Many years ago I developed the following model for Manifestation. The inner circle of this model represents the three creative energies every human being possesses: thoughts, actions and emotions. You know all about actions, those physical things you do with your body. You know thoughts motivate and move you in certain directions, and you experience every day the power your emotions have on your moods, your relationships and the state of your health. This model illustrates the importance of bringing thoughts, emotions and actions into one congruent whole if you want to live intentionally and on purpose.

When you are aware and focused, and you bring these three aspects of self into a congruent whole, they act in harmony and produce the result you want. They must. There is no alternative.

When you are unaware, incongruent, and living by accident, these three energies still interact. They must. As your life forces, they strive to satisfy your desires.

But if you think you want one thing, subconsciously desire something else, and act in favor of something else again, these forces become conflicted and create turmoil in your life. For instance, if you are in a difficult, combative relationship with someone (or something), you are injecting combative energy into that relationship. On the other hand, in the smooth, easy, cooperative relationships of your life, your thoughts, actions and emotions are unified with love, generosity, confidence, and oneness.

So let’s accept this as a basic tenet: What you put in creates what comes out. If you want to know what you’re putting in, look at what’s coming out.

Sometimes it helps to come at this concept from a different angle, so consider this substitution:

Action = Doing

Thoughts = Having

Emotions = Being

In your experience, which comes first? Do you do, in order to have, in order to be? That’s the typical order for most people. For instance:

• Say you want a loving, intimate relationship. Obviously, you’ve got to do – meet people, go on dates, get to know someone. Then you can have – a boy friend/girl friend/significant other. And then you can be in a relationship.
• Say you want wealth. You can easily come up with a list of what to do – get the right degree, start investing, initiate a savings plan, etc. These actions enable you to have – credentials, the right job, something to start investing with. Then you can be rich.
• Say you want to reach the top of your profession. You review the actions of those who have gone before – study, practice, learn, network, create a business plan. Through hard work you can have – skills, finesse, contacts, a product. And then you will be among the best.

This is the obvious, common sense, western-culture way to approach anything you want to achieve.

The Miracle Way works in the opposite, counter-intuitive direction.

To make miracles, be first, then have, and leave doing for last. For this radical approach to make sense, we have to redefine our terms just a bit.

Doing is about how, and how the miracle comes about is not up to you. That part belongs to the Infinite. Your part of doing is receiving: welcoming, accepting, attracting, being willing, agreeing, appreciating, honoring, etc.

Because we’re associating having with thoughts, let’s look at it as the inner resources you want to possess: knowledge, abilities, skills, qualities of character, attitudes, beliefs, insights, wisdom, etc. (Basically, what you might be able to take with you when you die.)

Being refers to being in your personal power, and that’s determined by your emotional state. How you feel is how you are. Whatever your emotional state, that emotion resonates throughout your entire being, and then it vibrates outward. These outward vibrations affect everyone and everything they touch. They are the power you generate, just as the sun generates the power of heat and light.

Now let’s put this in the context of real life, using the above examples.

You want a loving, intimate relationship.

• What kind of person do you want to be in this relationship? Loving? Generous? Kind? Happy? Considerate? Neat? Adventurous? (Perhaps you’ll want to look at the kind of person you’ve been in past relationships.)
• What attitudes will it serve you to have? Patience? Good sense of humor? Confidence? What skills would you like to acquire? Communication? Tenderness? Organizational? Scuba-diving? What belief do you want to hold? That you are loving and lovable?
• What can you do to further the above? Practice? Put yourself out there? Stop arguing? Release fear? Go dancing? Buy gear? Laugh more? Believe it’s possible?

You want wealth/abundance. Ask yourself the same questions

• What kind of person will you have to be? Confident? Generous? Willing? Open? Aggressive? Optimistic?
• What attitudes will it serve you to have? Expansive outlook? Honesty? Generosity? Attentiveness? What skills will you have to acquire? Financial knowledge? Market acumen? Better proficiency in your field? What do you need to believe? That money is your friend?
• What can you do to further the above? Study? Practice? Bless your work? Network? Give more? Save?

Say you want to be at the top of your game.

• What kind of person will you have to be? Confident? Respectful? Determined? Productive? Willing? Optimistic? Humble?
• What attitudes will it serve you to have? Serenity? Tenacity? Respect? Excellence? Wisdom? What skills do you need to acquire? Subject knowledge? Proficiency? Insight? What belief will serve you? That your abilities are a divine gift?
• What can you do to further the above? Study? Practice? Perform? Write? Invite challenges? Give it away? Raise your prices? Write a business plan?

Earlier in this article, I said what is up to you, while how is up to the Infinite. The unification of emotions, thoughts, and actions, however, is as aspect of how that belongs to you alone. Only you can choose how you will be, how you will think, and how you will act.

For a short, (almost) daily message, Click here to link to my blog on Medium.com. These blogs I’m posting on my website will be a little longer and more specific to manifesting Miracles.

Look at the world with wonder and at yourself with warmth.