I’ve always been a little sceptical about ‘manifesting’.
In my mind, putting a picture of the Maldives or Chris Hemsworth up on my dressing table isn’t going to sort out my problems. But I was really intrigued when I heard Roxie Nafousi, the manifesting queen, was coming do Dubai and had the pleasure of going to see her at the Zabeel Theatre this week.
Roxie’s ‘seven steps to living your best life’ feature in her book ‘Manifest’ which has sold over one million copies. She’s a name we hear in the same breath as self help gurus Jay Shetty and Brene Brown and she is regularly featured in top publications and podcasts. In other words, she’s kind of a big deal.
But when she took to the stage this week in Dubai, it was her vulnerability that shone through above all else. A beautiful, educated and thoughtful woman who is exactly where she needs to be, but underneath it all, she’s just like us. A woman who values family above all else – she regularly referred to her brother and sister in the audience and of course her late father was evidently on the top of her mind throughout the show, a busy mum, a person who makes mistakes and feels the same shame and self doubt we all do from time to time. I’m not going to say it was like sitting down with an old friend, more like sitting down with a normal, relatable woman who isn’t afraid to talk about the difficult stuff.
So, about Roxie’s life changing steps - have they changed my life? Here are three bits of inspiration which will stay with me:
1. You can make a wholehearted decision to change your life
Roxie’s battle with alcohol and drugs was the catalyst for a huge shift in her life in 2018 and she takes full responsibility for every bit of it. She believes in being kind to yourself but not indulging in victim mentality. In taking the time to process all your setbacks but using that energy to propel yourself forward. In her words ‘use it as a kick up the arse’. When you make your decision to do whatever it is you want to go, go all in – channel all your self-loathing, trauma and pain into making the life the best it can be.
2. Ask yourself what would your higher self do in this situation?
I thought this was a great way to anchor yourself when times get tough or when there are difficult choices to be made. Roxie didn’t go into too much detail on this on the night, but I believe her book does. Your higher self is the person you aspire to be. She possesses all the qualities and values you dream of. She’s the best and most confident version of you. If you’re struggling with negative patterns in your life, bad relationships, bad habits etc. ask yourself: what would my higher self do? And see how this changes the outcome.
3. Practice gratitude every day – even with your kids
Make a list every day of all the good things that have happened – from the small wins to the big achievements. Whether it was having a cup of coffee at your favourite café, reading a few pages of your book or walking to meet a friend – there are always glimmers. I loved how Roxie said that she does this every night with her son by asking what his favourite things were about the day. A gorgeous practice to end the day with .
PS…
Oh, and I should say that I was really pleased that Roxie doesn’t necessarily believe in creating ‘vision boards’ with pictures of the aforementioned Chris Hemsworth and trips to the Maldives. Instead, she likes to write her goals down and get absolute clarity on what they are and how she is going to get there. This I can get on board with.
// Sarah Hewitt
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