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4 Invisible Traps Keeping You from Manifesting Anything You Want (And What to Do Instead!), by Shantini Rajah

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

I became enchanted with the Law of Attraction the first time I heard about it. After all, what's not to love? Tap into the unlimited power of the Universe? Yes, please! Create the life you've always dreamed of? Sign me up! So, I started learning everything I could about the art of manifesting and enthusiastically worked with every manifesting tool and practice I could find. But before long, I noticed something strange.

As I scrolled through social media, looking for inspiration for my travel vision board, doubt crept into my mind: "What if I never get to see the world?" While journaling about my manifesting goals, a nagging thought persisted: "What if none of it comes to pass?" As I faithfully chanted my daily affirmation—I'm successful, confident, and healthy—an annoying inner voice barked: "You're not successful or confident, and you need to lose 20 pounds right away!"

I was also wracked with guilt and shame every time I failed to manifest my desires. Maybe I wasn't being positive enough? Perhaps I wasn't trying hard enough? Why couldn't I just let go and trust the Universe?

Disillusionment and disappointment began to color my experience, but something in me remained devoted to creating the life I'd always dreamed of with help from the most powerful, loving partner in all of existence—the Universe! Since I wasn't ready to give up on the magic of manifesting, I decided to fully commit: I'd do whatever it took to learn what was going on.

So, I started taking meticulous notes (which eventually became my book, Manifest Anything You Want), and that's when an interesting truth came to light. There were hidden pitfalls or "invisible traps" that triggered my anxiety, doubt, and stress, causing many popular manifesting tools to fail.

So, what were these invisible traps? I'm glad you asked! Here they are in no particular order, and what you can do to steer clear of them so you can finally start manifesting anything you want with ease.

Invisible Manifesting Trap #1: Contracted Manifesting
Many authors and teachers recommend getting clear on your manifesting goals, which usually means including numbers and data. For instance, if you want to attract more money into your business, you need to get specific: "I'll manifest $100,000 in my business in the next 90 days." Unfortunately, most people don't realize that this seemingly innocent practice can be enormously stressful on their nervous system and overall energy.

Circling back to the "$100,000 in 90 days" example, if you're at day 88 and the only extra income you've received so far is $20 from that pair of used sunglasses you sold on eBay, you're going to experience a lot of stress trying to raise your vibration so the other $99,980 will appear in your account in the next 48 hours!

What To Do Instead
Quantifiable details like dates and timelines belong in the realm of our cognitive thinking, and when we focus on these specifics, we unknowingly restrict our natural ability to powerfully manifest what we want. Without the restrictions of the thinking mind, we're allowing infinite positive possibilities to unfold.

Remember—the Universe always dreams a bigger dream for you than you can possibly dream for yourself, and when you set yourself free from the constraints of numbers and timelines, you grant the Universe unlimited space to fulfill your desires.

So, if you want to call in your dreams and desires with ease, leave those rigid, data-based goals behind. When you do, you'll be amazed at how your manifesting results will be much better, bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than you could have imagined!

Invisible Manifesting Trap #2: Proxy Manifesting
A talented energy healer I know dreamed of growing a lucrative, spiritual business with clients around the world. But no matter how many visualizations he did and how hard he tried to stay positive, persistent doubts lingered around whether or not he deserved the wealth and success he desired.

Interestingly, the money and abundance he longed to manifest for himself flowed into his sister's business instead. While he was happy for her, he was also deeply disappointed that his business continued to falter.

Maybe you know how that feels. Perhaps you've helped your partner manifest a dream job but couldn't do the same for yourself, or you tried helping a dear friend manifest the love of her life, but true love continues to elude you.

If you've been working with mainstream manifesting tools and you've helped other people's dreams come true while yours remain out of reach, there's a good chance you secretly believe that everyone else deserves what they want but not you.

What To Do Instead
Explore your beliefs around self-worth. What do you think you deserve? Are you worthy of owning a gorgeous, multi-million vacation home by the beach, winning the Booker Prize, or whatever your big dream or desire happens to be? The answer is yes, absolutely!

You are worthy because you were born. You are a miracle of creation and you deserve everything you desire and more just because you exist. But sadly, most of us don't feel this way about ourselves.

