It Took Me 12 Years to Realize This Powerful Truth about Manifestation!
Manifestation. is not magic. Manifestation is not wishing and. waiting. Manifestation is not writing it once in. a journal and closing the book. Manifestation is not saying affirmations. while avoiding action. Manifestation is not the universe. delivering without your participation. Manifestation is not a shortcut around. hard work. It's clarity, belief, and.
consistent action in alignment. >> The number one health and wellness. podcast. Jay Shetty. JAY SHETTY. THE. ONE, the only Jay Shetty. Hey everyone, welcome back to On. Purpose. I'm Jay Shetty, author of New. York Times bestsellers Think Like a Monk. and Eight Rules of Love. And today I. want to talk to you about a topic that I. feel we're all completely fascinated by, but I think we really don't understand. Manifestation.
There is so much about this word out. there, there's so many interpretations, there's so much about how to do it and. what it is, and I feel like often we set. ourselves up for failure by subscribing. to a word that we don't fully. understand, by subscribing to an idea. that sounds good, it makes us feel good, but it doesn't really transfer into. reality. How many of you have ever tried. to manifest a vision board and not seen. it come to life? How many of you have. tried to repeat something constantly in.
affirmations and not seen it come to. life? How many of you have tried to. manifest something big and beautiful in. your life. and actually felt like you went down the. wrong path? If that applies to any of you, this. episode is for you, because I'm going to. talk about the myths of manifestation. and how to actually build the life that. you truly want. Myth number one, manifestation is magic. We think if I. think about it hard enough, it will.
appear. Here's the reality. Your brain isn't a. genie, it's a GPS. If you don't type in. the address, it can't take you anywhere. Do you ever get in the car and just. start driving without a destination? You'd waste gas, you'd waste time, and. energy. That's what wishing without. clarity does to your life. Research from. Locke and Latham's goal-setting theory. of 2002 shows specific goals lead to.
higher motivation and success than vague. intentions. So, here's what I want you to do. I want. you to swap I want to be successful for. I want to grow my business revenue by. 20% this year. Vague wishes drift, clear. goals direct. So, anyone who's saying. manifestation is just I want abundance, I want to be free, I want to create. greatness. These are beautiful. aspirations. There's nothing wrong with.
them. But without clarity, we don't know what action to take. Your goal has to be clear. Your vision of what you're building has. to be clear. Now, I'm not saying that. it's going to work out just as you think. it is. I'm not even saying you're going. to get get exactly what you envision. But the truth is to start any journey, you need clarity. Manifestation. is not magic. Manifestation is not wishing and.
waiting. Manifestation is not writing it once in. a journal and closing the book. Manifestation is not saying affirmations. while avoiding action. Manifestation is not the universe. delivering without your participation. Manifestation is not a shortcut around. hard work. Manifestation is not about getting. everything you want instantly. Manifestation isn't magic.
It's clarity, belief, and consistent. action. in alignment. For so many people, they may tell an. amazing story about how they manifested. something. It's not that they didn't vision it. It's not that they didn't have clarity. They also aligned their action, their. time, their energy, their resources in. that direction. Manifestation truly is the alignment of. what you think, what you say, and what.
you do. When those three things are aligned, that's what creates impact in the world. and in your life. Whereas when you think in your head, "I. want abundance.". You say it out loud, but your actions. are completely the opposite. Nothing changes. The problem is we think. manifestation means if I think. abundantly, then I'll be abundant in my. business. No, you might actually have a. beautiful habit for happiness, but the strategy for success is watching.
the patterns of success. It's analyzing. the journeys of success. It's being. locked in to a different mind. Myth. number two is that positive thoughts. alone attract success. People think, "If I stay positive, the. universe will deliver.". This sets us up for a lot of. disappointment. because I know so many people, good. people, who think positively. But then difficult things happen in.
their life. Hard things happen in their. life. The reality is positivity is fuel, but. it's not the vehicle. It gets you moving, but you still have. to drive. Imagine this. Think of going to the gym, telling yourself, "I believe in myself. That won't build muscle unless you pick. up the weights. But it's great that it. made you show up. So it's important. It's just incomplete. Barbara. Fredrickson's broaden and build theory.
shows positivity expands our creativity. and problem-solving, but without action, it just fades. Here's your step. Pair. every affirmation with one action. If. you say, I'm building wealth, then at. the same time, set up an automatic. transfer to savings as soon as you get. your paycheck. The moment you take. action, your life will change. The moment you take action, clarity.
replaces confusion. The moment you take action, momentum. begins. The moment you take action, the right time finally arrives. The moment you take action, you stop. waiting for permission. Notice how. affirmation and action together creates. alignment. Affirmation on its own is. wishful thinking. Action on its own doesn't feel like it's. fueled with a higher way of living.
