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The Aligned Life

Jenn Stevens | Spiritual Life + Business Coach

Why You Should Never Manifest Happiness

by: Jenn

man on the beach with text Why You Should Never Try To Manifest Happiness

One thing most dream chasers, goal-setters and manifesting magical witch babies have in common is the deep-seated desire to be happy.

I mean, happy sounds good right? It seems that if we can just figure out how to become happy and stay there, then we’ll have figured out the key to life.

Happiness is, of course, a wonderful thing (and sincerely I hope you all find your own version of it!).

But when it comes to goal-setting and the Law of Attraction, wishing for happiness is just not enough.

In fact, if I hear you asking to for happiness, I’ll actually ask you pick something else to focus on instead.

It’s not that happiness is not something worth pursuing. (It very much is.)


It’s because happiness is a byproduct of many other things in our life.



Sounds a little strange right? I mean, if we can’t ask for happiness what’s the point?

But, trust me, this an important topic for your manifestation practice! Which is why today I’m sharing 6 reasons why you shouldn’t try to manifest happiness:


6 Reasons Why You Never Manifest Happiness


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #1:

Asking For Happiness Is A Cop Out



Just as clarity is important in real life for negotiating at work or in your relationships, it’s crucial for your manifesting.

Many people choose asking for happiness rather than doing the work of figuring out what they really want.

But if you don’t actually know what will make you happy, why would the Universe know?

It’s actually your job to figure it out. It’s your job to think about where your desire is taking you. You can’t cop out of it and give all that inner work to someone else.

Besides, you will want lots of different things over the course of your life. Some will make you happier than others but you have no real way of knowing which is which until you get there. And that’s okay!

That’s how we learn. That’s how we grow. That’s just the way life works and manifesting doesn’t get you out of it.

Many times we avoid committing to our desires because then we must also face the idea that maybe–just maybe–they won’t happen.

But if you don’t choose a direction to set out in, you’re staying in the same spot. You’re not growing and changing as a human. You’re not engaging with life the way you were designed to.

So just pick a place to start! Pick your target and accept that it’s just the starting point of your journey. It’s not the be-all-end-all. And no, there’s no real way of knowing if you’ll be happy when you get there but that’s okay. You’ll still get to recalibrate. You’ll get to ask for more. You’ll get to switch directions if you need to.

That’s simply the way it all works.


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #2:

Happiness Means Different Things



Happiness is not tangible on its own. It always comes as a pleasant side-effect to something else.

If you want to make happiness your goal, you need to become very clear about what that means to you. Does your version of happiness mean success? Fulfillment? Achievement? Recognition? Love? Self-confidence?

It could come from any and all of these sources. But the important thing is what happiness represents in your mnd.

Most of the time we’re asking for something because we think we currently lack it. (That’s your starting clue for deciding on your intention!)

So dig deeper and get specific about your definition of happiness. Where does your heart want to take you next? Do you crave freedom? Connection? Adventure? Security? It makes much more sense to pursue those goals than the fuzzy, indefinable happy. So don’t be afraid! Do the self-work and figure out what you’re really after.


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #3:

Happiness Is Not Pleasure



While happiness and pleasure are often confused, they’re very distinct concepts. True deep-seated happiness is an entirely different entity than pleasure.

Happiness is real, it’s strong and it’s steady. While on the other hand, pleasure is always only temporary.

It’s important to know the distinction between the two. Many things that don’t give us pleasure in the moment make us happy in the long term. Many things that give us fleeting pleasure don’t make us happy in the long-term.

For example, working hard today might result in getting a job that really makes us happy. There might not be a lot of pleasure in the short-term but there’s deep satisfaction instead.

This is not to say that there’s something intrinsically wrong with desiring pleasurable things! It’s totally okay to go after them if your heart so desires.

But it’s also important to understand that those things will not bring you long-term happiness. Pursue them for what they are but don’t become confused by the two and stay aware of where your true priorities lie.


