Whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not, we are continuously manifesting all aspects of our lives through our thoughts and our feelings. What we focus on, what we give great emotional feeling to, begins to be created in the Universe to support our intentional or unconscious desires.

Manifesting is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the act, process, or an instance of manifesting”. It’s also defined as “a public demonstration of power and purpose”, which is by far my favorite. In other words, you have the power to bring forth into your life whatever you choose with purpose.

As children, we called it “make believe.” People encouraged us to be imaginative and creative, to fantasize and enjoy. Then, as we aged, the guidance changed. Grow up! Be realistic! “Making believe” became the more serious game of “making beliefs”: judging, drawing conclusions, deciding what’s good and bad, right and wrong. All our emotions and behaviors then follow from the beliefs we create.

Parents, priests, teachers, corporate executives and politicians compete busily to teach us or sell us beliefs so that they can influence our feelings and behavior. They know, and we soon learn, that winning the games of power, both personal and political, depends on what we choose to believe.

Everyone wants to be able to improve their lives in some way: to heal something, to start something new, to find their soul purpose. As long as we are alive, this process continues. Everyone has a next step waiting to be taken, and everyone absolutely everyone has trouble accomplishing it. In fact, we spend an inordinate amount of time making up reasons and excuses for not moving forward.

Being stuck can be extremely painful. The desire you have to change a habit or improve your life comes from your soul. When you do not move forward with it, you block the very expression of your soul. The frustration that accumulates over time because of dysfunctional patterns of self-sabotage merely represents the surface issue.

When my mother was a young woman, she suffered a severe case of rheumatic fever that caused her to gradually lose her hearing in both ears. By the time I was born, the loss was pronounced, so I grew up with a mom who was nearly deaf. She took it all in stride and used to tell us, “It’s not a problem for me because Divine Spirit gives us two ways to listen-with our ears and, more important, with our heart.” In my family, the second approach was emphasized. “It’s interesting,” my mother would say, “that when you use your heart, your ears work better, too.”