Affirmation and action together are an. unbeatable formula. And so, I want you to really think about. in your life about the things you've. been struggling with. The things you're. always trying to pump yourself up about. And ask yourself, what habits have I not. built? What actions have I not built? What systems have I not built? We're not. failed by our desires or expectations. We're failed by the systems we don't. build. We're failed by the processes we. don't create. We're failed by the.
criteria we don't have. We're failed by the boundaries we don't. make. That's what fails us. Myth number three. Writing it down is not enough. We think, I wrote in my journal, so it's. on its way. Here's the reality. Writing helps focus the brain, but it's. step one, not the finish line. Think of. it like making a grocery list. Everyone. needs one of those. You need to know. what you're missing, what you need to. fill your fridge with, what you need. this week.
But if you never go to the store, the list doesn't feed you. Research, known as the generation. effect, shows writing improves memory. and focus. But memory isn't momentum. Here's the step. After journaling, add, what's one step I can take today toward. this? If you write, start a podcast, your next. step could be outline an episode, learn. how to record a podcast, research a.
podcast. For so many of us, we write. down what we want, we don't write down. how we're going to get there. It's the. how we're going to get there that makes. things seem manageable. What our mind. does is when we say I want to start a. podcast, it feels so big, we feel. overwhelmed. We feel overburdened by. doing this huge thing. When you break it down into all the. multiple steps of how to get there, the key is to figure out the next step. you can take right now.
The next step you can take right now, which is calling up a friend who has a. podcast, watching podcast to find out a. format that works for you, looking up a YouTube video from a. creator that's telling you how to start. one. Without those steps, you can think about. starting a podcast for months and years, and nothing will ever happen. Manifestation is clarity about what you. want and what it takes. Manifestation is writing it down, and then building it step by step.
Manifestation is persistence when. motivation fades. Manifestation is aligning your choices. with your values, not just your wishes. If you just make it about your wishes, if you just make it about what you're. writing, if you don't ever make it about. the how, right? People say start with. why. Really important. You should know. why you're doing what you're doing. You should know what you want to build. But if you don't know how you're going. to get there, it's almost the hardest thing. Right? If.
you don't know how you're going to get. to the party on a Saturday night, if you. don't know how you're going to get to. your vacation destination, if you don't. know how you're going to build that. company, it becomes a lot harder. Spend more time figuring out the how, and you'll know that you're making. momentum. You'll know you're making. progress. You'll know you're moving in. the right direction. See, the thing is, I really want you to. get there. I really want you to experience the joy. of building something you love. I don't just want it to remain a dream.
in your. mind and your heart space that never. gets to see the light of day. Myth number four, the universe rewards. wanting. If I want it badly enough, I'll get it. It does not work that way. Desire is fuel, but direction is the. map. Without it, you spin in circles. Have you ever desperately wanted a job, relationship, or whatever it may be, but. you had no strategy?
Desire without direction is like. stepping on the gas with no steering. wheel. The reticular activating system, also known as RAS, filters what you. notice. Define a goal, and your brain. literally starts spotting opportunities. For example, once you think of buying a. red car, you see them everywhere. So, here's the step. Each morning, write. down three things you want to notice. that day. Maybe new clients, learning.
opportunities, or ways to connect, your. RAS will tune in. This is so important. If you have a goal to write a book, start a podcast, build a company, ask. yourself, what is it that you need? I. was talking to a friend the other day, and I said to him how important it was. for him to show up to networking events. I said, if you're out at those events, you're going to meet people, people are. going to see you, you're going to get to. connect with them. He was avoiding it. for months and months and months. He. finally went to one, and he was shocked.
