My spiritual journey began about 15 years ago when I first encountered the concept of manifestation. I picked up Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks, my first exposure to the law of attraction. For those unfamiliar, in 1985, Esther Hicks began channeling the wisdom of a collective of spirit guides called Abraham. Through books, seminars, and podcasts, she shares profound teachings about the workings of the Universe and our innate ability to create anything we desire. Whether or not one believes in the idea of channeling spirit guides, it’s hard to deny that her messages are inspiring, empowering, and deeply supportive of our ever-expanding journey through this wondrous existence.
As Abraham teaches, there are no coincidences—only conscious and unconscious desires made manifest. Last weekend, I attended one of Esther’s seminars in Miami, coinciding with a rather spontaneous decision to embark on my first extended three-day water fast. The fast, part of a protocol I’ve been following to address chronic gut inflammation, was no small feat for someone who loves to eat as much as I do. Yet, this endeavor became the perfect backdrop for receiving Abraham’s messages with a fresh perspective, years, and many life experiences after I first read that book.
One message in particular offered a timely and potent reminder: our reality is shaped by where we place our attention. According to Abraham, the only thing preventing us from manifesting our desires is our inability to allow them in. The Universe hears every creative impulse and constantly conspires to bring our longings into our 3D reality. Yet, instead of focusing on the joy of the desire itself, most of us fixate on the frustration of not yet having it. This focus on lack creates resistance and keeps us stuck. Abraham put it simply: most of life is meant to be spent in the desiring, as the moments of manifestation are instantaneous. So why not revel in the unfolding, savoring every step of the journey? By the time I heard this, I was 40 hours into my fast, teetering between moments of clarity and near delirium. The state I was in made me painfully aware of just how little I was commanding my own attention. Instead of fully appreciating the wisdom being shared in front of my eyes, I sat preoccupied with my grumbling stomach, my fatigued body, and fantasies of my next meal. I became a witness to my own resistance, oscillating between the discomfort I couldn’t escape and futile attempts to distract myself from it. I also realized that it wasn’t just the hunger hijacking my mind and body, but that even when I’m well-fed, I have a habituated pattern of living in this “fast forward” mentality in my everyday life, bypassing the present moment in anticipation of the next.
If all we truly have is the present, what would it be like to intentionally savor the here and now rather than dwell on what’s missing? During a break from the seminar, I stepped outside and allowed myself to simply feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I briefly let go of all resistance. In that instance of pure presence, a huge dragonfly landed on my leg and sat there for nearly two minutes. For the last few years, the dragonfly has been a symbol of my spirit guide, appearing only when I’m aligned with a higher frequency. It reminded me of the power of now—the fleeting, yet eternal nature of a single moment.
And so, for an instant, I delighted in it.
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