A gradual process
As described in one of my other articles, the daily practice of self‑observation and adjusting your standpoint of belief will change your 3D reality. However, we all “struggle” at multiple points on our journey to understand our Self better, and over the centuries, teachers have suggested a multitude of tools to support us in the transition from victim to creator. No matter which tool I have used, a gradual approach often seemed to work best for me and also for my coachees.
Why? Because with each small success, one expands the capacity to believe, into the knowing that one can. Of course, that can backfire if taken the wrong way. It is not that you wait for the external proof first, but that you allow a gradual buildup of internal changes. With each change, you literally provide proof to your mind that you can, and therefore, it acknowledges your greater degree of change. It is like running a marathon: your first act is to acknowledge that you can (potentially) run a marathon. Then you start practicing and, in a way, provide evidence that you do. After this first acknowledgment of “I can” (without that, you would never start), one usually goes for a gradual approach: 5 km at first, then 8 km, then 10 km, etc. Within weeks or maybe months, it is the marathon length of 42 km. Additionally, with each small success, momentum builds, and that helps you strive for bigger goals and believe more firmly in your success. This is because it equals the release of resistance.
For many people, a gradual approach seems most likely, hence it is also most common. But note: it must not be gradual. For example, I wrote my first book in 6 weeks without writing blogs beforehand or reading many books. After I wrote my first book, I learned that writing books “should” take longer and that a good writer is usually first a reader – well, my fault, or better said, my luck that I did not know the rules. You probably know that in your life, too, when you did that one thing where others thought the process usually looked different. Maybe you lost a lot of weight fast, or healed cancer with fasting, or just painted the most amazing picture without years of practice. You just believed you could – or you did it based on sheer interest and curiosity. It was my and your “not knowing the rules” that switched the game up for us.
In any case, waiting for external validation first will never work. Imagine someone waiting to walk the 5 km before starting to train. Right, it will never happen. First comes the thought you could, then you do it. Hence, the outcome comes first. And alignment to the outcome is what is needed to succeed.
Alignment first
If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that I am – or better, was – a huge fan of Abraham Hicks. I still see her as my teacher, but as with all baby birds and chicks, once they fledge, they need to leave the nest. My leaving the nest caused the “huge fan” to turn into an inner acknowledgement of equal minds, and let her be my reminder when needed. Nonetheless, for people in the sandwich position – meaning having started on the journey but feeling a bit overwhelmed by overcoming the old Self – she is a great guiding star. One of her brilliant sayings, “Alignment first, and then…”, was for a long time very elusive for me. Hence, I want to elaborate on my understanding. Maybe it helps you, too.
At first, I thought alignment meant smiling, a happy face, or even real joy in the moment. Yet, in those easy moments, inspired action never came for what I needed to do. It was always about anything but the matter that should get my attention. So, I felt a weird feeling of being stuck in the loop of putting on a happy face, yet not changing 3D reality. Ultimately, this irritation led me to look for new teachings. I learned what I could not understand with her perspective alone. Putting my new knowledge together, the phrase translates as follows:
Alignment first to the state of consciousness which reflects the goal achieved, then act from this new Self’s perspective – the one where it feels normal, easy, or joyful.
That, in fact, is the key to manifestation, yet also more than just “alignment first”. It is first determining what the state of consciousness is to have, and then acting. Once you get it, you cannot un‑know that “alignment first” equals the emotional translation of: “The goal I want is easy to have. It is fun to be. It is enjoyable. It is normal.” If you do not feel this kind of emotion (but, for example, fear) while thinking about your desire, you are not in alignment. Then, your first task is to investigate the current Self’s belief system and release some old beliefs.
Self analysis
For me, the easiest way to change a belief is first to “make space”, as it is an identity shift. In spiritual terms, they often say, “the old Self must die, so that the new Self can be created”. I think it is a little bit exaggerated, because nothing dies in the eternal now. In fact, all is now. But leaving behind an old belief feels a little bit like dying. That is because if you shift realities, the energetic change is often interpreted as dying. Yet, it has nothing to do with death in the common sense; it is a mere change of frequencies which feels a certain way, and people have learned to call it “dying”.
So, our first step is to stop calling it death. Let us call it change, transition, or another word you like to use, which indicates a greater degree of change. I would recommend not calling it a modification or any synonym of that, because modification is like painting a rusty iron fence in a new color, yet changing beliefs is more like substituting the old rusty fence with a new, rust‑free steel fence. Maybe substitute is a good word. Anyhow, the word is secondary; the meaning is important.
The process itself can sometimes be easy and obvious, other times it can be more layered. Honest observation and analysis are key.
