Why your manifestations aren't working and how to fix them

I think one of the most common discouragements against the art and magic of manifestation is that people “try” it and then it “doesn’t work” so they give up.

There’s those whose  manifestation doesn’t show up within a day so they deem it’s all fake. Or there’s those who genuinely try, maybe read some books or take some courses, and see that it works for other people, but then feel so disheartened when it doesn’t work for them and feels like something is wrong with them.

But here’s the truth.

Manifestation works for everyone.

It’s a Universal Law of Energy. What we put out always comes back to us. Its very basis can be explained by science!

So if what you want isn’t manifesting, there may be something deeper going on.

Here’s a list of all possible reasons why your manifestations aren’t showing up and how you can turn it around!

Deep down, you have contradicting limiting beliefs:

This is probably the biggest one. Our brain is really like an iceberg; where our conscious mind is the tip, and our subconscious mind is everything underneath the water. Our subconscious mind, and thus our subconscious beliefs, really rule so much of the show. So you can do your visualizations, your affirmations, and consciously believe all you want that you are receiving $20,000 but, if deep down you have so many limiting beliefs around money it’s not going to align. If you spent a lifetime complaining about money, if you’re frequently having conversations with friends about everything being so expensive, if you’re reading news articles about the housing prices rising and feeling defeated about it, if you’re someone who doesn’t really believe they can ever be out of debt, if you’re fearful of losing money, if you’re fearful of having money (because you subconsciously don’t think you can handle it), if you don’t believe you’re worthy of money, if you don’t really believe it’s ever possible for you to be wealthy, if you can’t see yourself as someone with money … that $20,000 is going to have a rough time coming to you because there’s sooo much resistance around the natural flow of money.

While you’re conscious brain may be focused on the money, there’s a plethora of contradictions within your subconscious mind that are blocking you off from actually receiving.

The same can be true about any belief: money, love, career, housing, travel, etc. etc.

Usually the bigger things are harder for us to actually believe because we’ve spent lifetimes telling ourselves a story about who we are and about how life actually is.

But the good thing is, you can change your story at anytime. The way to change those subconscious beliefs is by really going inwards and doing that shadow work.

Journal on the topic you’re hoping to manifest for and see what uncomfortable beliefs come up. Write them all out and then maybe find examples to prove them wrong.

For example: If you’re looking to manifest true love, but subconsciously you find you believe that all love ends… look to society, look to people you know and people you don’t know, and be like: okay well is there anyone who’s love has lasted a lifetime? The answer: yes. There’s plenty of couples who make it into their 90s and are still so happily in love. Therefore, if it’s possible for one, it’s possible for all - it’s possible for you! You’ve proven that limiting belief wrong, so you can let it go.

Now, sometimes its as easy as letting it go once, but in other cases it might take a lot of reminding yourself to actually start to believe its and that’s oaky! The brain is sponge, the more times it hears something, the more it actually starts to believe it. So that’s why affirmations are so good because you are repeating what you wish to be true enough times until it starts to stick.

Also, if affirmations feel wrong, like if saying “I’m wealthy! I’m beautiful! I’m in love!” Feel off to you, you can ease yourself into it by saying things like: “I’m choosing to believe it’s possible for me to be in love,” or “I am the type of person who can handle having lots of money!” Things like that until it feels good enough for you to straight up say what you wish.

Sometimes our beliefs run deeper, they may come from past lives or moments of our past. In this case, it’s great to work with a professional psychic / coach / mentor to help you identify and fully release them. Or if you feel comfortable, you can do past life regressions or meditations yourself to really dig deep and find the source. Lots of times just identifying where the belief comes from can be a huge step in releasing it and letting it go so it no longer holds power over you.

This is deep work and may not be the quick transformation you’re hoping for, but the more you dedicate yourself to actively trying to rewrite your limiting beliefs and start telling yourself a new story, the more likely your manifestations will come through!

You don’t understand the vibration / embodiment of what you want

So much of manifestation is about embodying the version of you who is already living it. The Universe only operates in one time frame: the now. If you’re focusing too much on the future or reliving the past, it’s going to bring those vibrations into the now.

Therefore, since everything is energy, you always want to be pretending that you are already experiencing the money, the love, the travel, the fun, the health, that you want to be experiencing in the future. Act like “it is done!” Celebrate as if it already happened and most importantly, embody the version of you who is already living it.

Ask yourself: How would it feel to have this? How would I act? How would I think? What kind of words would I say to myself? How would I treat myself? How would I treat others? Would I be worrying about this? Etc.