That's where the "Be Your Own Best Friend" practice comes in! It's a simple yet powerful tool to help you embrace your inherent worthiness. Here's how it works: when feelings of unworthiness arise, imagine your best friend in the same situation. Then ask yourself: "What would I say to them? What advice would I give?"

Giving yourself the kindness and understanding you'd offer your best friend will give you instant insight, ideas, and loving guidance on how to lift yourself from feeling unworthy and undeserving. This is an incredibly simple, highly effective practice. Try it, and you'll see that it works beautifully!

Invisible Manifesting Trap #3: Hierarchical Manifesting
Hierarchical manifesting happens when we unconsciously resist letting our dreams come true if it means we'll be more successful than our friends and family.

Somewhere deep inside, we want to stick with the "hierarchy" into which we were born, and it's because we hold a deep-seated fear that becoming happier or richer than our parents or those we love can come at the cost of cherished friendships and family relationships. It's why so many people end up feeling frustrated and disappointed when doing visualizations every night or keeping a daily gratitude journal doesn't work for them!

Here's something to think about: while manifesting your big, bold dreams can sometimes feel like a betrayal of who you are and where you come from, the opposite is true. When we allow ourselves to go farther and reach higher than anyone we know, we empower those around us to do the same.

What To Do Instead
Imagine the vast possibilities that open up when you live your dreams and illuminate a higher path for others to follow.

So, instead of fearing that you're setting yourself apart or disconnecting from your culture, environment, family, or friends when you manifest those big dreams, choose to fully embody your role as a pioneer, a trailblazer. Start seeing yourself as a beacon of possibility for those you know and love.

Whether or not you realize it, you have the power to inspire others to live a more vibrant, purposeful, and authentic life when you courageously and unapologetically choose to manifest your greatest desires.

Invisible Manifesting Trap #4: Militant Manifesting
Years ago, I confided to a friend that I was having a bad day at work. I'll never forget the look on her face as she interrupted me with a dire warning. "The Universe hears all," she whispered, looking scared, "So you need to watch what you say!" When I asked what she'd like me to say instead, she piped up cheerfully, "Say you're having a good day when you're having a bad day, and say you're having a GREAT day when it's a good day!"

She seemed so confident and happy she was helping that I didn't have the heart to tell her the Universe wasn't going to be fooled simply because I was careful about switching from "bad day" to "good day" and "good day" to "great day!" I know my friend was following the advice of Law of Attraction authors, coaches, and teachers who insist that the wrong words at the wrong time can derail your manifesting efforts, but I beg to differ!

What To Do Instead
Being intensely vigilant and rigorous in controlling your language can trigger strong feelings of shame and guilt when you inevitably say something negative. So go ahead and give yourself some grace—allow yourself to feel what you feel.

The language of the Universe is the language of emotions, and just as we can't hide what we genuinely feel from ourselves, we can't hide what we truly feel from the Universe. If we are to successfully manifest our desires, we must begin to create awareness of how we truly feel in the moment. This is so we can fully process our feelings, and give ourselves what we need to recover so we can experience and exude genuine positivity.

Becoming a masterful manifestor isn't about creating the perfect vision board or snapping out of an unwanted emotion by feverishly chanting positive affirmations all day long! It's about how you show up inside yourself.

I've found that any manifesting tool or technique—no matter how popular or powerful—is an empty action or series of empty actions. But when you accept that you are worthy beyond measure and relax into loving yourself and being yourself, you are naturally attuned to the unlimited love, joy, and creative energy of the Universe, that's when your ability to manifest with these tools becomes boundless.

If you'd love to learn more about manifesting all that you desire by being yourself and loving yourself, I invite you to check out my new book, Manifest Anything You Want: Six Magical Steps to An Extraordinary Life. I wrote this book, so it's much more than just a to-do list of generic, "Google-able" manifesting techniques. Instead, you'll find a friendly guide that's filled with unique and powerful tools that help you generate a deep sense of safety from within so you can successfully manifest anything you want and have a whole lot of fun at the same time!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2024. All rights reserved.

