Manifesting from the Soul, Not the Ego: Redefining Success on Your Terms

Hello my beautiful souls!

Welcome back to the Modern Manifestation blog. Feel free to listen in to today's topic in the podcast.

Hello hello my beautiful souls! Welcome back to the Modern Manifestation podcast. The purpose of today’s episode is to encourage you to reflect upon the things you’re trying to bring into your life, and consider whether or not they are what you really want.

For a long time, I believed manifestation was all about attracting financial success—more money, more luxury, more “abundance.” That’s what so much of the manifestation and personal development space seems to push, right? Million-dollar homes, private jets, designer clothes, and curated travel content.

And while money can open doors to the things our soul craves, I realized something important: If we’re cultivating an identity just to impress society, we’ll never find authentic joy in the process. Today’s episode is focused on manifesting from the soul, and not the ego.

For years, I was just caught in the whirlwinds of projection—trying to manifest the things that would give me clout as someone who “gets” manifestation.  I focused on comparing my life to others in the manifestation space—their curated homes, the fleets of luxury cars—versus my dad’s childhood home we bought in 2018 and the car I’ve loved driving for nearly six years.

It wasn’t until I started experiencing more external success that I realized I never really cared about the material luxuries. In fact, it mostly led to pressure from others to ‘maintain an image’ just to fit in. To keep buying yet more luxuries I didn’t need—things my soul wasn’t even interested in.

For example, I remember feeling constantly behind. I got the new luxury car, but it wasn’t the newest model. I got new clothes, but they weren’t from SAKS. We bought a house, but it wasn’t in Westlake. We went to the Bahamas, but we didn’t fly private… The constant comparison drained me. I never felt like I could catch up, do enough, be enough.

But that lifestyle wasn’t even for me. I mean, I wear Birkenstocks and UV shirts on the weekends; I’m not exactly the private jet type. Yet there I was, chasing new cars and luxury travel like they meant something to me—trying to mold myself into what I thought success should look like.

It’s taken me five years to realize that the version of success I was after wasn’t mine—it was just what I thought I should want. For so long, I was trying to fit a mold that didn’t belong to me. Masking my true self behind the thread count of a J. Crew sweater or the wheel of a Lexus. I was creating an image of success that looked shiny on the outside but wasn’t authentically me.

And listen—if designer bags, high-rise condos, or luxury travel light you up, that’s amazing. I’m not here to shame anyone’s desires. I’m just saying: those things weren’t my desires.

I was manifesting from my ego—not my soul. When we try to manifest from our ego, it’s like chasing smoke: it looks impressive, but you can’t grasp it… and it doesn’t nourish us.

Money can help us access what our soul truly craves… but if we’re seeking to manifest a persona to please society, we will never find authentic joy throughout the process. Instead, let’s ask ourselves—what is beneath the desire for money?

Eventually, I realized that money is a means—not the end game.

When we obsess over it, we can trap ourselves in a scarcity mindset: constantly grasping, never satisfied, always feeling like it’s not enough, never stopping for a moment of gratitude.

There isn’t anything wrong with wanting to manifest more money, but what if you changed your approach? Experimented a little?

What if instead of manifesting money, you manifested the thing you want the money for?

You want to travel more? Manifest more travel experiences.

Want a bigger house? Focus on manifesting the space you dream of.

Or take it deeper—why do you want that bigger house? Is it for peace? Safety? Room to breathe? Then make that your focal point. Let that guide you.

Maybe you crave travel because you long to feel awe, to experience beauty and wonder. Manifest that feeling. Visualize that moment.

When we are aware of our soul’s true desires, we get to differentiate how we go about manifesting. We get to create a life that is meaningful TO US.

Instead of focusing on manifesting more money, focus on what YOU really want. What gets your soul excited.

Because money is often the vehicle—but it’s rarely the destination.

When we tune into our soul’s true desires, we shift everything. Manifestation becomes more intuitive, more aligned, more joyful. We stop trying to impress and start trying to feel.

You don’t need to want what everyone else seems to want. You don’t need the Malibu mansion, the Pinterest-perfect life, or even the Boss Babe lifestyle if those aren’t things that genuinely excite your spirit. You get to choose. You can focus on joining a ceramics studio, creating a cozy reading nook in your home, or just enjoying peaceful Sunday mornings. Your dreams are valid—no matter how simple or unconventional.

You get to choose what your life looks like. Make it a good one FOR YOU.

Define success on your terms.

So today, try asking yourself:

“What do I really want?”

“What is my soul craving—not my ego?”

“What is the vibe I’m searching for?”

Let your vision be rooted in truth, not performance. You’re not here to prove anything. You’re here to create something beautiful. Make it a life that feels good to you.

That’s where your real power in manifestation begins.

Thank you for hanging out with me today. I will catch you in the next post!

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