Manifest Your Destiny: The Nine Spiritual Principles for Getting Everything You Want
Dyer, Wayne. Manifest Your Destiny. NY: William Morrow, 1998
In recent months, I have been studying various books on spirituality, philosophy, consciousness, psychology and other related topics – and I hope to title my next book “Transformational Awakening.” There is much to learn from ancient wisdom but Dr. Wayne Dyer is the best modern guru I have read so far on these topics. His ideas on consciously changing how we think to focus our mental energy on what we want seem to be making a difference for me. He assumes that we have a spirit or soul that not only continues beyond our physical existence in the body, but that our spirit has a greater consciousness that we aren’t able to fully perceive while in a physical body – despite being connected to it.
Dyer also focuses on the very Taoist idea that God includes all the energy of the universe and that it flows through us and connects us to everything else; and that this means we have powerful potential to manifest changes if we just communicate the right way with the universe we are connected to – makes sense to me now. This kind of thinking struck me as new age hippy nonsense many years ago, but I get it now. It finally clicked. And I see concrete results; I am not only happier but I seem to be more perceptive about others.
Taoism seems to best describe the contented awareness of the flow of the rest of the universe, and to accept that it is not so separate and distinct from me, but that I am part of it and very interconnected with everything else. As for Dr. Dyer’s specific suggestions for attaining peace by dropping preconceptions and just opening up to the spiritual flow of everything – his focus is to stop searching for external sources of happiness to control, and to simply accept that the universe will manifest what is best for you – especially if you think about those wonderful things you want often. Our mental energy feeds an ongoing creation as it develops; you can feed energy into negative developments by worrying about the future or agonizing about the past – or – you can focus on the good things you want, and your energy will feed the development of growth and progress and happiness and love. Perhaps his best advice is to focus on gratitude – it keeps our thoughts on the things we appreciate, and much like praying to God – it gives positive feedback to the universal energy flow to keep doing those things.
Christianity teaches that we are unworthy sinners, and that when we desire something (which we might not even believe we deserve) we should pray to an external God for it.
Dyer suggests that instead we should view God as the universe and the flow of all energy through it. We are a part of the universe’s energy – a part of God – God is in all of us, and trusting that we contain the essence of God opens doors to manifesting what we are already connected to in the rest of the universe – we just have to stop thinking we are separate from God, and instead realize that we are connected to everything already. Don’t pray to an external and separate God, coexist with the way of God already here in us. Christ says the kingdom of heaven is within you. Buddhism says look within, you are the Buddha. Hinduism says God dwells within you and that universal and individual consciousness are one. So pray not for selfish extras to a separate God, pray for the universe to flow through you and express itself through you. The Tao, the Way, let it flow through.
Some of Dyer’s quotes from Manifest Your Destiny that I found most relevant include:
“We have divine power that has gone untapped primarily because of our conditioning.”
If you wait for society to encourage you to evolve “you will not have enough time in this lifetime to even begin your journey.”
“Preconceptions will only serve to contaminate your unlimited potential for manifesting your heart’s desire.”
“Your highest self… transcends the limitations of the physical world.”
“Within you is a divine capacity to manifest and attract all that you need or desire.”
Again, this all would have struck me as New Age nonsense many years ago. Now it strikes a chord within me, and I feel like I’m understanding very useful and insightful ancient wisdom. I recommend reading books by Dr. Wayne Dyer.
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