Glitter & Yarn

The power of positive thinking is not new, and there is definitely something to be said about having a positive attitude, but the whole concept of manifestation always seemed a little too “woo-woo” for me. I mean, really. The idea of putting out positive energy in order to achieve something in your life seems a little too easy right? It’s kind of like making a wish when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake. And that is how I felt. Until I gave it an honest try. Because really, how could it hurt?

A little disclaimer here before I get into it. I am, by no means an expert on manifestation. There are plenty out there, and part of me is still a skeptic. I encourage other folks to be skeptical too. What works or worked for me, may not work for everyone. At the end of the day, it may also just be a case of right place, right time, but I thought it might be fun to share some of my experiences and maybe just inspire others to try.

Manifestation in its truest form is more than just positive thinking. It involves setting intentions, visualizing the life or thing you want the most, creating and repeating affirmations, taking action, practicing gratitude, believing in your ability to make things happen, and trusting the process. That can be a little daunting if you’re like me and a little hesitant to trust things you can’t see, but recent experiences have taught me to let go of some of my pre-conceived ideas of what manifestation means.

It all started in 2021. It was the height of COVID-19, everything and everyone was in lockdown, but I had hope that things would start to turn around soon. I was single, and honestly, just lonely. Being isolated and on your own during a global pandemic can wreak havoc on your mental health. Despite all that though, I was pretty much ready to change things up. I wanted to be in a relationship, I wanted to fall in love. So I told myself that this year, I would meet someone. It might take all year, but I was determined to make it happen. So I put myself out there. I re-downloaded the dating apps, took some cute selfies, and went to work.

Dating apps suck by the way, or at least they did in 2021, but I did my best. I’d start to get some matches and we’d chitchat online for a while. Eventually, restaurants and things started to re-open, so it made it a little easier to go out. I’d go on dates. Some would be great, others not so much. I even went on a few dates with some people from my past. None of them really worked out though. Still, I promised myself that this year, I would be in a relationship. Halfway through the year is when it happened. I went on a date with a guy and things just felt right. We got along, he was tall, attractive, easy to talk to. I felt like I could be myself around him. And here we are, 4 years later, still together, living in a house we bought together, and expecting our first child in just a few short months!

Now, one could argue that was just good luck, good timing, or good hustle on my part to put myself out there to meet someone, but a big part of manifestation is just that. Being fearless enough to get out of your comfort zone and work towards your goal. Very little happens by chance. You do have to work in order to achieve it. So yes, I said I was going to meet someone, and I did, but he didn’t just show up at my doorstep. I had to force myself to get out, I had to put in the effort to respond to messages, and go out on dates, even when I wasn’t really feeling up to it. I knew eventually someone would come along that I’d fall in love with, it just so happened to be the year that I told myself it would.

Since then, I’ve added a few more manifestation type practices to my life. Every late December, early January, I make a little vision board on my iPad. I’ll put pictures of things I’d like to do, for example, a picture of an airplane wing for travel, or a picture of a theatre dressing room to represent more performance opportunities. Do they all come true? No, but it’s a nice visual reminder of the things I want to spend time working on.

This year, 2025, I have dubbed the “Year of Rachel”. I had had a pretty crummy 2024, and I was desperate for this year to be better, even if only by a little bit. The year started with my partner and I moving in to our new home January 2nd, which I thought was perfect, because it meant starting the New Year in a fresh environment with a fresh perspective. Since then, lot’s of really great and really exciting things have happened. I was able to offload a lot of my debt, putting me in a better position financially, I got a new car, a new job, and found out I was expecting, all in a matter of months! And yes, a lot of that was put on my 2025 vision board. To put it lightly, it has been the Year of Rachel. I’ve done a lot to get to this point, it didn’t all just fall into my lap, but I truly believe that putting that out into the universe really did help. Whether it was to keep me accountable in working towards the good things that have happened, or to give me a better, more positive outlook on my life moving forward, I do have a greater appreciation for folks who swear by manifestation. If nothing else, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try.