemingly isn’t enough to go around, you become reluctant to share your resources or knowledge to another for fear that someone else’s success means you will have less opportunities. When you see someone succeed, you see that slice of the pie getting smaller, and instead of feeling happy for their success, you feel resentful and envious.

    It doesn’t sound pleasant, and it doesn’t feel very good either.

    And there’s a reason it doesn’t feel good: because these negative feelings of scarcity aren’t aligned with who you really are. You are not a resentful, envious, bitter person. But this scarcity mindset has become so ingrained in our culture, it sometimes feels like it’s all we’ve ever known.

    How I Developed an Abundance Mentality

    By recognizing the limiting beliefs I’ve held around scarcity and gently releasing them from my consciousness, I’ve been able to cultivate a mindset of abundance and find true joy in other’s successes. I’ve learned that nobody else’s abundance can take from my own, and my abundance can’t take from anyone else. There’s true joy and freedom in living a life where resources are infinite and abundant rather than constantly trying to compete for what we perceive as a small cut of the pie.

    To quote Covey, “When people are genuinely happy at the successes of others, the pie gets larger.

    Related: How to Overcome a Scarcity Mindset: 3 Simple and Effective Practices

    Tool #8: A Prosperity Mindset

    Also could be called An Abundance Mindset, Part Two.

    Okay, maybe that’s cheating, but I wanted to differentiate a Prosperity Mindset from an Abundance Mindset for a couple reasons. I view an abundance mentality as the belief there are enough resources for everyone while a prosperity mindset is a personal, strongly held belief you have toward yourself.

    A prosperity mindset is the story you tell yourself about your own wealth and ability to create anything you want in your life.

    A prosperity mindset is the belief that you are abundant now.

    Developing a Prosperity Mindset

    How do you develop a prosperity mindset? By not waiting for “one day” to get here. To be abundant, you have to feel abundant. Feel it now. Don’t wait until you get that promotion or job offer. Don’t wait until you have a million dollars in your bank account. Stop waiting for something to happen. Feel abundant today. Feel successful today. Feel joyful today. Feel peaceful, calm, free, lighthearted, exuberant, wealthy. . . whatever it is you’re working toward, feel it right now. That’s how you develop a prosperity mentality. Feel the feelings of having everything you want and believe you are that person.

    Tool #9: Compassion

    Honestly, I don’t think most people lack compassion. Humans are innately compassionate beings. We’re compassionate toward our loved ones and our pets. We’re compassionate toward other suffering beings. We’re compassionate toward this earth.

    But when was the last time you were compassionate with yourself?

    Finding the grace to be compassionate with myself has been one of my longest and bumpiest journeys. When I first learned about the Law of Attraction, I focused on perfecting all the tools I had learned about. I visualized. I cultivated a positive mindset. I made sure I had good thoughts and felt good feelings so all that positivity would come back to me. I was certain I was going to be an A+ student.

    So what happened when I had a bad day or when a negative thought (or a stream of negativity) overtook my brain?

    I became a mess.

    I felt like a failure. I felt like I was now opening up a Pandora’s Box of terrible things to happen to me.

    You see, my problem was that I was trying too hard to be perfect. I had dove straight into the water without a life vest, so I had nothing to keep me afloat when things went wrong. Eventually, I discovered that the life vest I needed was self-compassion. Self-compassion is allowing for and accepting your imperfections. Self-compassion is speaking to yourself with loving kindness, even when you don’t feel particularly good. Self-compassion is accepting and receiving love from yourself and others right now, just as you are, and knowing you don’t need to do or achieve anything to deserve that love.

    You are always deserving.


    Are You Ready to Start Manifesting?

    While these nine tools for manifesting will help you to bring your dream into your reality, I want to highlight the most important link between all of thee practices:

    Mindset.

    Before anything else, you must believe you are worthy, deserving, and capable of living the life of your dreams.

    And if you don’t get it 100% perfect all of the time, that’s okay. Be gentle with yourself. Go slow. Don’t try to pile everything into one day and be the “best” at everything. Allow yourself to enjoy the journey. Recognize that the seemingly bad moments are truly just opportunities to learn and grow and appreciate.

    To be honest, I mess up a lot. Negative thoughts sometimes slip into my consciousness. I sometimes choose frustration over gratitude. And in these moments, #9 becomes even more important. Be deeply compassionate with yourself. Instead of repressing the bad and pretending it doesn’t exist in order to fit a false idea of perfection, recognize when you have a negative thought, gently probe its roots, and as you realize the thought no longer serves you, kindly release it from service.

    And remember, none of us are doing this alone. Find your tribe, and if you don’t feel like you have anyone you can talk to, you have me. I’m here. I’m listening. I will be that voice of loving kindness and compassion on days you can’t find it within yourself.

    I know it isn’t always easy, but never forget, you are worthy and deserving of living the life of your dreams.

    scripting journal

    For more resources on spirituality, meditation, manifestation, and all things self-love, be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, where I’m posting positive affirmations and empowering quotes daily.

    And to learn more about manifesting your dreams and desires, check out these posts!


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