When I was a little girl, my parents -- who are both metaphysically-minded -- taught me the principles of purposeful manifestation. For instance, when I was six years old, my father quit his corporate job, and started a home-based business selling articles, books, and plans for his life's passion of model airplanes. Initially, because of our expectations, of course, our family income dropped substantially. During this transition period, we needed a new car, and we seemed to not have enough money to do so. My parents, who shy away from credit, decided to use manifestation to own a new car free-and-clear, right away.

First, they decided what kind of car they wanted. This is the first step in manifesting: deciding what you want. You can ask God and the angels to help you to know what you need. They will give you clear guidance at your request.

After my parents decided WHAT they needed (for some reason, they decided they needed a Ford Pinto - please don't ask me why), they purchased a Hot Wheels model of a Ford Pinto car.

This is the second step in manifestation: have a visual anchor, such as a magazine picture or item symbolizing your intentions.

Mom and Dad placed the model car on top of our television set. Then, my parents instructed my brother and I to look at the model car with them, and to visualize it sitting in the driveway, full-sized, right now. Our visualizations involved much more than just SEEING; we also imagined the car's sound, textures, and smells. This is the third step in manifestation: imagining, with all of your senses, your desired outcome as being real, right now.

The fourth step is to be aware of impressions and guidance that come to you, following the manifestation process. Very quickly, Dad received some intuitive guidance that led to extra work that enabled us to purchase the Ford Pinto exactly as we'd seen it in our mind's eye. If he hadn't become aware of this guidance, or if he hadn't followed it, we wouldn't have received the money windfalls that we used to buy the car.

During your manifestation efforts, stay aware of these important four points:

First, don't try too hard to make things happen. Straining, pushing, or trying to manifest stems from the fear that you won't receive. The underlying emotion of fear is a prayer that asks for the experience of lack. Your thoughts bring your experiences, just like a waiter obediently bringing your order to you. The waiter doesn't argue with you when you order something unhealthy from the menu. He merely nods and brings it to you. The universe is the same way: when you have a strong emotion that differs from what you are visualizing, your emotions are the more powerful request that the "waiter" receives. So, ask your angels to help you align your heart and your head during your visualizations.

Secondly, don't ask repeatedly from a place of fear or worry. Returning to our restaurant metaphor: after you ask your waiter to bring you a vegetable sandwich, do you then keep telling the waiter over and over to bring you a vegetable sandwich? Do you follow him into the kitchen to make sure that he has placed your order and that he intends to bring it to you? Of course not. Yet, when we repeatedly visualize the same thing over and over with fear, it is a statement to the universe that we don't expect to receive it.

Once you get a feeling of peace in your belly and a certainty of the inevitability of your manifestation, stop asking for it. Shift your energy, instead, to expecting it to happen. Then, when you go through the manifestation process on the other side, allow yourself to enjoy seeing your future in a way that is expectant, grateful and secure, and not from the energy of "hoping" or "fearfulness." With the attitude of gratitude and faith, multiple visualizations of the same intentions are not only fine, they are a wonderfully powerful way to experience rapid manifestations. So don't fret repeatedly, instead, EXPECT REPEATEDLY.

Remember, you aren't DOING anything when you manifest with the angels. Instead, you are choosing to live in the parallel world where everything is ALREADY manifested perfectly right now. So, you aren't creating from scratch, you're just changing channels to a program that's already in progress.

Third, be sure to release your request completely. When you mail a letter at the post office, you have to let the envelope out of your hands before it can be delivered. Yet, so often, we hang onto our desires and don't surrender them fully to the universe. During the meditation on the other side, the angels will help you to release your intention so that they can become manifest.

Fourth, allow yourself to be aware of guidance that follows manifestation processes AND to follow the guidance that comes to you. If you are feeling stuck, ask yourself, "What guidance have I received that I'm not following?" Usually, the guidance will ask you to make some life changes, a baby step at a time. The guidance can come in many forms: a thought or idea; a physical or emotional feeling; something you hear; or a vision or dream. Guidance usually comes in patterns; for instance, you hear the same song repeatedly and it has a "message" in its lyrics that speaks to you; or you see the same number sequences or book title many times.