Do you do affirmations in order to manifest love, money, or something you want? Have you done a treasure map with pictures of what you’re hoping to achieve?

Lots of people have done both of these activities, only to be disappointed in the results. This can lead to feelings of failure, inadequacy, or not being loved. Perhaps it’s time to rethink the message that affirmations and treasure maps are a path to material satisfaction.

Over the past few months, I have been examining a lot of the messages that those of us on the personal growth and development path have been hearing — or teaching. It seems to me that a lot of what has been taught can be classified as fantasy. A big aha moment for me came when I heard that John Assaraf, one of the stars in the movie The Secret, who touted the positive value of treasure maps, was going bankrupt.

Here are some of the thoughts I’d like to share with you:

1. Setting specific goals for what you want in the future means that you’re using current knowledge to create your future. This limits your possibilities because you don’t know what you don’t know and, therefore, can’t really know what is the best possible outcome to satisfy your individual needs and authentic expression.

2. Wanting is often based on dissatisfaction with current life conditions. The hope is that by wanting something more and setting goals to somehow “manifest” that which is wanted, the feeling of dissatisfaction will disappear. Often, that which people want is based on what they see others have, so their wanting does not support their own authentic needs. They are, in effect, wanting someone else’s life.

3. If you have a habit of dissatisfaction, no matter what you manage to manifest, you will want more because dissatisfaction is your habit. Cultivating a habit of satisfaction is a pathway to living your authentic, creative life.

4. Many people constantly strive to be “more” than they are in the moment. The phrase “I’m not living up to my full potential” often expresses the desire to be something other than who you are. So do expressions such as, “I should be earning more money” or “Other people my age have accomplished so much more then I have.”

I’m proposing that you consider giving up wanting and cultivating satisfaction. Imagine feeling satisfied with who you are and the life you’re living. It appears that people are afraid that if they’re satisfied today their lives will remain exactly as they are. The paradox is that the more satisfied you are in this moment, no matter what you are currently experiencing, the greater the possibility that your life will expand and unfold in a way that satisfies your authentic, creative needs.

As long as you remain in a state of wanting, you will always be wanting. Satisfaction promotes satisfaction.

See if you can, at least for the next few days, let go of wanting. When you experience that gripping feeling that indicates you want something or feel deprived about not having what you want, take a few deep breaths as you focus on your breathing. Then think of something in your life that you find satisfying. It can be something as simple as the cup of coffee or herb tea you have in the morning. Focus on the feeling of satisfaction.

You may find that after doing this exercise over a period of time that new ideas and possible activities come to mind. Although the ideas and activities may be outside of your usual routine or may seem strange to you, follow whatever urge you have. This urge can be a message from the part of you that perceives your authentic future guiding you in a new direction.

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Are Your Feeling the Urge…

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