Over the last few years, manifestation culture has taken over the minds of those who have a certain vision of what their lives could become.

As a concept, manifestation idealizes a certain reality by taking micro-steps to make it true. Some methods include vision boards, where people create a collage of images with their dreams and desires, as well as writing down affirmations and repeating them out loud.

Now, there are two types of people who engage in this phenomenon: those who think an exterior force will construct their dream lifestyle and those who forget to credit themselves with the effort and energy it took to accomplish what they earned.

The truth about manifestation is that it’s misleading. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to embody a certain lifestyle portrayed through Pinterest or Instagram. However, there’s a distinction to be made between taking inspiration from what you consume and believing you’ll be handed a given way of life.

From my experience, social media has played a significant role in this delusional mindset.

Most of those who advertise manifestation are influencers with already existing resources to live their dream life. Granted, some have shared stories about how they didn’t always have such a lavish lifestyle, but wasn’t their diligence and dedication what ultimately drove their success?

Some influencers communicate the idea that you somehow have to request permission from the universe and the energies around you to make what you want a reality.

Vision boards and affirmations, then, become mere baby steps in the grander scheme of things. Manifestation can often stray so far from reality that it becomes an unhealthy habit.

After all, humans have always been self-made. The problem with manifestation is not its close resemblance to religious ideology, trust, or faith, but rather the way people have approached it.

Will writing down the desire to acquire a new car actually make the vehicle appear? No. While this is an extreme example, this is a depiction of how some believe manifestation works.

You may not get the internship you want or visit the country you’ve been wanting to travel to because you simply said it out loud, but maybe having those as constant thoughts will subconsciously motivate you to save money. In any case, this is both a decision and an action you alone take.

I understand the desire for a fuller life, one of comfort and financial abundance. The issue doesn’t lie with dreaming big. Dreams fuel the future. They always have.

The problem arises with confusing wanting something with believing you’ve earned it or should have it.

As hard as a reality as it is, speaking a desire into existence won’t literally make the object materialize. I’m not saying many think like this, but there are people who idealize without grasping what it takes for the outcome to become an eventual reality of theirs.

The confusion regarding manifestation is that it accustoms many to think that believing equals acquiring.

On the other side of this concept exists the group who’ve done it all and exhibit behaviors indicating they believe their present was gifted to them.

To these people, I have to say: Give credit where credit is due: Yourself! That’s not being selfish or boastful, but commending yourself for having the courage to dream big and see your dream all the way through.

YOU sat down and took that test, YOU studied countless hours to get that degree, YOU saved up to buy that house. None of that pursued you. You went after it and got it. You.

So, why are we mistaking effort for a coincidental event? How come we are crediting the universe with things we, ourselves, have earned through hard work?

Maybe it’s due to the innate humbleness some have or the legitimate state of disbelief some navigate post-accomplishment. Either way, it’s fair to assume many of us have been told certain mottos, ones that fuel drive, ambition and excellence.

“If you dream it, you can be it” and “Fake it ‘till you make it” are a few of the phrases I’ve been fed over the years. While they’ve motivated me to take action, I can’t say I’ve ever been successful because I settled for believing in them.

That’s a step of the process, not the whole staircase.

Such beliefs push the narrative of everything being possible, and it absolutely is. Boundaries and limits to dreaming, within reason, are put up and taken down by each individual.

So, yes. Everything is possible, as long as you have a clear vision of what “possible” means to you. What can you do to accomplish that goal? Is there enough ambition? Have you developed a long-form plan?

All of this to say opportunities are out there, but they aren’t waiting. DIY your lifestyle. Don’t just stare at the canvas and the colorful palette; pick up the brush and own the blank space.