How To Manifest Your Deepest Desires

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to what my life feels like versus what I want it to feel like.

And what I realized is: I want more.

Not more in a flashy or hustle harder way. I just want my life to feel fuller. Less tight. Less like I’m constantly bracing for something. More like I’m actually living it. More moments where my life actually feels aligned with who I am and what I’m capable of.

If I’m being honest, I’ve felt stuck for a while. Not in a dramatic way, but in that quiet, frustrating way where you know you’re meant for more and you can’t quite figure out why you keep holding yourself back. For me, a lot of that has been anxiety and a fear of visibility.

I started paying closer attention to my mindset because I realized I didn’t want to stay here. I wanted to push myself into the next chapter, but I didn’t want to do it by forcing or shaming myself into change. I wanted guidance. I needed guidance. That’s when I found teachers like Gabby Bernstein, Ines Padar, and Amanda Francis. Their work around abundance, money, and manifestation resonated with me. It makes me feel excited, energized and hopeful. So I started experimenting.

I've been starting my days out with writing in my journal what I'm grateful for. Doing some motivational mindfulness practices and even some hypnosis sessions with a focus on abundance.

My goal is to be more intentional about what I focus on and what I tell my brain is important. And to be completely transparent, it's working!

That’s what this post is about. Not manifesting a perfect life or bypassing hard things, but understanding the science behind manifestation and how it actually works in the brain. I want to show you how, with dedication and daily practice, it is possible to retrain your focus, shift your internal experience, and learn how to manifest your deepest desires.

Key Takeaways

• Manifestation works because your brain filters reality based on what it believes is important.

• Negativity is not a flaw—it’s a survival mechanism that can be gently retrained.

• Gratitude, mindfulness, and intentional focus change what you notice and how you respond.

• Manifestation is not passive wishing; it’s awareness plus aligned action.

• A regulated nervous system makes manifestation easier and more sustainable.

What Is Manifestation and How Does It Actually Work?

Manifestation has become a buzzword, and understandably, a lot of people are skeptical.

When I talk about manifestation, I am not talking about pretending hard things are not happening or repeating affirmations you do not believe. In fact, that approach often backfires.

Manifestation is the intentional practice of training your attention, beliefs, and behaviors toward a desired experience. And an important part of that process is being honest about the beliefs that are already running in the background.

Your brain is constantly filtering information. Every second, it decides what is relevant for safety and survival, and anything it deems unimportant gets filtered out. This system is incredibly efficient, but it is also neutral. Your brain does not decide what is important on its own. It listens to repetition, emotion, and focus.

Here is where limiting beliefs come in.

If, on some level, you do not believe what you want is attainable, your brain will not tag it as safe or relevant. You might consciously want something, but unconsciously be sending the message that it is unrealistic, risky, or not meant for you. When that happens, your brain continues filtering out opportunities, evidence, and experiences that could support that desire.

Manifestation is not just about focusing on what you want. It is also about identifying the beliefs that tell you why you cannot have it and gently working through them. This is where things can feel uncomfortable. Acknowledging long held beliefs about worth, safety, money, or visibility can bring up anxiety or resistance.

As those beliefs begin to shift, even slightly, your brain starts tagging new possibilities as important and allowable. Over time, with repetition and emotional reinforcement, what once felt impossible starts to feel attainable.

That is how manifestation actually works. You are not forcing belief. You are creating enough internal safety for your brain to believe that what you want is possible, and then training it to notice opportunities for it.

Why Do You Suddenly See Something Everywhere Once You Notice It?

Let me ask you something.

Have you ever realized you really like a specific car, and then almost overnight it feels like that car is everywhere you look? Same model. Same color. Every parking lot, every stoplight.

It can feel a little eerie at first, but nothing about the world actually changed. What changed was your awareness.

Your brain filters out an enormous amount of information every single moment. Once you decided that car mattered to you, your brain stopped filtering it out. You essentially sent the message, this is important.

So your brain started showing it to you.

This is one of the easiest ways to understand how manifestation works.

When you consistently focus on something, whether that is gratitude, opportunity, or positivity, your brain begins tagging those experiences as relevant. Over time, you start noticing them more often. You feel differently when they show up. And without realizing it, you begin acting in ways that reinforce and support them.

That is how intention slowly turns into lived experience.

Why Positivity Can Feel Hard

If positivity feels hard, I want you to hear this clearly. There is nothing wrong with you.

Your brain evolved during a time when survival was the priority. From a caveman perspective, noticing danger mattered far more than noticing joy or abundance. Because of this, humans developed a negativity bias.

Your brain is naturally drawn to:

• Threat

• Problems

• What could go wrong

• What feels unsafe

From a psychiatric standpoint, this bias is protective. But in modern life, it often keeps people stuck in chronic stress and dissatisfaction.

Many ambitious women I work with in Denver tell me they feel like their brains are always scanning for what is wrong. That is not a mindset failure. That is an innate mechanism for protection.

Manifestation is not about forcing positivity. It is about gently retraining your brain to widen its focus.

How Gratitude Supports Manifestation

Gratitude works because it brings your attention back to what is already good in your life, especially the things that are so familiar they usually go unnoticed. The steady relationships. The small moments of calm. The fact that you made it through another day, even if it was a hard one.

