To say that people who ‘manifest’ success are just lucky?

[SpryExpert]

People who claim ‘manifestation’ changed their lives conveniently ignore the privilege, timing, and circumstances that worked in their favour.

Sometimes. Sometimes they just really focus on what they’re “manifesting”, and that makes it happen. Where focus goes; energy flows and all that.

I think it's all rubbish. However, I can see how manifesting could result in more self belief and confidence in someone's goals. Which, in itself, could make the thing more likely to happen.

I think it depends what form the success takes. If it's a lottery win, that's lucky.
If its achieving something concrete, like a particular job, I think how manisfesting works is just encouraging hyperfocus. If you are taking time every day to think about the kind of job you want, it is inyour mind, you are more likely to be looking for it, talking to friends bout it, googling it, having friends tip you off about relevant opportunities.

In general manisfesting is nonsense but encouraging hyper focus will have practical by products.

I started saying I would 'manifest' various things as a joke but bizarrely I've been very lucky and it does seem to just happen, which annoys my partner who is a very logical man. Just this week I said I would manifest a free pizza and then won a coupon for one, followed by saying I would manifest a big cast iron casserole dish because I need a new one, and then later found one in the sale section of a homeware shop, reduced from a small fortune to about a tenna.

I think it's quite funny, my other half is also quite unlucky so I think he finds it particularly baffling.

This.

Manifesting alone doesn't make anything happen. There is no secret magic.

But setting an intention and staying focused on it. Being prepared for opportunities as and when they arise. Putting yourself out there in ways that are likely to generate relevant connections? All incredibly powerful.

I remember this about 20 years ago. I was self employed and used to go to various local business networking events, often with a speaker. A few would talk about manifesting. One showed a photo album which he filled with images of what success looked like to him and spoke about how he reviewed it every day and how it had helped his raise his goals. Smug was an understatement . I think he had family money to help him start plus he got paid for giving the talk which rubbed salt into the wound.

i was self employed as my husband had a (at the time) undiagnosed auto immune condition which made our lives hell and made it impossible for both of us to continue with our corporate roles. He couldn’t contemplate giving up so I had to (we had young children and something had to give). I wasn’t sure how a photo album with images of a healthy husband would stop him having drop attacks and help me get back on the career path I had worked so hard for. I still don’t see it. No amount of visualisation can sort out chronic health conditions.

at another event someone talked about how positive attitude, manifesting good mobility, could help my young relative who had severe hip problems, one leg shorter than the other. Nope. That needed a hip replacement op. So disrespectful of the serious issues people face.

Visualisation is a really important part of success. If you visualise it, and believe it, it creates a sense of entitlement almost, confidence, self belief; all of which will be hugely beneficial to taking action and risks, and reaching success.

If you don't dream big, chances are nothing will happen, but that's not to say just dreaming alone will achieve anything.

It's not woo, it's just basic human psychology.

I had a ski instructor once who used to shout “you go where you’re looking” in a French accent…he was right, both for skiing and most other things!

I think of manifesting as being another word for being proactive.

Very old joke coming up, which sort of explains manifesting.

A man prays to win the Lottery and God says to him “You will win the Eurmillions on Saturday”. He doesn’t win.
The next week he prays again to god who answers him “Thou shalt win the Euromillions on Saturday.” Again he doesn’t win
So for a third time he prays to win the Lottery and God says to him “Help me out here, buy a ticket!”

@user4621786753 user4621786753 · Today 16:51

I had a ski instructor once who used to shout “you go where you’re looking” in a French accent…he was right, both for skiing and most other things!

That's a good point shortly made.

EDIT on reflection to add: I'm looking at MN. Maybe that's my problem!

Completely agree. They're just focused and proactive.

I think when you truly believe in your gut you’re going to get whatever it is you’re wanting you do end up getting it eventually as you feel so damn positive and confident

your brain does focus on how to get it and that’s how people do manifest it

I don’t think it’s necessarily anything cosmic or spiritual, but I do think that when you focus on positives, you’ll notice more positive things happening, which makes you more confident and therefore success more likely.

Well I think Manifesting is probably nonsense. However after I emigrated I was feeling incredibly happy and positive about life. I started doing competitions and you would not believe the amount of stuff I won, holidays, all sorts of tickets and days out, a Miele washing machine and drier, cash, my electric bill paid, heaps of books and bath and body stuff, at one point I was getting two or three prizes a week! Now obviously the more I won the more competitions I did so it was a bit self fulfilling. But when I do competitions now I don’t win nearly so much as I did then, and I do sort of feel it was connected to my initial emigration euphoria when it felt like genuinely anything was possible. Actually I think I will get off mumsnet and do some comps, I could do with a holiday!

On a similar theme, Richard Wiseman wrote a book about ‘lucky people’ and those lucky people looked outward for opportunity, talked up strangers, were curious and so created their own ‘luck’.