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We all aspire for abundance in our lives. Whether it be a new home, a life partner whose company we enjoy, fine wine and exquisite dining, or myriad other niceties, our ability to attract good things into existence are a part of the human experience.
This is known as “manifestation,” a process that is best defined as bringing something tangible into your life through attraction and belief. Popularized by prominent speaker, author, and channeler Esther Hicks, the belief is that mindset is critical to drawing things into existence.
Hicks' long-standing claim that she’s tapping into “infinite intelligence” has always felt a little “woo woo” to me at times. Scores of followers, though, have found appeal in her work which includes nine books (translated from a cadre of non-physical entities called Abraham) that were written with her late husband Jerry. She also appeared in the 2006 film “The Secret” which is considered the ultimate film on the Law of Attraction.
My first personal awareness of a “Law of Attraction” experience occurred in 2003. While living in Carson City, Nevada, I was contacted by a bioscience firm in Palo Alto, California that wanted me to advise them on becoming one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America. At the time I was working with a wonderful LOA coach by the name of Michael Losier whose simplistic formula for bringing what I wanted into my life seemed almost too good to be true. It was comprised of:
Deciding with laser-focused clarity on what I really wanted to attract
Raise what is called my “vibration or feeling” around it
Acknowledging with full confidence that what I want already exists, all without attachment to when and how it’s going to unfold.
So, as the story goes, I woke up one morning and drove several hours to Palo Alto to meet with the leaders of this company. Upon arriving they cheerfully greeted me (as though I was some sort of rock star) and directed me to the large conference room where we would be meeting. Shortly thereafter in walked a group of executives, all of whom were adorned in fancy business attire. After a few pleasantries were exchanged, I began distributing copies of a proposal outlining the work I was prepared to deliver to them tied to their intended aim.
So there I sat anxiously awaiting the verdict as each of the executives quietly reviewed and discussed the details of my proposal. After about 15 minutes of pure agony, my main contact person asked whether I would be kind enough to leave the room for a few minutes while they deliberate and decide on my proposal.
As a bit of a backgrounder, my proposal had three options of increasing value – a low priced, middle, and high priced option. I also offered a small discount if the fee associated with whatever option they selected was paid in full before I began the project assignment. Given that the latter high-priced option was my preferred outcome, I held that feeling in consciousness while simultaneously remaining unattached to how the decision would ultimately unfold.
A few minutes went by before a face peeked out the door requesting that I return to the conference room. I confidently walked back in, took a seat, and listened with rapt attention while what felt like a courtroom verdict was read:
“We the jury..” — “ah, just kidding,” said the person at the head of the table to a chorus of laughter. “Michael, we have selected option number three and would love for you to begin this project right away.”
And then came the shocker:
“If you have time before you head back to Nevada, we would like to cut you a check for $50,000.00. There is no need for you to discount it as we will need to spend all of our budgeted monies anyway before the end of the year. Sound good.”
“Duh,” I thought.
My Personal Manifestation Roadmap
Since that day in 2003, my life has been filled with many highs and lows. Thankfully these days I am in a state of abundant manifestation. I largely attribute this to the personal manifestation roadmap I developed for my over the course of many years. Here is a look at my three foundational pillars
The Inner Game (Being State)
My ability to attract what I want in life is largely predicated on sustaining an inner state of EXPANSIVE feelings. Those in the Law of Attraction community call this “The Vibe.” In Taoism, we call this “Qi” energy. In Christianity, it is often referred to as the Holy Spirit. Bottom Life – It’s about going to where your energy is while steering away from toxic states which thwart your drive and momentum.
The Outer Game (Doing State)
This for me is the activity stage, the actual doing of the work. It’s here where I make use of what I call my “Sacred Superpower” which is CONNECTION. Like my late father, I have always been a natural-born connector, blessed with the ability to effortlessly connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere, on any theme or topic. My simple mantra for each day is JUST CONNECT. It’s what I believe I do better than anyone on the entire planet.
