Manifestation Through Mindset: You’re Not Stuck, Just Focused on the Familiar

AI Generated Image via DALL-E

What We Think We See Isn’t the Whole Story

Manifestation gets talked about a lot these days. You hear people say things like “I’m manifesting a new relationship” or “I’m calling in more money this year,” and it all sounds a bit floaty and magical. The word itself has almost become a shorthand for sitting still and wishing hard. But when you strip it back, manifestation isn’t really about magic at all. It’s about perception. It’s about what your brain chooses to notice. And how, with a bit of awareness and practice, you can train it to see what’s always been there (the opportunities, the options, the people, the paths) instead of just repeating the same patterns on autopilot.

Truthfully, we don’t actually see 100% reality as it is. We see it through a kind of lens, shaped by all the things we’ve lived through, the stories we’ve been told, and the ideas we’ve picked up along the way. And that lens filters everything. Our brains are constantly sifting through information and deciding what to pay attention to and what to ignore. This is known as perception bias, and it’s something we all have. It’s not a flaw, it’s just how the brain works. It would be too overwhelming to process every single bit of sensory input, so the brain gets clever. It picks and chooses what to focus on, usually based on what it already expects.

That’s why two people can walk into the same room and come away with completely different impressions. One might notice the warmth and the laughter, the other might pick up on a slight awkwardness or feel ignored. They’re not lying. They’re just tuned in to different signals. We all are. Our inner filters, shaped by childhood, past experiences, social circles, culture and even trauma, help us build a picture of the world. But that picture is never the whole story.

This is where manifestation becomes more grounded and real. It’s not about “calling things in” through force of will. It’s about waking up to the idea that maybe you’ve been seeing only a sliver of what’s available. Maybe the life you think you’re stuck with is actually just a loop your brain keeps running because it’s familiar. We’re creatures of habit, and we’re also creatures of pattern. The brain likes predictability. It feels safe. It takes less energy. So it will default to looking for what it already knows. That’s why, for example, someone might say, “I only ever seem to meet emotionally unavailable people” or “I always end up in the same kind of job.” It’s not that the world only contains those options. It’s that your brain is quietly filtering in the direction of what’s familiar, even if it’s frustrating or painful. It’s like your internal radar is set to a specific frequency and just keeps scanning for more of the same.

Here’s one way to think about it. Imagine looking at a coin lying flat on the table. You can only see one side of it. Let’s say it’s the heads side. And every time you look at it, that’s all you see. After a while, you start to think that’s just how coins are. But actually, there’s a whole other side, tails, that you’ve just never looked at. Not because it’s hidden, but because you didn’t think to flip it over. That’s what our brains are like when we’re stuck in a loop. We think we’re seeing the whole situation clearly, but we’re really just seeing the side we’ve been conditioned to focus on.

None of this means there’s something wrong with you. It’s not about blame or getting it “right.” If anything, it should feel like a bit of a relief. You’re not unlucky or broken. You’re just human. And your brain is doing what it’s designed to do, which is to conserve energy by focusing on the known. But this also means you can gently start to shift that focus. Not by trying to control everything or force outcomes, but by becoming aware that there are other options you haven’t been seeing. Other people, other ways of being, other possibilities. It’s not about imagining something that isn’t real. It’s about realising you’ve only been seeing part of the picture, and now you’re ready to take a fuller look.

AI Generated Image via DALL-E

How to Start Noticing What You’ve Been Missing

So if manifestation isn’t about magic, but more about perception and what your brain pays attention to, the question becomes: how do you actually shift that focus? How do you start seeing the things you’ve been missing? And how can that lead to real, lasting change?

The good news is that your brain isn’t fixed. It’s not locked into these patterns forever. You might have heard of something called neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time. Basically, it means that with a bit of awareness and repetition, you can gently start guiding your brain to look for new things. Different types of people. Healthier patterns. Better opportunities. Not because you’re summoning them out of thin air, but because you’re finally tuned in to them.

At first, this might sound a bit subtle. And it is. But subtle doesn’t mean ineffective. Think of it like walking the same route to work every day. It becomes automatic. You stop noticing things along the way. Now imagine one day you take a different path. Suddenly everything feels more alive again. You notice a café you never knew was there, or a shortcut through a park. The café didn’t appear by magic. It was always there. You just weren’t looking for it.

That’s what mindset work is like. It’s gently helping your mind take a different route.

A good place to start is with awareness. Catching yourself in the act of an old loop. Maybe you hear yourself say, “I’ll never get a job like that” or “People like me don’t do things like that.” It can be small, just a thought passing through, but if you pause and question it, you create space for something new. You interrupt the pattern. That’s a big deal. And when you start to challenge those old beliefs, even softly, it gives your brain permission to scan for other evidence. It stops just looking for more proof that you’re stuck or unlucky or not enough. It starts opening to the possibility that maybe things could be different. That maybe they already are.

This is where affirmations can come in. Not the cheesy kind, where you chant things you don’t believe in. But real, grounded statements that help redirect your focus. Think of them as little nudges. Like saying, “I’m open to noticing something new today” or “I’m allowed to want something different.” You’re not trying to trick yourself. You’re just giving your brain a new instruction. A new filter to look through. Over time, this shapes how you respond, how you move, and what you’re drawn towards.

If you then introduce meditation, even a few minutes of sitting quietly and observing what’s going on in your own mind can make a difference. It builds space. It gives you distance from the stories that usually run in the background. And in that space, there’s room to choose differently. And finally, when you combine these two together, change starts to happen. Slowly at first, but then more noticeably. You might start noticing people who treat you with more respect. You might find yourself applying for things you would’ve talked yourself out of before. You might realise you’ve been focusing on all the ways something might fail, and now you’re wondering, “What if it works?”

This kind of manifestation isn’t passive. It’s active in a gentle way. You’re not sitting still and hoping. You’re tuning your attention to a new part of the picture. That alone changes everything. It's not about being perfect or having unshakable belief. Some days you’ll fall back into the old mindset. That’s normal. What matters is that you catch it and keep practising. Every time you do, you reinforce the new pathways. You give your mind more options. More routes. More ways to see and live your life. And this is where real abundance starts to build. Not through force, not through pretending, but through expanding what your brain sees as possible. You start noticing new openings, new relationships, new decisions. And when you follow those, they lead to more. Not because the universe is rewarding you for doing it right, but because you finally allowed yourself to look at the other side of the coin.

You’re not making things appear out of nowhere. You’re just finally seeing what’s been there all along and giving yourself permission to step toward it.

If something here resonated with you, I’d love to hear it.

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Kindest Always.

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Joanna Baars is a psychotherapist and writer based in London. Her work explores how we can learn to understand ourselves, in a complex world. Find out more...