The art of manifestation rests on using the universal law of attraction to benefit your life.  I see it as the law of attraction in action--the process of doing something in order to achieve a specific purpose.  When you say things like "I can't afford that" or "That isn't for people like me," you are generating a climate in which you truly can't afford it so it isn't for you.  Instead, try saying "I always have plenty of money for everything I need and want."  Now you are generating energy that will put you in control and help you prioritize your decisions based on abundance, not lack.

The idea is to act like the thing you wish to manifest is already your reality.  Just keep in mind that everything takes time and that your circumstances today are a direct result of your past thoughts and beliefs.  If you start thinking and acting differently now, if you give the new habit time to set in, you will reap different results in the future.  The universe is just waiting for you to take action.  So don't underestimate the power of taking one step at a time.  It doesn't matter how big or small your actions are.  Any action in the general direction of your new reality is enough to get the ball rolling.

Using deliberateness in the art of manifestation is crucial.  You will be successful when you

- Are specific about what you want.
- Use the present tense in your expressions.  (I am making more money instead of I will be making more money.)
- Affirm your desires all day long.
- Understand the changes you are asking for.
- Have faith in the end result.
- Be flexible.
- Use the power of daily meditation and prayer.
- Get in the habit of expressing gratitude.

There are several ways I've found to shift my overall patterns of manifestation:  affirmations and visualizations as well as active meditations and prayer.  The purpose of affirmations is to increase your intention and desire, thus inviting the magical experience of manifestation to occur.

The second choice for manifesting is the use of visualization.  The images you visualize can be as simple as a single snapshot held in your mind.  But when it becomes more dynamic, such as a detailed image of a life change or a place you'd like to live, there will be added power in your action.

If you want to be even more focused, I suggest you create a daily mantra that will help you affirm the way you want to live.  Dating back thousands of years, mantras are words or sentences that affirm the way you want to live your life.  In order to create your own personal mantra, make a list of three things you want to change in your life.  Write them in this form:

I am. . . stressed, debt-ridden, exhausted.

Don't think too much.  Just write them down as they arise in your mind.  Then, for each item, write down the opposite idea in the same form:

I am. . . at peace, financially secure, well-rested.

String together these positive thoughts in a pleasing order, such as in this form:

I am at peace and well-rested and my world is financially secure.

Write down your mantra on an index card and post it where you will see it often during the day.  Make multiple copies, one for your car, your office, your bathroom.  Repeat this mantra throughout the day, whenever you think about it and especially before you go to bed.