I'm an Aries born April 6, and I've been having recurring dreams about being pregnant. In my dreams, I'm pregnant and very happy. My pregnant friend is also in some of the dreams. I'm single in all my dreams and also in real life. There's no father - at least none that I have seen yet in the dreams. I can feel the baby kicking and everything in the dream. In real life, I really want to get pregnant; I've wanted this for a very long time but the dreams just started appearing last week. Do you think this means anything?

Alexis

Astrea:

Sometimes when we want something as much as you say you would like to be pregnant, we begin to daydream about it, and then that spills over into our night time dreaming. Psychologists call these wish fulfillment dreams because our subconscious mind is trying to fulfill our desires. It's possible that this is the kind of dream you are having.

Your friend who is pregnant probably keeps this subject on your mind a lot, which can also cause the kind of dreams you've been having. It certainly must be contributing to the frequency with which you think about the idea of being pregnant, for your friend is a constant reminder of something you want that you don't yet have.

On a spiritual level, however, having recurring dreams of being pregnant usually means that there are things in our lives we are about to do everything we can to change. Perhaps there is a relationship that we don't want to be in any longer, or a job we dread going to every day. Dreaming of a pregnancy means that we're ready for that change.

I therefore encourage you to examine what you have going on that you don't want anymore, and find a way to get rid of the people, places and things that aren't making you happy. Getting all that excess baggage out of your life is sure to encourage positive change.

Being pregnant in dreams can also signify a weighed down feeling. Not only are you carrying the excess weight of the baby, but you also have an awesome responsibility in becoming a parent. Sometimes when our self-esteem is suffering, we have that heavy feeling. Carrying a baby isn't like carrying a briefcase; you can't put the baby down like other tangible objects, so dreams of being pregnant can reflect that we are thinking of taking on some huge responsibility or making a big decision that will prove irreversible.

Some people have pregnancy dreams when they're in the process of hatching a new and wonderful idea. Do you have a new plan for your future? Are you planning a big career change so you can do something totally different from now on? Dreaming of being pregnant may mean that your bright idea is going to move from something you long for into something you actually experience. If this great idea is your baby, this could explain your dreams.

I know you long to be pregnant, and I'm also sure you realize that the end of pregnancy results in a real live person you'll have to take care of for the rest of your life. I encourage you to be patient and trust in divine timing regarding when you have children.

*****

Susyn:

The messages we receive in dreams can be very mysterious. The symbols we struggle to interpret are often signs of hidden hopes and desires, representations of spiritual growth, or visions of the future. The fact that you have a strong desire to become pregnant and also have a friend who is pregnant may be contributing to these dreams.

Symbolically, when a person dreams of being pregnant, it is often a sign that they are ready to enter a new phase of life and that important changes are coming. Though these changes may or may not involve you becoming pregnant, there are definitely new experiences on the horizon for you.

It can be difficult to wait for the exciting things we want in our lives, especially if they involve other people. In this day and age, you don't have to be in a relationship to become pregnant, though it sounds like you personally desire to have a supportive partner. I wouldn't be worried about the lack of a father in these dreams, since dreams rarely convey all the details surrounding various situations anyway.

You can use this dream as a catalyst to fulfill your desires. Meditate on it daily, focusing on the baby you feel growing inside of you and the joy it brings you. Be sure to ask Spirit to help you bring this dream into reality.

Performing the following ritual can help you attract a partner to share this dream with. The idea is to create a clear picture of the type of man you would like as the father of your baby, and to outline the changes you can make to speed up your journey to fulfillment.

First make a list of the traits you would like in a soul mate both emotionally and spiritually. You will want someone who is mature enough to make a commitment to you. For example, he may be someone who loves children and who is honest, devoted and trustworthy.

When your list is complete, review it to see where you can make changes to attract this type of person into your life. For example, if you want someone who is honest and dependable, consider if you need to improve your own honesty and dependability. If you are always ten minutes late for work, make a commitment to get there on time. A small change like this can manifest big changes in how you view the world and how others view you.

In this manner, you can both create space for your dreams to come in and convey your intentions to the Universe so that each day you are preparing and working towards the future you desire. If these dreams continue and they grow even more vivid, you'll know you're on the right track.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.