The Manifestation (Having State)
My highest manifestation aim is tied to one word: FREEDOM. In other words, my focus isn’t directed toward some sort of material aim. Rather, my ultimate is to experience the feeling of freedom through the infinite choices it delivers to life.
The Inner Game + The Outer Game = The Manifestation of Abundance
Book Insight #1 — Transcending Skewed Notions of Law of Attractions
“Most people have an erroneous idea about the Law of Attraction—they believe that by holding an intention, the world will accommodate your desires without you having to do anything. If you subscribe to this idea, you’re not to blame. There are many teachers who promise riches, true love, and your ideal life through the ideals of ‘wishful thinking.”
My Takeaway
Adding to this point, a friend of mine Olivia Benson from Miami offers this reminder: “Yes, the Law of Attraction is a wonderful thing but many people forget that in order to activate it, you’ve gotta do the work.” Over the years, I’ve found Olivia’s words to be so true as I work daily to embody the mantra “Just Connect.” I find that when I honor this journey while in the state of my desired reality, everything effortlessly begins to unfold.
Book Insight #2 — Meaning and Purpose Is Everything
“This innate core needs to carry out a purpose and give meaning to our intentions is the driver of all our actions. The more clarity we have around it, the easier it is to support our true intentions with thoughts and actions.”
My Takeaway
Clarity in terms of intention is key. For me, it’s achieving greater lifestyle freedom. How about you?
Book Insight #3 — It’s All About Being Firmly Planted In The Present
“Eternal Present—the only place that exists. It’s where you hold power over your life. When unwanted past thoughts come up I hit cancel — envision like deleting a document from the hard drive of a computer”
My Takeaway
A good practice is to avoid looking through the rearview mirror of life. Because old stuff is irrelevant. In other words, why continue to revisit the past when there is nothing you can do to change it. My alternative approach is what I call PRESENT — FORWARD. In other words, view every present moment as an opportunity for growth and expanding one’s comfort zone.
Book Insight #4 — Regularly Stretching Out of Your Comfort Zone is an Invaluable Practice.
“Growth is about experiencing new things, challenging your patterns, and venturing into areas outside your comfort zone.”
My Takeaway
Prior to writing this article, I walked 4 miles from home this morning to the WeWork location where I office. It’s a trek that normally takes me an hour. But I decided to stretch my capacity and challenge myself by aiming to get it down to 50 minutes. The good news is that I hit that target bulls-eye!
Book Insight #5 — Steer Clear of That What Adversely Impacts Your Mindset
“Changing your environment and the information you consume daily is one of the most powerful ways of transforming what goes on inside your head.”
My Takeaway
Whether it's network television, radio, or social media, the input we are receiving is often highly toxic. So at the height of the pandemic, I made the decision to severely limit my engagement with these mediums. The outcome of this in terms of my mindset has been truly transformative.
Book Insight #6 — Regularly Surrender and Let Go
“Acknowledge your circumstances, accept where you are, and allow things to unfold—Let go and surrender to natural order to unfold in its perfect way.”
My Takeaway
What immediately comes up for me in taking in this insight is the following song that I have fond memories of from my childhood. To manifest just row, let go and let it flow —
Book Insight #7: Exercise Patience In Intention
“Unlike a desire—an affirmation of one’s own lack—an intention is all about creation. When you intend, you don’t attach to the outcome of your action—you shift your focus toward the process—the only place where you can use the power of choice.
When you are not attached to the result but remain focused on the being aspect of reality creation—you free yourself from the fear of ‘not having.’ Once liberated from this longing for results, you can invoke the next steps to speed up your manifestations. This is when what Carl Jung referred to as “synchronicities” manifest in your life, motivating you to keep going.”