at what it felt like to be front of. mind. When you're present, you get to. have the conversations you would never. get to if you weren't there. So many of. us avoid the actual action, even though. in our mind we're wondering, why is this. business not taking off? Why is it not. starting off? Because we're not. positioning ourselves in the places that. we need to be. Remember, you don't see things as they are, you. see them through your own fears and. hopes. You don't see yourself as you.
are, you see the story you keep. repeating about who you are. You don't see the future as it is, you. see the version you believe is possible. So many of us have the wish, we have the. want, we have the desire, we don't have. the direction, we don't have the drive, and. where does that drive come from? Comes from picking something that you. really value. I mean, everyone would. want to be financially free. Everyone would want abundance. Those are.
things we all want. But what does that. look like for you? How does that. manifest for you? When I say that, what I mean is, how do you envision that? How's it unique to you, and how are you. going to get there that's unique to you? We all want to feel better, to have more. energy and more focus throughout the. day. That's why I co-founded Juni, a. sparkling adaptogenic drink made with. powerful ingredients like ashwagandha. and lion's mane. It's designed to boost. your mood, support your focus, and give.
you natural energy all without the. crash. A new classic reimagined. We're. so excited to officially launch our new. lemonade iced tea flavor. When we. created Juni, my goal was simple. I. wanted to make drinks that help you feel. balanced and energized without. compromise. Our upgraded take on the. classic Arnold Palmer is crisp, refreshing, and crafted with adaptogens. to support energy, focus, and mood all. with zero sugar. Be among the first to. try it, available exclusively at. drinkjuni.com where you can use the code.
onpurpose20. for 20% off your first order. Cheers to. your daily mood boost. Myth number five, the path will be. smooth if it's meant to be. We think if. I face obstacle, maybe it's not my. destiny. The reality is struggle doesn't mean. you're on the wrong path. It usually means you're on a real one. Right? Struggle doesn't mean you're.
making a mistake. Struggle could mean that you have a lot. to learn to get to this goal. If you. have something you really value, don't. change what you value, change the path. to get there. Ask any athlete, artist, or entrepreneur. I've interviewed so. many of them on the podcast. The dream. always comes with resistance. You'll get. to where you want in life, just not in. the way you imagined it. Pain isn't proof of misalignment. It's proof you're growing.
It's proof it matters. And ultimately, it reveals to you whether it matters. enough. If you give up because. something's hard, it means you didn't care enough about. the thing. We do the most difficult. things as humans for things we care. about. Parenting is one of the most thankless. jobs. It's one of the hardest jobs, but. people do it because they love their. child. Their love outweighs the pain. That's what purpose is. That's what. manifesting really is. It's where your. love for something, your dedication,
your devotion to something. is more than your pain, stress, and. difficulty that you go through to get. there. Angela Duckworth's grit research shows. sustained effort through challenges. predicts achievement more than talent. Here's a step. When you hit resistance, reframe it. This is the workout, not the. wall. Write down what this obstacle is. teaching you. Just because something is right for you,
doesn't mean it will be easy. Just because something is meant for you, doesn't mean it will come quickly. Just because it's your purpose, doesn't mean it won't test your. patience. Just because you found your calling, doesn't mean you won't doubt yourself. along the way. And just because you're ready, doesn't mean life won't make you wait. Myth number six, manifesting is passive.
I just have to wait and trust. I was at an event the other day and. someone asked me about how do you. surrender? How do you create detachment? How do you do something, but then leave. the result up to what's going on? And. here's what I said. I said surrender. only starts when you've already done. everything under your control. If you have given 100% of your energy, if you have left no stone unturned,
and if you have given it all you've got, that's when surrender starts. Sometimes. we only do 50% of that, and then we're. thinking there's 50% of surrender. That's not surrender. That's just. hoping, wishing, and waiting. Surrender. says, I've done everything I possibly. could. I've put in all the energy, knowledge, and wisdom I have at this point in my. life. I'm now detached from the result. because I realize whatever comes is. what's truly meant for me.
