What are you manifesting right now? Are you manifesting what you want or what you do not want? Better yet, are your thoughts or fears interfering with your ability to receive and enjoy the very aspects you've set out to manifest in your life...?

Visualization is one of the greatest gifts you possess; learning how to harness the power of it can be an invaluable tool in activating your spiritual muscle to attract what you desire.

If you're curious about what you may be manifesting right now, ask yourself what you're thinking about the most and how you are feeling about it. Consider the insightful phrase: what you fear most, you bring about. In other words, your focused thoughts determine what experiences/circumstances and people you will attract.

As New Year's resolutions and goals are whispering in our ears, what do you desire to attract in your life? Do you want a loving and long lasting relationship? Perhaps you desire a more successful career or a new home. When we want to create or transform an aspect of our lives, the process of visualization can aid in our ability to manifest it, since it enables us to envision a blueprint of what we yearn to create for our own reality.

Have you ever noticed how you feel before a highly anticipated vacation or event? Do you recall feeling butterflies or an adrenaline rush when you described or envisioned something you were excited about?

For example, let's say you have an upcoming trip to Hawaii; whether you have been there before or simply look at a photo, you have the ability to see yourself there enjoying the island. As you call to mind your previous experiences or use the photos to generate a visual of yourself there, you will also experience a feeling inside. Your trip is booked, you have the time reserved, hence you have no doubt that you are going. The same workdays you dreaded now zip by getting you closer and closer to your departure date. All someone has to do is mention "vacation," "trip," or Hawaii, and you experience that excited feeling.

Likewise, recurring events may also stir excitement. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Every year as the date approaches, I get excited about spending time with my family, ordering the turkey, running around for last minute supplies with my mom and cooking. I usually travel to my parent's house at least four days before the holiday to relax and enjoy the entire week. As I get closer to the holiday, I have extra power and energy due to my anticipation.

Most often, if you are thrilled about something, you will be able to sail through virtually anything unpleasantness or tedium that stands between you and that which you are excited about, whether it's an event, experience, or even the warmth and joy of a new relationship. When circumstances become difficult, you can also envision something that is pleasant in order to help you stay positive or improve your perspective.

The act of visualization is incredibly powerful since it allows us to see the potential of something not yet in form or realized, such as an event we have planned.

What happens when that which you visualize does not appear to be easily attainable? This year has been a particularly challenging year for me, infused with great change. I did not possess the same freedom and flexibility as I have in the past, therefore I felt myself beginning to question my ability to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday as I have in the past. Previously, as soon as November arrived, my energy level began to soar in anticipation of the holiday; for the first time I was feeling stress rather than enthusiasm. My initial thought was that my holiday plans were in peril because of my conditions. I soon realized the only threat to my holiday plans was my negative expectation. My feelings of stress revealed that somewhere inside I had also visualized what I didn't want. Clearly, my thoughts and feelings were focused on what I didn't want rather than what I did want to unfold. My feelings transformed into the corresponding negative expectation; hence, I felt stress.

Thanksgiving hadn't even arrived yet, there was no reason to feel any kind of loss or defeat, therefore, my stress had to be coming from an inner belief that I wouldn't have the experience I desired. In this case, I was engaging my power of visualization; however, I wasn't using it to assist me in creating the experience I desired. Once I comprehended that my focus had slipped, I began envisioning Thanksgiving week as I desired it to be, recalled the feelings from the past when there was no question about my ability to enjoy it and expected to get what I required. Before I knew it, I had everything I needed to leave town and enjoy the week with my parents, just as I had envisioned.

We frequently read about the importance and value of visualization, however, understanding the vastness of the process will aid you in maximizing your results. Just as you think and you feel, you visualize; all three are connected. You can use visualization to shape your thinking and affect how you feel, or your thoughts can influence your vision, and consequently how you feel.

It's important to understand that visualization is an ongoing process. To maximize your success in attracting what you desire, you must continue to engage in the process. You can begin manifesting something you want only to block or interfere with the successful realization of that goal somewhere in the process of it unfolding for you.

For example, I have a friend who envisioned having a loving, trustworthy romantic partner. She continued to envision and feel how wonderful the relationship will be. A few months later, she met a man who had all the qualities that would enable her to have the type of relationship she desired.

In the beginning she embraced him with excitement, but as her feelings began to develop, the memories of past disappointments with other men began to consume her thoughts. She became so preoccupied with not wanting to have a similar experience to her past rather than being focused on what she wanted, that her relationship became void of the energy needed to continue to blossom.

It's amazing how the expectation and visualization of a desired change can alter your present experience of life before the changes have actually taken place. Effective visualization incorporates emotional, spiritual and physical concentration, not just your inner sight.

What's important to remember is that everything has a shadow side, and the process of visualization is no different. For each goal you strive for, you can possess a positive vision of attaining it, or another which negates its possibility. For everything you aspire to, you may focus on attracting what you want, or focus on what you don't want.

Have you ever heard the expression: what you focus on expands? Depending on your perspective of the situation, the negative or positive will prevail, and you are the one in driver's seat attracting the results. Your feelings are crucial because their nature will inform you which vision your inner expectation is supporting.

Before your conditions can change, your perspective must change to one that supports the transformation you are striving for. Perhaps you can't see the steps that will yield what you envision. Your vision may be of new circumstances or results that are not as predictable or believable as a trip you have planned and paid for. Nonetheless, keeping the vision of your desired results is vital.

Take time to experience what attaining your goal will feel like so you can be unwavering in your focus. Remember that your mind is powerful; therefore, the way you feel when you envision or think about your goal is a helpful tool in determining whether your expectations support your success.

We are embarking on a new year! It's the perfect time to envision what you desire for the coming year. You can begin using visualization to achieve success with your New Year's resolutions or goals. Take time out for thorough visualization. Make the vision of what you wish so real, that you can feel your success, then recall that feeling as often as you can. Let your desired vision be in charge of your thoughts and your feelings. Focus on what you do want, and you'll be amazed at what will begin to happen!

I'd love to hear how the act of visualization begins to materialize in your life! Email me your stories. We can explore how this process can specifically enhance your life together in a private coaching session. Simply contact me to set up a special block of time to start manifesting your goals!