First step: Look at your undesired 3D situation. For example, one day – one of those days when I sit and examine my 3D to check which old beliefs are outdated – I realized I am not fully aligned with what I want in the relationship department. It is not about being single per se, though that represents one or many beliefs too; it was how I viewed dating. My last 5 dating experiences were really nice, I must say: kind men, taking care of me, picking me up, paying for the food, saying all the right things – yet I am still single. So, I wondered: why do I not have what I desire – a companion to share the journey of life? I let my mind wander. My pen was skittering over my journal and documenting anything that came to mind. Within all of that, one sentence struck me. I wrote: “I do not care how it happens, and not when”, yet in that moment I thought one more thing: “it takes effort”. That was THE moment. It [the hindering belief] was out. When it hit the light, it felt ridiculous, followed by a wave of profound relief. Logic did the rest. Honestly, how can that be effort? When it is the right partner, it is fun – it is pleasurable. Hence, I changed the belief. Be assured, I will keep an eye on 3D to see what else might keep me separated from my hubby ;).
Second step: But what if changing one belief didn’t help, or you need the alignment right now? Well, then, you must persist in digging into your shadows. Sometimes it is quite a layered thing. To give you a recent example: I needed to visit a governmental agency to change my housing status. I felt unease about it (with no apparent reason), but I had to. So, knowing how to create life, I tried to get into alignment before the appointment. It didn’t work, but I went to the appointment. Nothing negative happened, as it is easy enough. On top of that, the change was followed by relief, so I concluded that the housing status change is not out of alignment. Hence, I needed to keep digging. Asking questions works for me: Which side effects does this change create? What else is affected? My health insurance was the answer. Again, I took the same route. I tried to soothe myself by telling myself that my new insurance is also a really good one. No problems there, yet it did not work. I elaborated further, in particular, on why I spent a great amount of time selecting the insurance in the first place. I realized that I put great effort into the insurance selection process because I thought poorly about my future health projection, particularly my teeth. Just for the record, my teeth are amazing. In fact, I haven’t had any treatment for more than 5 years, but that did not matter. What mattered was my fear that I would face further challenges with them in the future. Well, with that realization, “the monster” was now out of the shadows and seemed way less scary. Yet, I had to do some alignment to “good teeth” to get rid of the fear. Among others, I used medical research breakthroughs and stories of teeth regeneration as permission slips that healing is possible with ease.
Hence, as long as you feel that nudge, that small pressure in your gut, that flutter of your heart, that unease, that small or big feeling that something is off, you must persist. Keep digging, analyzing, revealing, and soothing until you find the root cause. Then release the old belief and install a new one.
Signs of having shifted
Over the last 9 months, I have noticed a variety of “signs” that I have shifted my Self, meaning I shifted realities where my Self has a different state of consciousness. These are interpretations of energy changes; hence, they are in some way personal. Though I believe most of them are universally applicable:
a) In the very beginning, when I dropped an old hindering belief, it felt like a 90‑degree tilt, literally like the world – not I – is tilting in front of my eyes for a second or two.
b) Bigger changes in belief led to more intense energy changes. I remember vividly how I once got so overwhelmed by the energy that I started to giggle. You know that “hot & bothered” feeling after a really good date? That excitement that is rushing through you? Exactly that. The most intense one took almost 2 hours. It was exhilarating, and I love to think back on it.
c) I feel a tingling sensation in my body, which is often accompanied by changes in my 3D vessel. The first time I noticed this sign was at my first Dr. Joe Dispenza retreat. In that, I shifted into a reality where my physical condition eased into a mere nuisance. Many participants in such retreats describe similar tingling, warmth, and electricity in the body while they shift state.
d) I think: “I cannot fathom why I felt that particular way before.” This happens because the moment the belief – hence the state of consciousness I occupy – changes, the old feeling leaves the nervous system. One cannot identify with it anymore. To give an example, imagine a former smoker who has stopped smoking. Ask them a year later why they did not stop earlier. Most likely, they cannot fathom why and will try to give some rational reasons that won’t sound convincing. Yet, they really do not know why they did not stop earlier, because in this (new) reality, they never did smoke. The state of consciousness of a non‑smoker cannot fathom why a smoker would not stop smoking, though the old Self, who was (is) a smoker, could easily tell you why they do not stop.
f) Feeling a great amount of relief is the most universal sign. Once you have shifted and feel that wave of relief, you are also sure it is a done deal. In fact, you might ask yourself why you didn’t change earlier (similar to that non‑smoker shift syndrome explained above).
Reminder
Just a gentle reminder. These two things are not your concern: the how and the timing. Do not bother to work on either of them, because focusing on them is a form of doubt. If there is an external timing at play, like my housing registration change, work on alignment and releasing what is not serving you. However, the how is never your concern. The how is for your pure entertainment; for you to watch, yet never to create or decide upon.
Next time you feel stuck, check if you persist in a specific way – on how it has to come to fruition. Loosen your grip [on the how] and work on your alignment with the right state of consciousness instead.