And I have no idea. of what I'm being prepared for. I'll give you an example. Eight years ago when one of my videos. went crazy viral on social media, a TV company in LA reached out to me and. said they wanted to make a TV show. I had no idea what that meant. So, I. spoke to a friend who I thought made a. TV show, someone who I was producing. with. We created a sizzle reel, we made. a deck. We flew out to LA on our own. money. I used to live in New York at.
that time. I went and built this and went back and. forth. We went around and pitched it to. every major TV network and streamer at. the time. Everyone rejected it. No one wanted it. Now, I had done everything I possibly. could. Was I upset? Yes. Was I disappointed? Of course. But I'd. done everything I possibly could to make. that the best pitch I could have. I was detached. I was surrendered. It's only because I got rejected that I. started on purpose, something that was.
built by me, something that's I started from scratch, something that I get to define who I. speak to, when I speak to them, what we. talk about, where we go. I would never have this if I got given a. TV show that could have lasted two to. three seasons and got canceled. I would. never have this opportunity. Surrender. begins when endeavor is complete. If. your endeavor is incomplete, there's no surrender. It's just wishing, hoping, and wanting. Put in all the energy that you possibly.
have, all the wisdom and knowledge you. possibly have, and then surrender to the fact that what. you receive may save you. for what's to come. I was given something better than I. imagined in On Purpose. than I could have ever imagined from any. show I could have created. Waiting isn't manifesting. It's. stalling. Action is what flips vision into. reality. Imagine planting seeds and then.
sitting indoors hoping they grow without. watering, sunlight, or care. That's what. waiting does to your dreams. Research by. Bandura's self-efficacy theory shows. confidence comes from doing small things. successfully, not from waiting for a big. break. Here's a step. Break one big. dream into a 7-day goal. You want to. change careers? Update your resume this. week. Momentum builds confidence. Myth.
number seven, manifestation is about. stuff. We think if I manifested money, a car, a. house, I'll be happy. And here's the reality. Stuff is a. byproduct of meaning and value that you. create. It's not bad, it's great to. have. It's wonderful to have, but it can't be the goal in and of. itself. Here's the context. How many. times have you gotten what you wanted? The promotion, the gadget, the trip, and. still felt empty after a week. That's.
because fulfillment is about alignment. with values, not just getting the thing. Research from the Harvard study of adult. development, this is the Grant study. that lasted over 85 years, shows quality. relationships, not wealth or fame, are. the strongest predictors of long-term. happiness. Now, I'm not saying, and I. always want to clarify this, wealth is. important, success is important. That's. why we have so many amazing money. experts on On Purpose to help you figure.
that out. When you write a goal, add. your why. So, don't just write I want a. $100,000 salary or whatever it may be. Right. I want a $100,000 salary so I can have. freedom to travel, take care of my. parents, and live without stress. When. you make the end goal about a thing or. stuff, it ends up letting you down versus when. that is just a byproduct of creating. value and success. If you analyze patterns, you'll become.
successful. If you learn how to market your product, you'll become successful. If you learn how to solve someone's. problem, you'll become successful. If. you do all of those things, the car, the house, the travel, that. will all come from that. So, that's what you want to put your. energy into, not the vision of what that. thing is that you want. That doesn't. drive That doesn't make you a better. salesperson, it doesn't make you a. better marketer, it doesn't make you a. better coder, it doesn't make you a. better user of AI, it doesn't make you a. better videographer or photographer by. looking at a picture of the car or the.
house you want every day. That will come by becoming better at. your art, better at your skill. That's. what you want to focus on. Don't. overvalue the goal. and undervalue the growth. Don't overvalue speed. and undervalue direction. Don't overvalue success. and undervalue sanity. Don't overvalue approval. and undervalue authenticity. Don't overvalue being right.
and undervalue being kind. Don't overvalue recognition. and undervalue consistency. Don't overvalue the outcome. and undervalue the process. Don't overvalue what you gain. and undervalue who you become. It's not. about wanting for the universe to. deliver, it's about getting clear, rewiring your brain to see. opportunities, and taking consistent. steps until your vision becomes a.
reality. Thank you so much for listening. to me. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Pass it on to a friend. Tag me on social. media and let me know what resonated. with you. And I'll see you on the next episode. Remember, I'm forever in your corner and. I'm always rooting for you. If you love. this podcast, you'll love my episode. with Lewis Hamilton. Lewis and I talk. about why you should stop chasing. society's definition of success and how. to be more intentional with your goals. You don't want to miss it. Like it's not.
about being perfect. It's about just. every day one step at a time trying to. be better, trying to do more. I'm. learning a lot about myself. I had to. break myself down in order to be able to. be better.
