“By banishing doubt and trusting your intuitive feelings, you clear a space for the power of intention to flow through.” ~ Wayne Dyer

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Open your heart to manifest your dreams.

When I was first learning to snowboard off the main trails, I was taught to look at the path I wanted to take, not the trees I didn’t want to hit. I was fearful of not only hitting a tree but also falling into the deep snow that surrounded the tree and thus having to dig myself and my board out and restart.

At first, it was hard to see anything but those ominous trees, but soon I started following the path I wanted with my gaze and intention and stopped falling in those tree wells. By opening our hearts without fear or self-judgment, we can use the power of intention in our lives to manifest whatever we want.

I met my husband using my power of intention, but only after I raised my vibration and thus, raised my standards. I was dating all the wrong guys, and after one particularly bad boyfriend, I decided to write down everything I wanted in a partner. I wrote down everything from what he liked to do in his free time to how he would treat me. I had written this comprehensive list in 2009.

In 2012, I met the man who would eventually become my husband.

Amazingly, it took me a year of dating him to realize that I had received everything I had asked for. Recently I found the list in the middle of one of my journals and realized when I first wrote it, I was energetically beginning to open my heart chakra to the prospect of a lasting love.

When I realized how powerful putting my intentions into writing was, I was astounded. I had heard of manifestation before, but I never really believed it until then.

Seven months ago, my husband and I had to put down our beloved family dog, Lady Belle. It was a hard blow, and we opened our hearts to a possibility of a new puppy. My husband kept asking when his “puppy in a box” would show up. We laughed and kept repeating this affirmation of “puppy in a box.” However, we still scoured Craigslist and the pound for our perfect pet. We had a couple of great leads, but they kept falling through.

Just this past week, our request was answered.

My husband happened to stop by his best friend’s house before work one morning which he almost never does. There, in a big crate, was a “puppy in a box!” Our puppy had been left behind by someone who had to move out of state and couldn’t take her.

The “puppy in the box” had all the characteristics we were looking for including being very gentle and calm for a seven-month-old Border Collie mix. She was the perfect size for running around the trails and meadows of Tahoe and even had a black coat—so her fur wouldn’t show up on my yoga pants. She also came with all of her shots, food, crate, and even sweaters and accessories. She fulfilled everything for which we had opened our hearts.

The lesson the “puppy in a box” can teach us is that we all can manifest the life of our dreams. Here are six ways to help you manifest your dreams:

Identify What You Need: What is it that you want in this life? What do you want to achieve? By when would you like to achieve it? Giving ourselves a timeline will help move the process along. Remember, there are some things that require limitless time and patience. Identify any critical self-talk that may be sabotaging the manifestation process. Set deadlines for yourself along the way so your goals can be broken down into bite size manageable pieces.

Write Down What You Want and Keep it Visible: For my relationship manifestation, I did identify what I needed but forgot to post it so I could read it and think about it daily. That may be why it took me over three years to manifest a partner. After you’ve written down what you want, write it down again with more care and post it in a place you’ll see daily—the bathroom mirror or over your dresser.

Repeat What You Want: It helps to repeat your goal in your head and aloud as a motto. Remember to stay positive. It’s important to listen to the self-scripts we have playing in our heads. If the messages we send ourselves are judgmental, we have the power to shift our energy into becoming the witness. Express the intention as though it already exists; put it in now-time language.

For example, if you want to land your dream job as an architect, you could say, “I am a successful architect.” For most of us, when what we need in our lives pops into our head, we are already working toward creating it. Once we open our hearts to its availability, we open our minds to the opportunity of receiving it. We are already creating intention by our actions. Saying it out loud and putting it out there helps us feel more responsible for manifesting what we need. Remember to be specific, but allow the universe to take care of the small details. Sometimes, life doesn’t manifest as we want it to, but we can be happier than we’ve ever dreamed if we give into flow.

Be Grateful: We need heartache and suffering to grow. All of the relationships we’ve had bring us closer to discovering ourselves. We have to go through our fair share of disappointment before reaching harmony. Each person we connect with in our life is there to teach us a lesson. We have the opportunity to take the good qualities from our ex-partners and leave the bad ones behind. Each relationship brings us closer to the right person. Each job we’ve had gives us skills that help us find our dharma (life’s work). By being grateful for what you have, you are opening your heart and allowing yourself to receive what you are aiming for. Learn the lessons that are offered every day.  

Detach: Manifestation can take some time. Remember not to be caught up in how and when your dreams become reality. Let go of the need to control the outcome. Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from situations and people that may not serve us in order to grow into the people we want to become.

By detaching and creating distance, we become observers. As observers, we can clearly perceive what we need to open our hearts and cut loose from fear and dissolution. The journey will present different opportunities along the way. Take time to tap into intuition and follow your inner voice. Don’t worry so much about the logistics, but do notice when those moments present themselves.

Practice Self-Study: Remember to be kind and gentle to yourself and to practice self-care. Take a long, luxurious bath with scented oils. Go to yoga. Treat yourself to a green juice. The more balanced we are in our daily lives, the easier our dreams will be able to manifest before our eyes. Reflect upon every experience. Honor those that serve you and release into the universe those which do not.

We are the architects of our destinies. Remember, if we don’t like our circumstances in life, we have the ability to change them and live the life we’ve always dreamed. Detach from fear. Love unconditionally.

Here’s to finding your “puppy in a box”—whatever that means for you.

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Author: Claire Nightingale

Image: Flickr/Laurie Chipps

Apprentice Editor: J. Scott MacMillan/Editor: Travis May