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #4:

Happiness Is Relative



Another common way to “misuse” happiness is simply by asking to be happier. And again, initially, it sounds like there’s nothing wrong with that: “I like what I’ve got! So just bring me more of it please!”

But it’s crucial to understand that if you’ve asked the Universe to be “happier”, then the Universe really doesn’t have to give you much in order to fulfill that request.

Will you even know when you get there? Will the Universe? And what happens if you’re already more or less happy now?

If you want more of what you already have, finding an extra $5 bill on the ground could easily count as more. (There! The Universe fulfilled your wish!) But you didn’t even notice. And you’re still sitting there looking around wondering when your “happier” is going to show up.

So take it as a warning: asking for happier will not lead to satisfying results! Think deeply about what you really mean by “happier” and dive in from there.


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #5:

Happiness Does Not Lie In A Physical Product


When you think about happiness, make sure you’re thinking about what really takes you there: that’s much more than a fancy handbag or a car. While it’s still okay to ask for those things, understand that the thrill of physical acquisitions will always wear off. Long-term happiness doesn’t come from physical goods! They’ll always become old, used, dirty, broken. The thrill of the purchase fades away with the shine.

Again, it’s totally okay to go after physical objects just for the sake of having them but don’t get disillusioned by their meaning. They will never be capable of bringing you happiness.


Never Manifest Happiness Reason #6:

Happiness Should Not Just Exist In The Future



Pursuing happiness as a goal also invites another major issue: if it’s something we’re asking for, then by definition it’s something we don’t currently have.

If we continue to treat happiness in this way–as something that we’re always striving for–then it will remain exactly that: something that we’re always striving for. The biggest trick of living this human life is learning how to be happy in the current imperfect moment.

Happiness doesn’t just exist at the end of the rainbow, once you’ve ticked the box or gotten to the milestone. Paradoxically, you need to open your heart to experience happiness now if you ever want hope of achieving it.

Thinking that you need to achieve something or own something in order to be happy is the most surefire way to make sure you’ll never be happy. You must create your happiness now, in this very moment, always! You must learn how to take joy in your being. You must learn how to stop and be thankful for what you’ve got right now, no matter how little that might be and no matter how much more you might still desire.

Because if you can’t do that now, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able find that happiness after your next manifestation either.

So stop wishing on someday!


Give yourself full permission to take control and step into your happy right now.





Don’t let this post scare you away from chasing your desires. Instead, I’m challenging you to take a more proactive approach to your own happiness, by getting curious and fully going after your desires with courage.

Thank you so much for reading beautiful! And happy manifesting.






PS Looking for more? You might also want to check out this post about how to makeover your money mindset or this one about how to set healthy energy boundaries.




Love This Post? Then Save It To Your Manifestation Board For Later!


man on the beach with text Why You Should Never Try To Manifest Happiness

Filed Under: Happiness, Manifesting + Law of Attraction Tagged With: happiness, how to be happy, law of attraction, manifest happiness, manifesting mistakes, never manifest, never manifest happiness

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Hey there Goalgetter! I’m Jenn – Bestselling Author | Spiritual Life & Business Coach | Creator of The Aligned Life and I teach you how to mind hack your way to your manifestation dreams!

 

