microdosing your dream life
With the turn of the new moon corresponding with the turn of the seasons, our swelling hearts and sweaty limbs look forward to the quick fruition of our manifestations. Everywhere you turn the universe is urging patience ... just wait ... I know it's already been a while but wait ... just a little longer ... if you can hold out it will be worth it … And I can’t disagree, some of the best things that have happened to me, the biggest realizations, and most satisfying wins have formed through the practice of patience. But what is one to do while you wait?
It’s detrimental to fill our precious time pining after what we want - for our dreams can only manifest if we rid ourselves of a scarcity mindset. And although more tangibly productive, filling our hours to the brim with mindless tasks or grueling projects doesn’t get us any closer to our goal and robs us of small joys if we don’t enact a proper balance. Both mindsets are sourced in fear. By pining and wishing we express the fear that our current reality isn’t enough to sustain us, that our value lies in a future version of ourselves that may not come to be as a result of overly intensive daydreaming. Manic productivity is a similar expression of fear that doesn’t serve our manifestations either - it signals a distrust in the universe and sets you on a vibration that isn’t aligned with a balanced and healthy life. Placing too much emphasis on the grueling work will not make things easier, and distracting yourself from reality will not make your dreams arrive any faster.
This concept wrestled itself in my mind, as I often find myself victim of both equally unhelpful coping mechanisms. How do I hold my manifestations close enough that they bleed into my reality? How do I remove myself from my desires enough to practice detachment without causing detriment to my mental and physical health through busied distractions?
The answer arrived long after I’d laid my knotted contemplation to rest, and - of course - only came to me when I was unknowingly living in it.
On a trip to visit one of my best friends in New York, I sat on her couch while she sat in meetings. Blue skies and silhouettes of imposing buildings in the thick August heat lay just beyond the glass of her living room. Sipping the candy-sweet latte bestie had crafted for me, my eyes would often fall out of focus on this beautifully unfamiliar scene as I contemplated edits of the articles I was drafting. It bubbled up as all the best things do for me, rooted in a laugh at my own private joke.
I had let my thoughts wander, and I remembered my dream of being Carrie Bradshaw - I know, I know, but stay with me - I have always wanted to write professionally, and when dreaming up my life as a writer I would imagine it to be like Carrie’s - glamorous, full of outings with friends and incredible outfits - a life of a socialite whose playground and inspiration was the city that never sleeps. I realized that in a small way, I was living that dream. Maybe it’s only for a moment and maybe I’m not a renowned writer in the way I’d imagined, but it was real. I was microdosing my dream life. So I laughed as I took a picture of myself typing on my laptop, sending it to my friends with the caption “I couldn’t help but wonder …” And I considered how lucky I was to be on the vibration in which my dreams exist. It wasn’t forever, but it was real for that moment and I got to see my dream come true in those hours I sat writing at the window overlooking the city.
From that moment, I’ve looked at my manifestations and the intentionality of my actions through a different lens than before. I ask myself often: how can I get myself on the vibration closest to the reality of my dreams? Sometimes the answers are easier than others. One way to access my manifestations is to write everyday, because I believe that it places me on the vibration of the life of a professional writer, as it is something I imagine my future self to be doing. No matter what it is, you have to express gratitude for it, and it’s helpful to speak your thanks out loud. For example, “I am grateful that I am able to write every day,” or “Thank you (universe), for the opportunity to connect with my loved ones, as it’s integral to my daily life.”
This practice is an amalgamation of what I’ve read on proper manifestation techniques as well as the book Atomic Habits, which introduced me to the idea that every action you take is a vote for the person you believe yourself to be. When I’m feeling anxious or unsure about how to fill my time in a meaningful way, I like to ask myself, what would my highest Self do? It’s important to have some kind of vision for yourself. Imagine the life that is truly ideal to you and picture the moments, small and large that you would experience on a day to day basis. Imagine your personal ideals, beliefs, the way you move in relationships with loved ones and with strangers. When you have a solid idea of what that looks like, come back into your reality and start practicing.
Get yourself on the vibration of the person you envision yourself to be in any way possible. When my depression is at its worst, I struggle to take care of myself in the most basic ways - brushing my teeth, doing my laundry, taking showers … everything feels like a chore. Now when I’m in these ruts I think very simply: would the person I dream myself to be go throughout the day without brushing her teeth? Obviously not. In the home I envision myself creating, am I a partner that does not pull her weight in keeping the house clean and cared for? No. If being a good friend is important to the future I see, would I shy away from reaching out to those I love? Absolutely not.
It’s one thing to envision a life for yourself, to manifest and dream with your whole heart for what you wish for. It’s another game entirely to take the actions that are in alignment with those dreams. It’s not how many hours you can force yourself to paint a day, or restricting your quality time with loved ones working yourself to the bone for a promotion, or daydreaming what life will be like once you achieve x,y, and z. It’s believing that the person you are is one and the same with the person you believe you can be. It’s bringing your manifestations closer to you by acting in accordance with the life you wish to live. Microdose your dreams, sprinkle them into your daily life. No matter how small it feels, each action you take, each vote you make for the life you want to lead invites space into your reality for your dreams to manifest. Be grateful for each situation you choose to act in accordance with your dream life, and that gratitude will grant expansion of your dreams.