When you practice gratitude, you are not pretending everything is perfect. You are widening your focus. You are letting yourself see that goodness and support exist alongside stress and uncertainty.

What I’ve noticed in my own life is that gratitude starts to spill over. When I intentionally name a few things I’m grateful for, I begin noticing more throughout the day. I catch myself appreciating things I would have rushed past before. And because I’m noticing them, I naturally put more care into protecting and nurturing them.

The more you become aware of what is already working, the easier it becomes to believe that more good is possible. Gratitude doesn’t just change how you feel in the moment. It changes what you look for, what you reinforce, and where you put your focus.

That’s why it supports manifestation. Not by forcing optimism, but by helping you see and tend to the good that’s already here.

Practical Steps to Manifest Your Deepest Desires

Here’s how I approach manifestation in a grounded, realistic way. It’s about attention, awareness, and small daily choices.

1. Get clear on what you want

Imagine what you would want if there were no judgments, no consequences, no limits. Write it down. Then notice how it would make you feel.

2. Dig into your why

Ask yourself why this matters. Are these goals truly yours, or influenced by others? Check in with how having this would improve your life and how it would feel.

3. Put your intention out there

Give your desires a voice—through journaling, meditation, letters to the universe, or vision boards. The method doesn’t matter as much as consistency.

4. Trust the process

Believe your desires are possible, and trust they will unfold in their own timing. Let go of frustration when it doesn’t happen exactly how or when you expect.

5. Take aligned action

Even small steps toward your goals strengthen your manifestation practice. Write down daily actions and check them off—it creates momentum and reinforces possibility.

6. Notice what’s holding you back

Pay attention to limiting beliefs—about money, worth, visibility, or safety. Notice them without judgment and gently reframe them. Question whether they’re truly true.

7. Reinforce your desires

Use tools like:

• Journaling – write your goals as if they’ve already happened.

• Mantras – repeat positive statements that support your intentions.

• Vision boards – images and words that represent your desires. Focus on feelings, not just things.

8. Celebrate progress

Notice wins, big and small. Look for synchronicities and moments of excitement. Gratitude for progress keeps your momentum going.

9. Keep your energy high

Manifestation thrives when you feel good. Even small self-care habits—ten-minute walks, journaling, or meditation—raise your energy and help your brain notice opportunities aligned with your desires.

How I Can Help

At Mind Alchemy Mental Health in Denver, Colorado, I offer holistic, integrative psychiatry that empowers ambitious women to move from exhausted and overwhelmed to energized and fulfilled.

You shouldn't feel unhappy with your life, and if you partner with me, you won't.

Schedule A Call With Me

Which part of manifestation feels most appealing to you?

• Getting clear on what I want
• Practicing gratitude and noticing the good
• Taking aligned action toward goals
• Feeling confident and safe in my desires

What questions do you still have about manifestation?

Leave a comment or share what you are working on.

About the Author

Britt Ritchie, DNP, PMHNP-BC, is a doctorate-prepared psychiatric nurse practitioner and the founder of Mind Alchemy Mental Health, a boutique integrative psychiatry practice based in Denver, Colorado.

Frequently Asked Questions About Manifestation

How can I manifest my deepest desires without toxic positivity?

Manifestation is not about ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about noticing reality while intentionally choosing where to place your focus. You acknowledge the stress, setbacks, or fears, but you also deliberately look for what’s working, what feels possible, and what aligns with your desires. Over time, this shifts your perspective and allows your actions and attention to create more of what you want. It’s about balance—honoring the present while opening the door to possibility.

How long does manifestation take to work?

There’s no set timeline. Manifestation isn’t magic—it’s a daily practice of attention, belief, and aligned action. Some people notice shifts almost immediately, while for others, it takes weeks or months of consistent effort. The key is repetition and patience. Even small daily steps—like gratitude journaling, mindfulness, or taking aligned action—accumulate over time and retrain your brain to notice opportunities you might have missed before.

Can manifestation help with anxiety?

Yes, when paired with mindfulness, gratitude, and nervous system regulation, manifestation can support anxiety management. It helps you focus on what’s possible rather than what’s threatening, creating space for a regulated nervous system and a calmer mindset. That said, manifestation isn’t a replacement for evidence-based care—it works best as a complementary practice alongside therapy, coaching, or other mental health support.

Is manifestation supported by science?

Absolutely—but not in the mystical sense some people think. The science behind manifestation is rooted in how our brains process attention, emotion, and behavior. Our brains filter information based on what we repeatedly focus on, believe, and act on. By intentionally focusing on what you want, noticing limiting beliefs, practicing gratitude, and taking aligned action, you’re literally shaping neural pathways that guide your attention and choices. Manifestation is your brain learning to notice and respond to what you care about most.

Do I need perfect belief for manifestation to work?

Not at all. Manifestation doesn’t require 100% certainty or constant positive thinking. What matters is willingness, repetition, and alignment. Even if part of you doubts, taking small, consistent steps toward your desires—and practicing gratitude and mindfulness—creates momentum. Over time, your brain begins to notice opportunities, reinforce positive beliefs, and feel more confident that what you want is attainable.