we don’t think of reality the same way
when I publicly announced my plans to quit my career as a doctor to become a travel blogger, most people begged me to “be realistic.”
but here’s the thing,
anyone who uses “reality” as an argument for why you should shrink your dreams must not understand how the brain works.
because when you say the word “reality” as if that should convince me to shrink my dreams. what I hear is: you are currently perceiving reality through a set of unhelpful limitations.
because here’s what I know to be true:
you have WAY more influence over what becomes your reality than you probably realize.
you have the ability to shape your reality.
to co-create your reality.
and teaching people how to do that
waking them up to their own co-creative power
is one of my absolute favorite things to share.
last year, I taught my co-creation method inside a manifestation journaling program called Script Your Freedom.
recently, I asked the people who did the program to go back and look at what they wrote one year ago.
and I loved seeing how surprised they were to notice that...
the things they wrote down.
the big dreams they named.
the desires they longed for.
are, in fact, becoming their reality.
and here’s the thing.
I’m not claiming that the sole act of writing down your desires in a journal magically makes them appear.
I mean, yes. I think there’s a bit of magic to it.
and at the same time...
the manifestation journaling method I teach (my co-creation method) actually makes a LOT of sense from a psychological perspective.here are three of the psychological mechanisms behind the magic:
1. attentional prioritization: aka letting your brain know what’s important.
naming your desires forces you to clarify what you want AND brings it to the forefront of your mind.
essentially the act of writing it down primes your brain. creating the signal that “this is important. pay attention!!”
consequently, you become more likely to notice information, ideas, people, and opportunities connected to your desires that you might otherwise filter out.
2. state based cognition
when you are thinking from the headspace:
nothing is working.
I don’t know how I’m going to make money.
I need to figure this out.
your brain has access to a VERY different set of thoughts and behaviors than when you are thinking from the headspace:
there are so many possibilities here. wouldn’t it be cool if….? what would happen if we tried it like this. what would be fun to try?
you feel the difference right?
the journaling process I teach is NOT about writing down positive affirmations that feel like you are lying to yourself.
it helps you enter a state of possibility, creativity, confidence, abundance, curiosity, etc.
and because cognition is state-dependent, different states give you access to different thoughts, associations, and ideas.
you literally think differently from possibility than you do from fear, pessimism or scarcity.
3. less self-doubt →more confidence → more action
this is where the internal work starts producing external consequences. within my journaling process we don’t just write sentences about what we want.
we also work through all the “yea, buts…”
all the voices of doubt and fear trying to talk you out of your desires.
the process helps decrease self-doubt and increase confidence and expectancy.
and when something feels possible and YOU feel more confident. you are much more likely to shoot your shot.
to send the message
go to the event
make the offer
share the idea
ask for the opportunity.
the actions might look small, but all of these micro risks add up over time. they create an entirely new chain of events.
after all, yes lives in the land of no. you can’t receive a yes if you never make the ask.
and i guess here’s what i’m really saying:
journaling itself doesn’t change reality.
journaling changes the person interacting with reality.
it changes what you notice.
it changes what ideas come to you
it changes what you’re willing to do.
and then reality has no choice but to respond to the change.
but also… magic
and then there’s the part I can’t fully explain. the synchronicities that feel like there are greater forces orchestrating things in your favor
walking into a cafe at the right time.
striking up a conversation with someone who “know’s a guy” selling a villa.
and a few weeks later picking the linen colors for your new home.
you know… things like that.
because while so much of the process truly does makes sense from a psychological perspective.
there is also that sprinkle of magic that we may never be able to understand.which is why I call it co-creation.
you do your part.
you name what you want.
you shift what you believe is possible.
you follow the ideas.
you take the action.
and then you leave a little room for life to surprise you.
so the first step?
open your journal. and answer the question:
what do I want?
write it down.
shift into a state of possibility
and then start taking action as if you have the power to make it happen.
Just got off of the Day 3 call with you. Loving this process - the science AND the magic!