How to Manifest the Hell Out of Your Life & Make Your Dreams a Reality with Roxie Nafousi
From buying your dream house to travelling the world, financial abundance or starting your own business, manifesting your deepest desires and life goals using the law of attraction and putting your faith in the universe sounds like a beautiful way to live.
The hashtag manifestation has 14.8B views on TikTok whilst the self-help book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne published in 2006 sold more than 30 million copies. The root of manifestation goes back to the law of attraction – one of the pillars of the New Thought movement of the 19th century – and the idea that like attracts like and thus, positive thoughts cultivate positive results through the power of the mind and its ability to materialise thoughts into reality.
Whether you believe it or not, it’s a concept that’s going nowhere, with everyone from Oprah to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande being big advocates for using the law of attraction to attract the life you want.
It’s not up to the universe alone to make your dreams a reality. Manifesting doesn’t just require an unwavering belief in the process but proactivity and self-initiated action on your part, too.
From buying your dream house to travelling the world, financial abundance or starting your own business, manifesting your deepest desires and life goals using the law of attraction and putting your faith in the universe sounds like a beautiful way to live. That said, there’s a lot more to mastering the art of manifestation than chanting positive affirmations, wafting smudge sticks around your house and curating a perfectly aesthetic vision board. It’s not up to the universe alone to make your dreams a reality. Manifesting doesn’t just require an unwavering belief in the process but proactivity and self-initiated action on your part, too.
We spoke to Roxie Nafousi, self-development coach, author and Queen of Manifesting (she’s literally just written a book about it), to find out all about the power of manifestation and how to attract all the posi vibes into our lives.
From myths to mindset and the practical steps and tools you can use to go after your goals, here’s a how-to in manifesting the life you truly desire.
Manifesting has become something of a buzzword in the last two years (we have the ‘shut up, I’m manifesting’ meme to thank for that) but what exactly does manifestation mean and how does it work?
Manifesting is the ability to use the power of your mind to change and create the reality you experience. It can feel like this magical and wonderful experience when you manifest things you want into your life, but it is actually something that is very real. It is backed by science, too; both quantum physics and neuroscience have really helped us to understand how and why it works. Ultimately, though, manifesting is a self-development practice. For me, manifesting is the umbrella, and all self-development sits under it.
What about what manifestation isn’t…
If you want to manifest passing an exam, for example, you still need to revise! Roxie Nafousi
A lot of people think manifesting is about sitting, waiting, wishing. Or they think that you can just think really positive thoughts and then the things you want will appear in your life. But manifesting is not a passive process. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. It requires action. It requires you to step outside your comfort zone, take risks, align your behaviour and act as your future self would. You are still required to work hard for the things that you want and apply yourself. If you want to manifest passing an exam, for example, you still need to revise!
I also think that people think manifesting is *just* about manifesting things into your life; money, jobs, relationships. But actually, the greatest gift of manifesting is that it allows us to become the highest and most empowered version of ourselves that exists.
What are the practical ways to practise manifestation and harness its power in your everyday life? How do you actually *manifest*?
We manifest from our subconscious beliefs about what we deserve, and the universe responds to everything we do and say, as it is all a reflection of our self-worth. The best way we can practice manifestation in a practical sense, every day, is to start cultivating self-love through the decisions we make moment to moment. Our decisions and choices should always be saying, “I believe I am worthy”. That means that what you eat, drink, what habits you commit to, what work you complete, what challenges you overcome, who you spend time with, that all impacts how powerfully you are manifesting.
What are the key pillars of manifestation, and do you have any tips for beginners?
Self-Love is the driving force behind manifesting because we cannot manifest what we don’t believe we are worthy of receiving. But manifesting is such a full practice with many layers to it, something that I think people don’t always understand when it comes to manifestation. That is why I split my book into 7 clear steps so people could really grasp the practice of it. I know this is probably really annoying of me to say, but I would say my best tip for a beginner is to read my book MANIFEST, it’s a super easy read but it really does explain everything you need to know.
How often do you need to practice? Is there an ideal routine or formula for success, if so, what does that look like?
Well, to be honest, what I am always trying to teach people about manifesting is that it’s not a ritual. It’s not a practice you do 20 minutes a day. It’s a way of living and being. Once you really begin to understand how incredible manifestation really is, you realise it’s something you live and breathe, not something you do.
What are the biggest things holding us back from manifesting and achieving our goals?
Two things currently blocking all of us from our goals, are our fears and doubts. Roxie Nafousi
In Step 2: Remove Fear and Doubt, I explain that the two things currently blocking all of us from our goals, are our fears and doubts. That’s all our insecurities, low self-worth, doubt in the universe or ourselves, low self-esteem and worries. These have likely been brewing for years, if not decades, and they block us from stepping into our power and being able to manifest the things that we want most. This is where inner work comes in. The journey of inner healing and working to remove these blocks is the most profound of the whole manifestation practice.
