For years, I was captivated by the art of creating vision boards. They felt like a portal into my dream life – a collage of magazine clippings, vibrant pictures, and powerful words that represented everything I wanted to manifest. I believed these boards would be the blueprint for my future. Every time I walked past one, I’d think, Yes, that’s the life I’m calling in.
And then… nothing.
Well, that’s what I thought at first.
No lottery win. No dream house appearing out of nowhere. My life didn’t seem to match the glossy, picture-perfect goals I had so lovingly glued to those boards. It was frustrating because I knew I was manifesting. I could feel shifts happening around me, but my life didn’t look like my vision boards.
And that’s when curiosity set in.
If I was manifesting, why didn’t it look like the boards?
The Subtle Arrival of Magic
One day, I sat with this question, reflecting on the things I had manifested over the years. Slowly, the realization hit me: the magic had arrived. It just didn’t look the way I expected it to.
The career success I’d envisioned was more flashy, and it gave me the freedom I had always craved. The relationships I wanted didn’t look like the romanticized images on the board, but they were authentic, supportive, and deeply fulfilling. The abundance I desired didn’t come as piles of cash, but as opportunities that felt perfectly aligned with my values.
The vision boards weren’t failing. My expectations were. My vision was blurred. Later I discovered I have aphantasia and not all people can visualise their dreams.
Understanding Why the Magic Looked Different
Here’s what I realized:
1. Vision Boards Focus on Outcomes, Not the Journey
My boards were all about what I wanted, not how I wanted to feel. They showed the surface-level dream but didn’t account for the deeper transformation happening within me. Neuroscience teaches us that manifestation works best when we focus on emotions and states of being, not just static images.
2. I Was Manifesting from Alignment, Not Pictures
While the boards were inspiring, they weren’t what was driving my manifestations. My intentions, feelings, and actions were the real magic makers. The boards were simply a starting point.
3. The Universe Works in Mysterious Ways
Manifestation rarely follows a straight line. The magic often arrives in forms we don’t expect, and it’s our job to recognize it when it does. My life didn’t look like the curated images on my boards because the universe gave me something better: a reality I couldn’t have imagined on my own.
Letting Go of the Boards
Once I understood this, I realized I didn’t need vision boards anymore. I started shifting my manifestation practice to tools that felt more aligned with how I process the world – tools that embraced my unique way of thinking and feeling.
1. Scriptwriting
Instead of gluing pictures of dream vacations onto a board, I started writing vivid descriptions of my dream life. I focused on the smells, sounds, and sensations – all the things I couldn’t capture with images alone.
2. Focusing on Feelings
I stopped obsessing over what I wanted and started tuning into how I wanted to feel. Freedom, joy, abundance, connection – these became my north stars.
3. Embodiment Practices
Rather than waiting for my dreams to arrive, I started acting as if they already had. I walked, spoke, and made choices as the version of myself I was manifesting.
4. My Reality Board
I created a folder on my phone capturing the beauty and magic of my life instead of pinning pictures of someone else’s.
The Results
Here’s the surprising part: the more I focused on these new tools, the more my life started to feel like a living vision board – not because it matched the pictures, but because it reflected my deepest desires.
The magic didn’t arrive in the form of a glossy magazine spread. It arrived in ways that were more meaningful, more aligned, and far more personal than I ever could have imagined.
I learned that manifestation isn’t about controlling how your dreams arrive. It’s about trusting the process, being open to surprises, and creating a practice that works for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt like your vision boards aren’t “working,” don’t lose hope. The magic might already be unfolding in your life – just not in the way you expected. Stay curious, reflect on the ways your life has shifted, and be open to trying new tools that resonate with you.
The vision boards weren’t wrong. They simply taught me to let go of rigid expectations and embrace the limitless ways magic can show up. And that’s the real manifestation power.
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