Getting Real About Manifestation: Why it’s Bullsh*t – and Why it Isn’t.
If you believe hard enough, anything you want will come true. Sounds magical, doesn’t it? This is what manifestation is all about, and it’s trending.
Influencers are attributing their success to manifestation. It’s the entire premise of the movie and book The Secret. People everywhere are starting to believe if they think positively enough and dream hard enough, all their dreams will come true. Frankly, it sounds like bullsh*t. But if it is, why is it gaining so much popularity? There’s got to be some truth to it. Well, according to science, there is.
Much of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is identifying the connection between thoughts and behaviors to deal with life’s challenges – reframing negative thoughts in a way that allows you to cope. This mind-behavior connection is foundational to CBT. Then there’s positive thinking, visualization, and suddenly we’re making the case for manifestation.
And think about when you do something significant, like buy a new car. Suddenly, you’re seeing that car everywhere. Your brain has been made aware of what’s important to you and is paying close attention.
But manifestation and positive thinking alone isn’t going to get you anywhere. If it did, I’d be rich by now. I’ve been manifesting for years, so why am I, at almost 40, just starting to enter the era I’ve been envisioning for myself?
Because without action, manifestation is meaningless, it is bullsh*t.
Let’s say you wanted to pivot to a career in tech. You know you’re getting that job in tech; you dream about it. Suddenly, you’re seeing job listings for tech roles. You overhear a stranger’s conversation about tech. You see a woman wearing a logo of a tech company you recognize. The tech world suddenly becomes hyper visible to you because of your awareness.
But you don’t apply for those jobs. You don’t join the conversation. You don’t introduce yourself to the woman. You didn’t take those opportunities that were dangled right in front of you. Your life is the same as it was before.
If you want manifestation to work, you must do the work. Positive thinking will get you halfway there, but action will take you all the way.
I lost opportunities because I was too scared. I knew what my life was supposed to look like, but I did nothing to get there. Now, I refuse to let any more time slip by without making manifestation real for me.
If you are looking to change your life, keep manifesting and keep working. You absolutely can make your dreams come true; you just need to do the work - inside and out.
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/30/manifesting-science-mind-magic
