I first heard about manifestation back in 2008 when I read the book “The Secret“. “The Secret” talks about the law of attraction, which basically states that whatever you think about and focus your energy on, is what you bring about, or manifest, into your life.

At the time when I read this book, I was still grieving from my mother’s death. I was in an incredibly unhealthy relationship and was living in a condo I could barely afford. I had a severe drinking problem and a substance abuse habit. I was clinically depressed, suffering from anxiety, and I was on a myriad of prescription pills. To put it bluntly, my life sucked. For years, I had been telling myself that life was hard, that I had been dealt a bad hand, and that there was nothing that I could do to make it better. I thought some people had easier, better lives, but I wasn’t fortunate enough to be one of them. I believed that I would be miserable forever.

Reading “The Secret” was incredibly jarring to me. Because if the idea of there being a law of attraction was true, then that meant that all of these difficult life circumstances were not just happening to me. It meant that I was somehow making them happen by being caught up in this negative cycle. And that’s when I started to wonder, if I could make so many bad things happen to me, would it also be possible for me to make good things happen?

And so, I got to work. The first thing I did was to end the unhealthy relationship I was in.  This eliminated a lot of negative energy and cleared up a lot of space for me, physically and mentally. And immediately, things got a little better. As I started to feel better, I started to drink less, and I got off of my prescription pills. I started doing a little bit of yoga, reading more self help books, and picking up some healthier habits. As I changed my habits, little by little, my life started to look better. I started to notice that the way I felt really did make a huge difference in how life responded to me.

And then, for the first time in my adult life, I started dating a nice guy and entered into a happy, healthy relationship with a man that I thought I didn’t deserve. (Spoiler: he would later become my husband). When I first met Angelo, I knew that he had been through some challenges in his life, but I saw that instead of this making him want to numb out and hide in a corner, as it had for me, it made him want to do more with himself, to live a better life, and to be BETTER. I was so inspired by him and the way that he chose to live his life, that he made me want to be better too. In trying to make myself into someone that felt deserving of his love, I learned to start loving myself. And that’s when all of the big changes happened.

Fast forward to the fall of 2011. 11/11 is said to be an angel number that represents that whatever you are thinking about is going to be manifested into existence. This makes November 11th one of the most auspicious days of the year. On November 11, 2011, Angelo and I had recently gotten engaged. The one thing that I had always known to be true for myself was that I needed to live by the beach. I had just sold my condo, and we decided that we were going to buy a house near the beach. My dream was close to coming true. On this date, I had the day off from work and spent the day house hunting. Once we were done looking at houses, I decided to go to the nearest beach. I sat by the ocean and thought about the visions I had for my future life that was just beginning. I felt so much hope and possibility for what was to come. Shortly after that day, Angelo & I found our perfect home just 3 blocks from that very beach I had been sitting at.

Every year, on 11/11, I walk down to the beach to reflect on the previous year, to think about how far I’ve come, and to set intentions for what I want to bring forth in the future. In the last 5 years, I’ve manifested my dream home close to the beach, a solid marriage to an incredible man, a blessed and healthy pregnancy, and the most magnificent little angel for a daughter. I am truly blessed.

I share this story with you, not to brag, or to say “look how great my life is”, but to show you that you too, have the power to manifest the life of your dreams. It starts with you and it starts with  your thoughts.

I’m not saying that life is always easy. We all go through difficult times, and life can be hard. But I have witnessed firsthand that if I walk around telling myself that life is hard, my circumstances suck, and I am destined to be stuck in a dismal situation, then that is what the world is going to reflect back to me. If instead, I tell myself that life is challenging right now, but I’ve been through worse; I’m strong and I am handling this; I am willing to change and it’s all going to be ok, then life reflects a very different experience.

Start by taking responsibility for your life. Take an honest look around you and recognize what’s not working. Get to work to change the things that are within your control. Let go of toxic people, habits, and situations. Focus on treating yourself well, feeling good, and being happy.

Surround yourself with positive thoughts. Surround yourself with good people. Surround yourself with those you love, those that inspire you, and those that make you want to be better. Believe that you are capable of anything that you set your mind to. Visualize the future that you want. Hold it dearly to your heart, and see it clearly. Set intentions for the way you want things to turn out. Focus on the good. Focus on the positive. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Do what brings you joy. Find a way to laugh and smile everyday. Be happy and grateful. Surround yourself with good energy, and the world will reflect that back to you.

If it was possible for me to go from being a hopeless, depressed, substance abusing young girl to now being a ridiculously happy, healthy, and grateful wife and mother… imagine what else could be possible?

Life is good, friend. Life wants to help you and support you. But first you have to help yourself.

Think good thoughts, get out there and make your dreams happen! Everything that you want is possible once you start to believe that it is.

Have you heard of manifesting before? Please share your experiences in the comments below! Let me know what you are ready to manifest in your own life.

Be well,
Ambar