A major reason why your manifestation might not be showing up is because your energetic vibration is so off from the version of you who already has what you want.

For example, say you set the intention to manifest a million dollars. Great. In theory, totally possible because anything is possible. But, you don’t even know what it feels like to have $100,000 or even manifest $10,000. If you don’t know what it feels like to have those smaller sums, you certainly aren’t going to know how to feel comfortable with a million dollars.

So in this case, it’s great to work in ladders.

Try manifesting something easy on your level, but that would excite you all the less. Maybe start with $100. Set the intention and know how it would feel to have an extra $100. Once it arrives, then maybe try for $500. Then try $1,000, then after that manifests, try $5,000 and $10,000 and so on. When you get more comfortable with feeling the vibration, you can raise your vibration to bigger and better things.

You’re focusing too much on lack

If you’ve read any Abraham Hicks book, they usually state how every desire is really just two things: focusing on having it and focusing on not having it.

So, if your manifestation isn’t appearing - it may be because you are focusing too much on not having it.

Say you are intentionally trying to manifest love, but instead of feeling what it’d be like to be in love; you’re actually subconsciously thinking about how you don’t already have it.

If your prominent vibration is tuned more into not having what you want, then you’re just going to manifest more of not having it.

It’s imperative to actively shift your mindset to focus more on the fact that you already have it and what it’d feel like to already have it!

The same is true for “needing”. If you need to make $3,000 this month for rent, having that overarching “need” and that “needy vibration” is tuning you more into lack. Because “needing” translates to the Universe as “doesn’t already have” or “Doesn’t trust it’s going to be provided for” and thus it manifests more of not having it, and more of “needing it”.

This may be hard but it’s important to try to let go and trust. Train yourself to trust. Train yourself to know that it’s already coming, that you’re abundant, that your needs are already met. Tell yourself this story on repeat. Focus more on feeling how grateful you’d feel if you already had it. Feel thankful, feel elated, feel relieved, and know of course you’re going to be provided for! Tune into receiving rather than needing. Focus more on “I’m so happy now that I already have it” rather than “I don’t yet have it.”

You’re trying too hard to control the what, when & how

You’ve probably heard people say “we’re the co-creators of our realtiy along with the Universe” Co-creators because honestly sometimes the Universe knows better! You trust Waze or your GPS to re-route you when there’s traffic, so why can’t you trust the Universe to re-route you when something isn’t for your highest good?

When it comes to manifestation, yes definitely declare and ask for what you want, but then let it go and trust that the Universe knows better. It can see the whole map, the whole timeline, and knows what is and isn’t for our greatest good.

If your manifestation isn’t appearing, it may be because you are trying too much to control what, when, and how.

For example: say you want to manifest true love, but you’re focusing on this one person you have a crush on. You visualize living your happily ever after with them, you ask the universe for you two to be together, and focus all your intention on them.

This actually closes you off to the magic of the Universe. Because by focusing all your love energy on one specific person, you are literally closing every other possible door. There may be someone you haven’t even met yet who is a million times better and more aligned for you than this one specific person. This one specific person may have an entirely different fate that you aren’t supposed to be a part of.

Manifestation is a weird balance of being specific but not too specific and leaving magic open for the Universe.

Instead of a specific person, just be open to true love with whomever is for your highest good. Instead of being like you want to be married by a certain age, be open to marriage for whenever the timing is right.

If you want to manifest money and you state it will all come from having 10 clients … you may be blocking yourself off to other opportunities. Maybe money can come from a teaching opportunity out of the blue, or from a new product idea, or from a refund check, or from selling an old item of yours, or from wherever!

State what you want, the money, the love, the travel, etc but be open to anyway, anytime, and anyhow.

A great way to do this is to say “this or something better” or “I am open to receive whatever is for my highest good. I trust you know best, Universe!”

You’re not taking action

As an Earth sun sign with a very fire heavy chart, aka a very ambitious person, this one always shocks me that some people don’t seem to get.

A major reason people tend to think manifestation doesn’t work is because they think they’re supposed to just make their wish and the Universe will deliver automatically without them doing any kind of work.

I was shocked when I learned that’s how people actually interpreted The Secret or other Law of Attraction teachings. To me it’s so obvious you have to put in some kind of effort!

If you want to manifest love - you actually have to leave your house, go places, accept party invitations, take classes, go to work, go to social things, so you can interact with new people; who may either be the love of your life or may know and introduce you to the love of your life.

If you want to be in the best shape of your life, you can affirm you’ll turn your fat into muscle all you want - but you actually have to start your workout regime.