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And now for a quick message from your Higher Self: And now for a quick message from your Higher Self:Love yourself enough to LET IT GOBreathe deep & have a happy Sunday my beautiful babes!
You are magic itself.And your desires have meani You are magic itself.And your desires have meaning for the WORLD.So if you really KNEW that you were here to feel happy and do the things that bring you joy, what would you be doing differently?If you’re like me, it’s too easy to forget our true divine nature.It’s too easy to believe our worries and limitations more than we trust ourselves and this beautiful journey.But if you could trust your magic for just a moment, what would change?If you knew your dreams where a matter of WHEN not if, how would this moment be different?All the magic you ever needed is IN you already. All you need to do right now is TUNE into it!
————————————————————————
with love + miracles ✨
~ Jenn
Identity shifting is KEY to manifesting.Because Identity shifting is KEY to manifesting.Because you ALWAYS manifest from your subconscious mind.Meaning you WILL play out old programs and ideas over and over again.Until YOU decide enough's enough! And do the work to REPROGRAM your mind to reflect what it you want and who you need to be.But sometimes, this work doesn't FEEL like it's doing anything.Those little tiny shifts on the inside are close to invisible--which might even make you doubt that it's happening at all.But trust me gorgeous, it IS.Keep taking tiny steps forward.Keep doubling down on who you WANT to be.TRUST the process and understandThat little by little, bit by bitIt all adds upUntil one day you look around and realize: I'm already there.
————————————————————————
with love + miracles ✨
~ Jenn
What would it be like to TRULY be enough for yours What would it be like to TRULY be enough for yourself?💜To not CRAVE that outside approval or validation?To forget about other people's opinions or what they say behind your back?To not motivate yourself to move TOWARDS something only because you cannot stand where you are?This just goes to show that as much as we all LOATHE to admit it, so much of what we do is based off of artificially leveraging ourselves UP.If so-and-so would only say "good job"If that person would LOVE meIf I finally did [ insert arbitrary goal here ]THEN I could finally feel good and actually TRULY love myself.Sometimes we all get our wires crossed on this at times. (Myself included!)We focus on the future fantasy that our issues will MAGICALLY disappear once X/Y/Z happens.And we chase the things outside of us, forgetting that the ONLY place our true happiness lies is within ourselves.I'm here to warn you:You could run the whole race of life and NOT get what you think you need from other people.You could meet milestone after milestone and still NEVER feel like you measure up. 😩ORYou could start being enough, right here, right now.Enough = you as you are, flaws, mistakes and all.Enough = you without anyone else.Enough = you.💗Happy Thursday Conscious Creator friends!
————————————————————————
with love + miracles ✨
~ Jenn
It's a FACT of life: you're simply NOT going to fe It's a FACT of life: you're simply NOT going to feel good all the time.And that's okay!Not gonna lie: the last month or so has been rough for me.The darkness of winter + strict lockdowns/limited holiday celebrations were TOUGH.I've definitely had my moments of letting it all get to me.But that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong.It doesn't mean that I'm somehow failing.And it definitely does NOT mean I'm putting more space between me and my manifestation goals.Even with the BEST of intentions, life is 50/50. Expecting perfection at any time will ONLY set you up for disappointment.Feeling frustrated, down, exhausted: those are all normal feelings for anyone experiencing a pandemic (plus general winter blues/ political chaos etc.)So while I don't want to create MORE of those feelings, I'm also not going to judge myself for having them.Making your feelings WRONG does not speed you up back into feeling better. It only creates self-loathing and resistance.Are you feeling the same? Here are a few things that are helping me right now:- Just letting myself cry if I feel like it (Sometimes 10 minutes of a good cry is a sufficient release!)
- Concentrating on pandemic-lockdown friendly goals that I CAN achieve (Doing pilates every day, meditation + Manifestation Journaling)
- Taking a break from drinking (I only drank about once a week anyway! But why not try going without it for a month?)
- Doing more behind-the-scenes entrepreneur stuff (The kinds of things that are so easy to put off for "someday")
- Using my SAD lamp every morning! (I only just got it but I swear it's helping)
- NOT judging myself too harshly if I suddenly don't feel up to doing the work I had planned or posting as much I "should" (Being an entrepreneur brings an EXTRA level of potential self-judgment that's hard to get out of at times.)This is all just a great example of one of the most important lessons of LIFE.You don't get to choose all your circumstances. But you DO get to choose what you do WITH them.What are you choosing to create right now? Whether you're in lockdown or not, I'd love to hear it!

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