My Takeaway
Often I would try to rush to make things happen versus perfectly allowing my desired outcome to unfold. In Taoism, we call this WuWei or “Effortless Action.” This involves finding one’s flow in doing the intentional work without attachment to its unfoldment. The emphasis here is on the process versus the eventual outcome, a theme captured well by basketball legend Michael Jordan
Book Insight #8 — Show Love For The Process
“When you love what you do, no amount of challenges or setbacks can sway you from your path……But engaging in an activity you enjoy, regardless of the outcomes it’ll bring, is affirming your love for yourself, hence opening you up to being loved by others.”
My Takeaway
I love books. In fact, they are an obsession as reading ignites something in me like no other passion. Moreover, books serve as an accelerant for connecting and engaging with humanity. But I’ve come to learn that building a community around this passion for “Great Books, Great Minds” requires commitment and a spirit of giving. And it's this very giving that is the catalyst for attracting our greatest desires and intentions.
Book Insight #9 — Have Full Trust The Journey
“Through the power of choice, you can increase the odds in your favor. You increase the opportunity for that one winning ticket to fall into your lap effortlessly. Remember, the trick is to enjoy buying the tickets, to do what you need to do to accelerate the process, and to not wonder whether you have the winning ticket but to know you are already winning.”
My Takeaway
Whenever it came to aims or goals, my mindset used to be “has it happened yet? When is it going to happen? Why hasn’t it happened yet? What can I do to make it happen now? So I’d keep checking my email, Twitter, LinkedIn for evidence of results. This habit led to constant disappointment and wanting to give up. This video on the Chinese Bamboo Tree offers a great analogy of how we can view this narrative with a fresh set of eyes.
Book Insight #10 — Embrace The Unknown
“When you move into the unknown, you give the Universe permission to grant you new blessings and new lessons.”
My Takeaway
I revel in paradox and am totally comfortable with most unknowns. For this reason, the pandemic for me was a period of quantum personal growth. The challenge for many of us now that Covid has receded is finding new ways to emerge from our shells to embrace and pivot amid the paradoxical times that are currently emerging.
Book Insight #11 — Embrace New Energy Spots
“Embodying a new frequency means you’ve embodied new energy. And new energy doesn’t just manifest as opportunities or synchronicities. It gives you access to the infinite information field that surrounds us. The benefits are not just physical. They can be non-physical too—new thoughts, insights, ideas, and intuitive hunches come when you explore outside of the reality you’re accustomed to.”
My Takeaway
Lately, I have been working to upend my everyday routine of frequenting the same coffeehouses every morning for my dirty chai. What if I went to a new coffeehouse and had a different drink? Or didn’t go to one of the locales at all and instead took a yoga class or went ice skating. As this passage above suggests, switching things up regularly brings fresh insights and perspectives that you wouldn’t otherwise encounter doing the same old same old.
Book Insight #12 — The Miraculous Is Profound
“The ‘Great Universal Conspiracy,’ is where the Universe conspires in your favor. Therefore, find any piece of evidence, irrespective of how irrelevant or small it may seem that reaffirms that you are doing your part to manifest your ideal reality.”
My Takeaway
Just recently I began engaging in a conversation with a gentleman named Michael at, you guessed it, a local coffeehouse. The spark was a book I had laid out on the table that he thought might be of interest to his son. As the story goes, we both discover that we’re from Columbus, Ohio. Then as the conversation hits a new crescendo, he asks me whether I happened to know a man by the name of Madison Scott and I respond “that’s my Dad!” He proceeds to tell me about how much my Dad meant to him and that his last encounter with my Dad was on an airplane flight to New York over 50 years ago!
What all of this revealed to me is that this encounter is in perfect alignment with the core mission of “Great Books, Great Minds” which is “Fostering Human Connection One Book At A Time.” This to me is just one example of how the Universe is truly reaffirming that I am on the right path in fulfilling my legacy intention.
Love it. I enjoyed this so much. It comes to me during a time when I needed a flawless and gentle reminder. Thank you!
Thank You!