While getting ready for work in 2008, Gina Marotta found herself drawn to one thing, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. This documentary centered around manifestation and the law of attraction opened a new door for her and allowed her to find her calling as a career coach and spiritual guide.
“It was all about this idea that you create your reality,” Gina says. “I just knew there was magic in it.”
The lawyer turned career coach and spiritual guide helps her clients find what they’re authentically great at, or as she likes to call it, their “feminine genius.” Gina provides coaching sessions that revolve around learning how to tap into natural talents in order to direct clients toward working in their higher callings. A large part of how Gina teaches her clientele to do this is through manifestation.
According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, manifestation refers to the action of using your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to bring something into your physical reality. Manifesting is now more well-known than ever with 9.8 million posts under #manifestation on Instagram and 43 billion posts under the hashtag on TikTok. Although The Secret explains what manifestation is and how it can be powerful, says Gina, it doesn’t exactly teach its viewers how to do it. For beginners, manifesting can be simplified into three categories: visualization, writing, and verbalization.
Think it, believe it, create it
Manifestation is based on the law of attraction. According to The Process of the Law of Attraction and the 3rd Law, Law of Allowing, the law of attraction refers to aligning energy and vibrations with the universe to draw in what is desired. One way to start practicing this law intentionally is to start visualizing what you desire through meditation.
Adam Lueke, associate teaching professor of psychological science, suggests meditating as a medium to become more aware of yourself and your thoughts in order to manifest your goals.
“If you’re used to meditating, you’re used to trying to become more aware of yourself,” says Lueke.
To visualize her manifestations, Gina creates a yearly vision board that she keeps in her workspace and bedroom to help her see the life she wants to build. These boards can be created online, on poster boards, or Gina’s personal favorite, on a tack board.
The December before the COVID-19 pandemic, she created a vision board with magazine photos and found that she was drawn toward various photos of nature. Gina describes the photos as oftentimes calling to her instead of already being a conscious wanting.
“I lived in the city my whole life … and I ended up moving and living in nature,” Gina says. “I didn’t know the value of nature … but something made me choose those photos.”
Writing your own path
To start using writing as your gateway into manifestation, journaling is a simple yet effective way to start. According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, manifestation journaling helps individuals gain self-awareness, clarity about life directions, and the insights needed to start moving toward goals. The two main ways they recommend are freewriting and setting specific goals.
Freewriting is simply jotting current thoughts and ideas on paper. By writing down whatever flows to mind, the thoughts and goals can be read again and reflected upon. In addition, according to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, having clear goals increases an individual’s chances of reaching them. This can be done by setting goals using the “SMART” (Specific, Meaningful, Achievable, Realistic, and Trackable) method.
Oftentimes, when she feels far from where she wants to be, Gina gravitates toward journaling. She journals as if she’s in the life space she dreams of. However, in order to intentionally manifest through this method, Gina stresses the importance of confidence and authenticity.
“It might not be true in this moment, but you must believe in it,” Gina says. “If you’re just faking it … and it feels out of reach, it will not work.”
Speak it into existence
According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, oftentimes, talking out loud about life goals can help individuals gain clarity. This can be done by talking to oneself or others.
Gina practices being conscious about her language and how she speaks about what she’s manifesting for herself because she believes it impacts the likelihood of the manifestation coming true.
“If I’m saying this career path idea is silly, and I won’t make any money … well guess what you’re going to manifest then,” Gina says.
By speaking about her manifestations and praying with others, she has found that she attracts people who are striving for similar goals. She encourages individuals who want to think outside of the box to associate and become friends with people who do exactly that: think outside of the box.
“We need other people to help us manifest those bigger dreams that might seem outside of what other people might expect of us,” Gina says. “Those other people can see for us what we can’t see for ourselves.”
Choosing what’s best for you
Lueke says that people who’d like to start manifesting can benefit from different methodologies. He describes it as asking someone to close their eyes and picture holding an apple.
“Some people can’t see an apple in their head,” Lueke says. “Some people see a crisp, red, juicy, shiny apple in their head, so those people will probably do very well with a visualization technique.”
Tapping into a skill that is fulfilling and enjoyable allows individuals who manifest to hone in on their desires and consciously attract them. The more precise and defined manifestations are, the more likely they are to come to be, Lueke says.
Battling the misconceptions
Lueke finds that a general misunderstanding about manifestation is that regardless of how unattainable or attainable a manifestation is, it’ll happen without putting effort toward it. He recommends staying clear of this misconception and rather manifesting goals you are willing to work toward.
“If you’re setting the goal and truly attending to it and truly motivated to attain it, you’re going to be more successful or more likely to attain it than someone who is just vaguely wishing for the best,” Lueke says.
Another issue Gina finds new individuals who manifest run into is trying to manifest desires or objects that are simply not for them. To prevent this, she always starts her clients with a three-minute guided meditation she likes to call the “heart meditation.”
This mindful practice calls for the meditator to place a palm on their heart and take constant deep breaths for three minutes. The goal of this meditation is to encourage listening with your heart and not your head Gina says.
After leaving her previous job as a lawyer, Gina was often asked why she did it and how she was able to do it. Despite its misconceptions, Gina says manifestation provided guidance toward her true self and opened up the opportunity of choice for her.
“Inside me, I started to learn and know that we don’t have to be victims in life to what society says,” Gina says. “We really can choose what we want.” For more information about Gina and how to begin the practice of manifestation, visit her website.
Sources: Berkeley Well-Being Institute, Gina Marotta, The Process of the Law of Attraction and the 3rd Law, Law of Allowing