If you want to be a famous actress - you can visualize it and believe it, but you actually have to go on auditions.

Write the book, start the business, start the YouTube account, take classes, buy the thing, go to the place - whatever it is, check in with your intuition and find what action feels good to you. That’s why they call it inspired action, because it’s action that the Universe inspires within you.

If you’re not sure what type of action to take, you certainly can set that intention and try to manifest that! Instead of saying “I don’t know what to do” flip your words and start saying “I know what to do! I know exactly what action to take!” Repeat that story over and eventually some kind of idea will pop into your head. Don’t be too hard on yourself, trust that it may take time, but know that so long as you are actually taking the steps towards your desires whilst believing, the Universe will always meet you halfway.

Manifestation is not something you turn on and off

Remember: Manifestation is not a switch you can flip. Just like the Law of Gravity, it’s always in effect. Every word, thought, action, feeling, belief you have are creating your reality.

Now, this doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have negative thoughts. You’re human it’s going to happen. Feel absolutely everything you need to, it’s soooo important to feel all your feelings. But at the end of it, when you’re ready, it’s healthy to find a way to let those bad things go and remind yourself of your power.

Feel down for as many days as you need, but find the strength when you can to pull yourself up, and refuel yourself with empowering thoughts and feelings that support the life you want to create.

The fact that manifestation is always on can actually support proof for you that you can manifest.

Have you ever thought of a friend and then you ran into them or they texted you or liked your photo or sent you a silly meme? Manifestation.

Have you ever thought of a song and then went into a store and it was on, or turned your Spotfiy on shuffle and that song came up first? Manifestation.

Have you ever thought of a specific episode of a TV show and then turned on cable and that exact episode happened to be on? Manifestation.

Have you ever thought that it was a bad day and then things actually did keep getting worse? Manifestation.

Have you ever wanted a certain thing to eat and then either your partner or your parent or your co-worker or someone just happened to make or get that for you? Manifestation.

Have you ever wanted a specific gift, didn’t tell anyone, and someone just happened to get it for you? Manifestation.

Look at all these little things and see that everything is always manifesting. Songs, snacks, and surprises have been coming your way your whole life without you maybe realizing it - and it’s all because of this energetic universe we live in.

So, if you can unintentionally manifest these little things without even realizing it, of course you can intentionally manifest the amazing things you’re looking for.

The only difference why hearing that song came so much easier to you than $10,000 is because of resistance and beliefs, as we discussed earlier. So if you can find a way to clear out that resistance and change your beliefs, manifesting those big things can truly come as easily as manifesting a free croissant. There’s no difference between big things or small things; only the way you perceive them.

The Timing isn’t right

Finally, if you’ve gotten through this list and have thought okay well none of these are true because I’m focusing on abundance, I’m acting like I have it now, I’ve cleared out my beliefs and they’re strong but it still isn’t appearing - then this last rule is for you, there’s only one more explanation: The timing isn’t right (or it’s not for your highest good)

When you ask the Universe for something it only ever has one of three responses:

1. Yes - here you go.

2. No - that’s not for your highest good, hold on I’ll bring you something better

3. Yes - but later on when the timing is right

Just because your manifestation doesn’t appear within 24 hours or even within 7 days, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

Think of it like placing an order online. Sometimes the shipping comes instantly, sometimes it takes a week, sometimes it even takes 2 weeks or more. You don’t call up the company and bother them every single day wondering where your package is - you just trust it’s coming. And eventually it does come!

The Universe is the same way. It knows the greater plan and it always wants to bring you want you want at the best possible moment.

You wouldn’t want to meet your true love while they’re dating someone else - so you want to wait until you’re both emotionally available, single, and ready for commitment so it can be the best possible scenario!

For me personally, I’ve been manifesting myself as a published author for well over a decade. It wasn’t until this year, 2022, that I finally became a published author (getting that publishing deal in 2021). My manifestation took over a decade, but I still believed it was going to come one day, and sure enough it did!

In an Ahaskic Records reading, I was told that I wasn’t ready that decade leading up to it, I had a lot more to learn and the projects weren’t right, and that’s why it took so long.

So just remember, even if it’s taking a decade or longer, it can still come true. If it’s what you really want just keep believing and trust that the timing is going to be the best timing possible.

As they say, the Universe truly has your back - trust it, believe it, know it!

So I hope this helped give you a peace of mind. Remember, it’s possible for you to manifest anything and everything. Just put in a little effort, check your vibes, trust in the timing, and act as if you’re already living it! You got this!