LIFE

Is "turning your dreams into reality" on your spring to-do list? You've prob seen words like "manifestation," "visualization" and "affirmation" tossed around on the Internet. They boil down to the same idea of creative visualization: basically, imagining your goals as though you've already reached them and willing them into existence.

The whole idea def seems strange at first (or just flat-out hard to believe). But if you want to give creative visualization a try and you're not sure where to start, read on...

Meditate and visualize

@niasioux

Creative visualization sounds pretty cool... but how exactly do you do it?

Visualization is easiest when you relax. Try doing a quick meditation or sitting down in a quiet room, closing your eyes and counting ten breaths in and out while you focus on relaxing your bod.

When you feel totally calm, try imagining something you want to happen as though you already have it. Picture yourself wowing in a perfect prom dress or acing your next Spanish test. It should be fun, chill and easy, like daydreaming.

While you visualize, say some affirmations to yourself in the present tense, like: "Here I am, feeling calm and confident giving my presentation in class." Stop whenever you feel like you're done.

Pro tip: It's totally ok if you don't actually "see" an image while you're visualizing! Creative visualizing is more about focusing on your goal and feelings. It's completely fine if it feels more natural to you to think about your goal and the emotions you associate with it instead of creating a mental image of it.

Write down your affirmations

@mara.mcginnis 🩷 journal page idea: positive affirmations 💫 #journaling #journalwithme #journalideas #journalinspo #2024journalsetup #2024journal #journalspread #journalinspo #journalprompts #journalaesthetic ♬ Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Sonny Tennet

If you have a specific goal you want to focus on, try writing it down as a one-sentence affirmation 10 or 15 times in a notebook or journal. Writing your affirmation down several times will help you really think about the words and imagine them coming true!

The book Creative Visualization by Shatki Gawain suggests that you write this phrase under your affirmations: "This, or something better, now manifests for me in totally satisfying and harmonious ways, for the highest good of all concerned."

Writing this sentence (or any similar words that you come up with yourself) will help remind you that your affirmations will work out for the best, and you don't have to try too hard to figure out exactly how they're going to happen. Take it easy and let the universe work it out for you.

Describe your ideal scene

For a more specific manifestation, start by writing your affirmation at the top of a page. Then use the rest to write a few sentences describing your goal in as much or as little detail you like.

Remember to write everything in present tense, like it exists rn. If you like, you can end with the sentence, "This, or something better..." to give your manifestation an extra dose of energy!

Make a vision board

@mikayla.isabelle

A vision board is basically a collage of pictures representing your goals and how you want your life to look. It's popular to make one at the start of a new year, but creating a vision board is a fab way to refocus whenever you want to feel inspired. If you have a lot of goals, try making different vision boards for different parts of your life: school, extracurriculars, fam, health, relationships and anything else you can think of.

Go with the flow and stay grateful

@shayrudolph

Here are two easy hacks to try if you feel like you keep getting stuck, or you're worried your visualizations aren't going anywhere.

Maybe you've been trying to visualize something for a while, but it doesn't seem to be working. You aren't doing anything wrong, so DW. But pay attention to *how* you're thinking about the goal you want to manifest. Could you be paying more attention to your worries about not getting what you want than the goal itself?

If you have a lot of emotions attached to the goal, it might help to adopt a "go with the flow" mindset. Trust that the universe is carrying you to your destination, and all you have to do is relax and watch it happen.

If it feels like you're trying too hard to force something into being, try taking a step back and holding onto your goal more lightly, even if it's something important. It might seem like your goal is taking a long time to manifest into reality, but it's possible that you're being shown a better option that you haven't even considered.

Finally, try making a point to express how grateful you are for all the ah-mazing things *already* in your life, like your loving relationship with your mom, your great chem teacher or even your fave Starbucks treat. Writing a list of things that you appreciate will remind you how great your life is rn *and* give extra positive energy to anything you're trying to manifest. Win-win!

What are you manifesting? Let us know on IG @girlslifemag!

Keep reading for more manifestation inspo:
🌺 How the Law of Attraction can help you get everything you want in life
🌼 Quick + easy manifestations for your busiest days
🌸 Easy ways to use creative visualization in your life

Slider and top image: @mel.amartinez
GIFs via GIPHY

by Ava Slocum | 4/13/2024