Book SummaryManifest, by Roxie Nafousi

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Manifest

What if you could create your dream life through the power of thought? Roxie Nafousi explains that this practice, called manifesting, is achievable for anyone. However, there’s more to the manifestation process than meets the eye. While many people see manifesting as simply picturing the thing you desire and receiving it, Nafousi explains that effective manifestation also requires you to fundamentally alter your mindset—your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. In Manifest, Nafousi presents her method for adopting the mindset necessary to manifest and achieve anything you want in life.

Nafousi is a social media influencer turned self-development coach and author. She’s also an ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation. However, Nafousi claims that she didn’t always lead such a successful life—she previously struggled with mental health issues and addiction, feeling trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle that she didn’t know how to overcome. This all changed in...

Manifest Summary What Is Manifestation and How Does It Work?

Nafousi defines manifesting as the process of attracting what you want in life using a positive mindset—a combination of positive thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Manifestation is based on the Law of Attraction, which states that the energy we put out into the world attracts similar energy back to us. In other words, a positive mindset will attract positivity into our lives and propel us toward our goals, while a negative mindset will attract negativity into our lives and prevent us from reaching our goals. So, to manifest the life of your dreams and become the best version of yourself, you must adopt a positive mindset—everything you think, do, and feel must attract the life that you desire.

(Shortform note: Since the mid-2000s, the term “manifest” has been redefined by popular culture and the spiritual community, and in large part, by Rhonda Byrne in her book The Secret. While Nafousi defines manifesting as the process of attracting what you want in life through positive belief—in other words, deliberately using only the positive side of the Law of Attraction—Byrne defines manifesting as the _intentional or...

Manifest Summary Principle #1: Create a Detailed Mental Image of Your Desires

Nafousi argues that the first principle of manifesting is to create a clear, detailed mental image of what you want. This step (what Nafousi calls “visualizing”) is crucial to manifesting because our brains respond to mental images as if they were real. In other words, imagining exactly what you want will trick your brain into believing that you already have it. You’ll then experience positive emotions and emit high vibrations that will actually attract that thing into your life.

(Shortform note: Rhonda Byrne popularized visualization in The Secret. She explains, like Nafousi, that the process helps attract your desires due to your brain responding as if your visualizations were reality. While Nafousi doesn’t offer any scientific evidence to support this assertion, Byrne explains that scientists observed this effect when conducting tests on Olympians. When these athletes visualized performing their events, their brains sent signals to their bodies as if the event were actually happening, and their muscles responded as if they were in action.)

The Process...

Manifest Summary Principle #2: Show Yourself Love and Practice Gratitude

Nafousi explains that the second principle of manifesting is to show yourself love (what she calls “self-love”) and practice gratitude—these are the two cornerstones of a positive mindset. These practices will raise your vibrations to the highest possible level (which will attract positive, high vibrations back to you), and they’ll also help you resist negative thoughts and actions that can lower your vibrations and sabotage your positive manifestation.

(Shortform note: Rhonda Byrne’s central argument in The Power seems to support Nafousi’s emphasis on the importance of self-love and gratitude. Byrne explains that feeling and expressing love is the most powerful way to attract positivity because it’s a purely positive, invisible force—when you incorporate love into your daily life, everything you think, do, and feel will be charged with positive energy. Byrne elaborates that practicing self-love (loving your life and who you are) is important for feeling love internally, while [gratitude is the most powerful way to express love...

Manifest Summary Principle #3: Overcome Negativity

While loving yourself and practicing gratitude are ways to prevent negativity, Nafousi argues that you should also develop a few techniques that will target and eradicate negative thoughts and emotions when they make it past your firewall. She recommends three main techniques for doing so.

Technique #1: Quell Negative Thoughts and Emotions With Positive Affirmations

Nafousi argues that one of the best ways to overcome negative thoughts and emotions when they arise is by reciting positive affirmations—statements that encourage positive beliefs.

To create positive affirmations, listen to the limiting beliefs of your inner voice and craft affirmations that state the opposite. For example, if your inner voice is telling you that you’re not good enough, your positive affirmation can be something like “I’m worthy and capable of achieving anything that I dedicate myself to.”

When you notice your inner voice reciting negative thoughts, choose to actively drown them out by reciting positive affirmations in your mind. Nafousi notes that this will override your negative inner voice and stop it from bringing down your vibration.

Further, Nafousi recommends reciting...

Manifest Summary Principle #4: Take Action Toward Your Goals

One of the biggest misconceptions about manifesting is that positive thoughts and emotions are all you need to materialize your desires. Nafousi explains that in reality, you must also alter your behaviors so that they help you make progress on your goals. If your actions don’t align with your desires, you’ll never make progress.

(Shortform note: In The 12 Week Year, Brian P. Moran agrees that your current actions are what create your future. To ensure that your actions are helping you make progress on your goals, he specifically recommends creating a system of weekly plans and reviews: Before the week starts, plan out what you’ll accomplish each day of the week and check your plan daily to ensure you’re staying on schedule. At the end of the week, review your plan to ensure you’ve accomplished everything and that you’re making progress toward your goals.)

There are two main ways to match your actions to your goals: stepping out of your comfort zone and creating good habits.

Technique #1: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Nafousi explains that changing...

Manifest Summary Principle # 5: Have Faith

Nafousi argues that having faith in the process is one of the most crucial principles for successful manifestation. This is because your beliefs about reality shape your reality. If you don’t fully believe in the process of manifestation—that the universe will return the positive vibrations that you emit—then none of the previous principles will work to attract your desires.

Having faith in the manifestation process requires you to believe that everything in life happens when and how it’s meant to, and that everything is leading you toward a higher purpose. Nafousi explains that the manifestation process isn’t a smooth and straight path to your desires. You’ll face obstacles and surprises along the way, but you must maintain your belief that things will fall into place, you’ll reach the end of the path, and you’ll achieve your desires.

(Shortform note: Nafousi argues that having faith—trusting that the universe will reward your positive efforts when and how it’s meant to happen—is the final puzzle piece for effective manifestation specifically. However, experts explain that having faith—not just in the universe, but in humanity, yourself, your values, your loved...

Shortform Exercise: Imagine Your Desires to Begin Manifestation

Nafousi explains that the first step for effective manifestation is creating a clear idea of what you want in life. In this exercise, you’ll use Nafousi’s process to conjure a clear image of your desire.

First, identify one desire that you want to manifest into your life—for example, a new friend. Now, list all the details you can come up with about this desire: If it’s a person, what do they look like, how do they treat you, what would you do together, and so on? If it’s an object, what does it look like, what would you use it for, what does it feel like, and so on? Write every detail that comes to mind.