Have you been diligently working at manifesting your desires? How’s that working for you? If it hasn’t been going as well as you would like, could it be due to the use of the word “manifest”?

“If what’s showing up in your life is not what you would like, you might take a close look at the words you are saying and thinking,” says Gary Douglas, Founder of Access Consciousness. Those very choices of words are creating what’s showing up for you, whether you like it or not, he adds.

“Your point of view creates your reality,” adds his business partner and frequent co-author, Dr. Dain Heer. “It’s not the other way around!”

Changing the way you look at things can drastically alter the way things show up, say the duo.

The way the word manifest is used in spiritual, metaphysical, and “new age” circles is most often incorrect. “Manifest actually means ‘how something shows up,’” says Douglas. “It doesn’t mean that it shows up.”

When we say we manifest something, what we’re saying is, “we how it shows up something” says Douglas. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

According to Douglas, creating and generating is something we do. Manifesting something is what the universe does. In other words, the way things actually get created in the world is that we ask for something, and then the universe responds to our request by arranging for what we’ve asked for to show up

Take the example of a new car. We make the request, and it is the universe that determines exactly what form the response to that request will take. The form the car takes is the manifesting part. The request is our creation and generation.

What’s the difference between generation and creation? Generation is the spark of inspiration of what you would like. Creation is the doing that’s required for what you ask for to come about. You start with knowing that what you’re driving is no longer working for you, or that something easier, more fun, or better is possible. That’s the generation. Creation is the research, car-shopping, and handling the financing. Generation requires creation for the idea to become real, and creation without generation can be rather uninspired.

However you look at it, making your request in the form of a question will likely yield you better results than if you make your request in the form of a conclusion.

“What would it take for a BMW to show up in my driveway?” is not really a question, even though it ends with a question mark. It is not a question because the judgment and decision that the only car worth having is a BMW wipes out the creative power of the question you’re trying to ask.

“What would it take for a great car that’s fun to drive and fits in my budget?” to show up is a more open-ended question. It gives the universe something to work with. It also works better if you don’t give the universe deadlines, as in “by Friday.”

The universe will give you what you ask for, say Douglas and Heer. But it does sometimes take the universe a little time to arrange everyone and everything so that what you’re asking for can occur.

One woman Douglas and Heer worked with decided she wanted that BMW. The car she got stretched her budget to the max, and that was before it turned out to be a lemon that required more time in the shop than on the road. The universe manifested what she created with her decision and judgment that the only car to have was a BMW.

Finally, she asked a question, such as, “What would it take for this to turn out better than I can even imagine?” She found a car that met her requirements for a fun, zippy convertible at a more reasonable price, and the BMW dealer recognized what a lemon her car was and refunded her money. How does it get even better than that?

Another trap people fall into when attempting to “manifest money” is thinking too small. One woman wanted to know if she should ask, “What would it take to manifest all the money I need to pay my bills for July?” The facilitator she spoke to asked her if she was interested in paying her bills in August as well.

A much better target is to ask for more money than you can spend, as well as never enough money. This request gets you out of your thinking mind, which functions only to define your limitations. By asking for never enough, you also stop yourself from falling into the comfort zone of “I have enough money now,” which stops the creative process right in its tracks.

“How does it get even better than that?” is a great question to invite the universe to manifest what you’re asking for. If something bad happens, it’s easy to see how you’d like something better. If something good happens this question also applies! Do you wish the good fortune to keep rolling in, or would you like it to stop? Concluding “this is as good as it gets!” or “it doesn’t get any better than this!” are great ways to stop the manifesting!

So what would you like to generate and create? The universe is just waiting to manifest it for you!