Women often struggle to ask for what we want, whether it be in the workplace or in relationships. How do we get comfortable asking the Universe for what we want? What limiting beliefs do we need to let go of?
I think one of the best ways to start asking the universe for what we want is to make a vision board. It’s private, just for us, so that can make it feel easier to do. One thing I would say is that when doing a vision board, be really conscious of when you’re restricting yourself from asking for the things you want. Force yourself to dream bigger. The main limiting belief to let go of is that we aren’t worthy or deserving of abundance, love and happiness. But we ALL deserve to live our best lives. You do, I do and all the women around you do too. Start repeating this mantra every day, “I am worthy of all the success, love and happiness that the universe has to offer”. And when good things happen, allow yourself to indulge in a feeling of gratitude for it, and say to yourself, “yes, I deserve this”. Because you really do.
How can you attract abundance in your life?
By manifesting and adopting an abundance mindset – that is, a mindset that there is more than enough to go around for everyone. I actually made this little Instagram post that helps with some tips for an abundance mindset.
How important is mindset when it comes to manifesting?
It’s everything! But the great thing about that is we all have something called neuroplasticity (our brain’s ability to form new neural pathways), meaning we can literally retrain our minds and adopt a new mindset through repeated action, which means we all have the power to change our mindset and change our lives.
How do you go from manifesting (thought) to making it happen (action)?
This is Step 3: Align Your Behaviour. This is where you have to be proactive in going for the things you want, step outside your comfort zone, take risks, and literally embody the person you want to become. Only once you begin to do these things can you make it happen.
Can you really manifest anything?
Yes, you can literally manifest anything into your life!
How important is gratitude, positivity, and patience when it comes to manifestation? It’s not an overnight fix is it? You have to be proactive and be prepared to do the work!
Gratitude is incredibly high vibe, and when we are high vibe, we attract high vibes things back to us. Roxie Nafousi
Embracing gratitude is another of my steps, (it’s Step 5) because it’s so integral to manifesting. Gratitude is incredibly high vibe, and when we are high vibe, we attract high vibes things back to us. I always say that the manifesting sweet spot is knowing what you want whilst being entirely grateful for all that you already have. In regard to patience, that’s Step 7 of my book, trust in the universe – we have to surrender, let go, and trust that it’s happening in its own and right time. If you get impatient, you could interfere with it!
What happens if the thing you’ve been manifesting doesn’t come to fruition? What’s your advice for handling that energy when things go wrong?
If something isn’t coming to fruition, it’s likely that you’re still holding fear and doubt around it. I always tell people to go back to that inner healing to remove those blocks. But when things do go wrong, which they will from time to time, it’s about staying strong in those moments, and knowing that there is something greater on the other side. I talk about this a lot in Step 4, Overcome Tests from the Universe!
We’re not into negative vibes round these parts ha, but for any naysayers who might question the power of manifestation, what would you tell them?
I think it’s not my job to force anything onto anyone. All we can do is lead by example. If people don’t believe in manifesting, it won’t work for them, so they have to come to it in their own time.
What does manifestation mean to YOU in your life?
It IS my life.
What’s something you’ve successfully manifested into being?
Literally everything, my baook, my career, my house, my baby. There is nothing in my life I don’t thank manifesting for!
We love your book, Manifest! What’s your biggest inspiration for writing it?
Aw thank you! I had been teaching people my 7 steps to manifesting through webinars and it was working. The feedback was amazing, and people were manifesting the most incredible things. I knew the 7 steps really did work and so I wanted to teach it to as many people as possible, so I had to write a book! I put it on my vision board and manifesting the book deal and it’s been so amazing to see so many people reading it!
Is the orange cover an intentional choice? It’s the colour often associated with energy, success and positivity after all!
Absolutely. In fact, my publishers originally said NO to the orange cover I presented to them, but I didn’t give up until they changed their mind. I was set on the orange! I wanted it to be a standout book that could also be a cool coffee table book after you’d finished reading it!
How much did you draw on your career as a self-development coach when writing Manifest?
A lot! I use a lot of my 1-1 client examples in the book because I really wanted people to see that this is a practice for everyone, and I wanted people to be able to relate to other people’s experiences.
We love listening to your podcast, The Moments That Made Me. What manifestation moments made you into the woman you are today?
Thank you so much! I think it would be May 2018, when I was at rock bottom, someone told me to listen to a podcast on manifesting. From that moment, in the most rapid and extraordinary way, every single thing in my life totally transformed.
A quote or affirmation you live by…
‘your self-belief is your superpower’.. and also ‘it’s nice to be nice’
Any parting words of wisdom to throw out there in the Zoellaverse?
You can be and do anything you want, you have unlimited potential just waiting to be unlocked by your self-belief. The only limit is the limit of your mind.
Roxie Nafousi
Ready to start manifesting the hell out of your life? You can buy Roxie’s book Manifest here. Whether you want to attract your soulmate, land the perfect job, buy the home you have always wanted or simply find inner peace and confidence, this wholesome guide will teach you exactly how to get there in seven practical (and empowering) steps.
