When there’s something you want to happen in your life, spirituality is right there to help you. With that said, a lot of spiritual messages you might find on the interwebs, while well-intentioned, might not paint an entirely accurate picture about the process of manifesting and creating change in your life.
‘Just believe, and it will happen!’ is a quote I often see bouncing around social media. ‘Jump and the net will appear!’ is another. ‘You’ll be surprised how quickly the Universe moves once you’ve decided’ is one that set me up for a massive disappointment. What I don’t see shared or posted about as often is the reality – that it can take a really long time for things to shift, especially if the changes you’re trying to make are significant ones. And you will probably give up a bunch of times, get frustrated, worry that maybe spirituality is BS, cry then go back to believing again. Rinse and repeat, until things finally start to shift (or don’t, if what you’re aiming for isn’t right for you). This may happen often, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. If anything, it means you’re probably doing it right. It takes time to transform – and that is the boring truth that no one tells you when you first start out on a spiritual path.
(Photo by Virajas Meshram on Scopio)
The premise of manifestation is that putting it out to the Universe is all it takes to transform your life. That’s an alluring message, and there’s a reason it gets so much traction online. There is truth to it, too. Unfortunately, on many occasions in my life, it didn’t happen like that – and if you’re reading this, I’d wager it’s maybe not been your experience either. So here is what I’ve learned over the past few years on the spiritual path.
(Photo by Pablo Nidam on Scopio)
Firstly, those glittering Instagram messages often don’t mention that we need to take action to make our dreams come true – we can’t just leave it up to the Universe (more about that misconception here). Secondly, if what you’re trying to manifest is significant, and requires you to confront a lot of deeply held fears, it will likely take years and years to bring your goal to fruition, and nothing about that process will be easy or free-flowing, and all of that is normal. Keep going anyway. Patience is spirituality’s most underrated tool.
I feel that people don’t talk about the reality of change enough – the length of time involved, the patience required and the frequent moments of frustration. None of that makes a cute Instagram post, but it is all true and worthy of attention.
There are exceptions, of course. Once, I asked the Universe for greater abundance and landed a free holiday only days later. Another time, I asked for help finding a new car, and within a week I’d found the perfect auto for sale on the side of the road. But the deep-level manifesting that matters most – the job change, the new business, the healthier mindset, the spiritually aligned relationship – will probably take years, and that’s OK, because time spent in pursuit of something is still better than time spent tolerating something you’ve outgrown. And when things do finally shift, it can be truly beautiful.
(Photo by Minja Milošev on Scopio)
Spirituality is only helpful when it’s grounded in reality, so we must acknowledge the truth that change takes time… and then keep going. Because it’s worth it. Change is our birthright and responsibility, and one of the most important powers we have as humans.
Don’t give up on what you want if it’s taking longer than you expected. Change your approach if you need to, and examine your expectations, but don’t overlook the value of patience. It’s not a very glamorous virtue but it’s so needed when we are undergoing massive transformation in our lives.
One caveat to this: if you’re hitting significant barriers, plugging away and hoping things get better might not be the most appropriate response. It could be that fears and limiting beliefs are getting in the way, so working with an energy healer might be a good idea – more about that here.