Manifesting… for Normal People.

If you know me, you know I don’t read daily horoscopes (I’m an Aquarius, fyi), flip through tarot cards on my lunch break, and routinely consult my psychic. I don’t have a problem with any of these things, but they’re just not a part of my life.

Then again, I used to think yoga was only for slow-moving hippies and now I’m flowing up a storm, so perhaps I should just stop writing and take a seat and listen to a psychic… Adding it to my to-do list.

But there’s one word that keeps popping up in my life lately, whether it be at work, on Instagram, or TV, and it won’t stop resonating with me as I look around at my life. And it’s a word that I think more of us need to become friends with.

Manifest.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Don’t you go closing this tab now saying “Emily, I’m not here for this mystical sh*t.” Just you wait a minute. Did you know the definition of manifest, according to Google, is “show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate.” Demonstrate.

That’s the humdinger.

Forget about the word manifest for a minute, with all of it’s mystical associations. Let’s talk real life.

As I’ve waded through this unfamiliar thing known as “alone time” recently, I realized how many major changes I’ve made in my life over the past few years. (There’s also a trilogy of books filled with things I didn’t make happen, but who’s here to read that? Not me.) The main difference between the changes that happened and the ones that didn’t, is a lil’ thing that has to do with our friend above, the word “demonstrate.”

Let’s go back a few years and dive into my personal world of “demonstration.” I was feeling beaten down by the insane competition when I joined the Broadway union (otherwise known as Actors Equity) in New York, and for the first time, I spoke up to my agents and said, “I think I’d like to take a break from New York for a bit. Can we focus on cruise lines?” And you know what happened four months later?  This girl arrived in a German city she’d never heard of, and started learning 6 shows to perform at sea.

And two years later, faced with a desire to live abroad and a boyfriend who couldn’t sit still, I started to (slowly) tell people I was indeed not returning to the greatest city in the world. I didn’t know how I would be legally allowed to stay at the European party, but I proceeded to say I was going anyways, like the eager happy hour participant I am. And what happened one year later? A motherf*ckin VISA to live in Portugal. (Still can’t believe this happened. The process is epic, y’all.)

And to get a little vulnerable with y’all for a second. A few weeks ago, I was feeling pretty down about the time I was allotting for my own creative projects outside of work. I have plans to re-do the loololo logo, spice up the insta, and revive the newsletter that only happens once in a blue moon. But I didn’t have time. And honestly, still don’t. But I decided my blog is a priority. This is my space to write, create, and connect with all of you. You who send me messages asking for visa advice. You who send me notes of solidarity and share your own struggles with credit cards. And you who reach out with SO many tips on good at-home exercises, your favorite yoga personalities, and the best coffee reccs in every city I travel to. This space matters to me. So I started to bring my blog back into my daily vocabulary a bit more. It might sound silly, but don’t forget the definition above: “show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance”

(Disappointingly enough, I don’t plan to dress up like a blog page.) You gotta show it by your acts! Your words. Your thoughts. So I started being proactive about my blog again, just as I was proactive about getting a performing job that fulfilled me, and living in a place far, far away from the United States of America. And you know what happened? My phone rang the other day with an offer to be a *digital* faculty member and lead a webinar about the importance of passion projects, like blogs, for musicians. And what led to this awesome gig? My blog.

Now before you go thinking I’m just here to celebrate how wondrously my plans have fallen into place, let’s talk about the one part of “demonstrating” that isn’t mentioned in the definition. Your starting point. If you’re looking to manifest something in your life, you’re honestly, probably just a normal person trying to make something better happen. All of the things I tried to “manifest” were sparked by an unhappiness. A part of my life I didn’t want to cuddle up with. Some place where I felt I could do better.

So instead of concentrating, dwelling, and becoming absorbed in the unhappiness or uncomfy-ness of wherever you are, start demonstrating. Start acting. Start saying things. And physically spit the words out of your mouth that reflect the person you want to be and the things you want to accomplish. Honestly, I had kind of stopped doing this over the past few weeks, as in the midst of a global pandemic it does feel a bit selfish. But come on. I’m not out here tearing off my facemask and whispering “have you heard of my blog, loololo.com” in every stranger’s ear, with no regard for the social distancing practices in Germany.

I’m (peacefully) demonstrating that I have things in my life that I’d like to change. And as I heard the word “manifest” in a YouTube video yesterday for the 5 billionth time, I had to share it with you. Because I believe in this word. And by doing so, I believe in myself.

So take whichever verb form of this word suits you.

Manifest.

Act.

Demonstrate.

Say.

Pick a word. Any word. And believe in it! Believe in the ridiculous thoughts like living on a cruise ship, moving to a foreign country, or smashing a career goal you think is a ways away. And before you know it, they’re not so ridiculous after all…

P.S. This post was manifested with a nice cup of coffee ;)