Manifest Schmanifest

I think I’m sick of the word “manifesting”.

I subscribe to several inspirational writers, and I follow all the pages on Facebook with the inspirational quotes. I keep hearing about how to “manifest” everything I want out of life. And for the low, low price of just (enter a low, low price here) they can teach you how it’s done. I think most of us know how it’s done, though.

Most of us have made a wish and blown out candles on a birthday cake. Then, in our birthday excitement or sugar high from the cake, we start looking for how that wish might come true. If you look hard enough, you’ll find it. Then it’s up to you to grab it and claim it as your wish come true! Is that manifesting? Kinda? You still have to put in some work.

Unless you’re Ladybug, whose birthday wishes literally just land in her lap. At her sweet 16th birthday dinner, she blew out her candles and wished for a little gray striped cat. I said, “Not gonna happen. We have two cats already. PLUS, you told me so it can’t come true now.” We got home from dinner that night and started getting The Boy settled in for bed when we heard meowing coming from the garage. You will never ever guess what was meowing in my garage. A little gray striped cat. I’m not even kidding. The Boy instantly fell in love with it, asked the cat his name, the cat replied, “Yeow.” So, we were now the dismayed owners of a little gray cat named Yeow. But wait, it gets better (worse?).

The Boy loved Yeow. Ladybug, being the very good big sister that she is, says, “It’s okay. He can have Yeow. I wanted a gray cat with darker stripes anyway.” She really does love her little brother. It was such a sweet gesture that we had to allow it. At this point, we were Humans: 4, Cats: 3. Fine. Whatever. And then… Guess what shows up in my garage the next night. Yup, A little gray cat with darker stripes! Apparently, he came looking for his almost twin brother and found his way right into Ladybug’s arms, and heart, and my house and maybe my arms occasionally, reluctantly. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to refuse a birthday cat. Humans: 4, Cats: 4.

If that’s not manifesting, I don’t know what is. I have gone over it in my head a hundred times to try and figure out how she pulled that off and I got nothing. I know our neighbors had (and periodically have) litters of kittens but they have never found their way to our house before that or since. Maybe she needs to be teaching people how to manifest for the low, low price of (insert low, low price here)! Everybody would probably just end up with cats, though.

I often think about that birthday cat when I make my birthday wishes. Or any wish for that matter. How will I get to do/see/experience the things I want? How will I make it come true?

I say “make” it come true because I’m not Ladybug. I know that it’s not enough to wish, hope, aspire, or have faith. Faith without works is dead. You have to find the path that leads to what you want and then you have to take it. YOU have to walk down that path and work in accord with your wish, hope, aspiration, and faith. It may be scary. It may be lonely. It may require you to step outside of your comfort zone. Hopefully, you have a great network of supportive friends and family but if you don’t, hit me up. I’ll support you! As long as its legal!

Well…hmmm…there may be some illegal things that I would also support so we’ll have to take it on a case-by-case basis.

I had a great birthday month, made several birthday wishes, and it’s kinda spilling over into this month, too. Maybe I can keep up this momentum all year. I want this year to be absolutely packed with love and joy! So far, I’ve had presents, travel to NYC, a Billy Joel concert, cake, lots of really good food, and time with the people I love most. Coming up this month, I have another concert (Bob Dylan with a sweet little HoneyBee) on the schedule and a show (Beetlejuice with The Boy at the Fabulous Fox Theatre), and April will be full of traveling with some of the people I love most. I am putting it out into the universe that these are the things I want but I’m not going to sit and wait for these things to land in my lap.

When I heard that our local radio station was giving away tickets to the Bob Dylan concert, I literally pointed at my radio with a look of determination and said (is it weird that I talk to my radio?), “I’m going to win those tickets.” The next morning, I was running a little behind schedule, so I thought I missed the giveaway. Wouldn’t you know it, the DJ was running a little behind schedule too. She played the movie clip, “You had me at hello.” I called and waited while it rang and rang. And rang and rang. She answered the phone. I answered the question. Bada-bing, bada-boom! Bob Dylan tickets manifested.

Okay, that’s kinda landing in my lap. But I had to listen to the radio, I had to make the call, I had to answer the question. Not just wish and wait.

So, I guess I do believe in manifesting. I think you do, too but maybe you don’t call it manifesting. Because manifesting schmanifesting, ain’t nobody got time for that voodoo. I do know from experience, however, that sometimes the universe just smacks you in the face with exactly what you need whether you want it or not. (Or drops a cat/friend/job in your lap right when you need it.) And I know that if you make your wishes and then look for ways to make them come true, you’ll probably find the way. Then you just have to DO it (that may be the hard part). I’ll be over here working on my own wishes and cheering you on with yours.

Just try to keep it legal.