The Incompetent Receptionist — Or the Annoying Truth About My Inner Blocks

What a frustrating moment taught me about the one thing we get wrong about manifesting

Photo by Jill Heyer on Unsplash

First published on Medium

I was annoyed. Deeply, petulantly, Monday-afternoon annoyed.

This wasn’t about world peace or an existential crisis. This was about my cat’s ultrasound. I was on the phone with the vet’s receptionist, a person I’m sure is perfectly lovely, as she fumbled through an explanation of the different tests they offer. She couldn’t clarify the difference between the two ultrasound procedures.

My mind spiraled.

How can you work here and not know this? I’m trying to make an informed decision for my furry family member. This is so incompetent.

The old, familiar script of blame was cued up and ready to roll. I could feel the story forming: The Incompetent Receptionist. A story I’d later share with my husband, Cristof, to validate my righteous frustration.

But in the space between my thought and my reaction, a teaching I’ve shared a hundred times echoed back at me, not as a theory, but as a stark, personal indictment:

“The drama of life is a psychological one in which all the conditions, circumstances and events of your life are brought to pass by your assumptions.” – Neville Goddard, The Power of Awareness

Ouch.

In that moment, the vet’s office faded. The only reality was the one in my mind. My assumption wasn’t about the receptionist; it was far more personal. It was an old, hidden assumption about myself: “Getting what I need is a struggle. People in ‘helper’ roles won’t have the answers. I have to figure everything out the hard way.”

My annoyance at her was just a perfect, mirror-like reflection of that internal assumption manifesting in the 3D. I had called this exact play into being.

And here’s the part we rarely talk about on our spiritual journeys: My next feeling was a fresh wave of annoyance. This time, at Neville’s quote. At the teaching itself.

Because realizing you are the sole author of your reality is, theoretically, the most empowering concept in the universe. But in practice? It’s annoying. Blaming the receptionist, the economy, the algorithm, my upbringing—that’s easy. It’s a passive, victimhood cocoon. Taking full responsibility means the buck stops here, in the quiet of my own mind. No more casting characters for the role of “villain” in my story.

This is the unspoken truth about that “block” you feel. That stuckness, that feeling of a wall between you and your next step, isn’t a cruel trick of the universe. It’s not proof you’re “bad at manifesting.”

It is almost always a sign that you’ve bumped up against a deep, subconscious assumption that contradicts your conscious desire. And your frustration with the “block” is often just a disguised frustration with the annoying, inconvenient responsibility of having to change your mind.

So, what do you do when you find yourself here, in the gap between the blame you want to feel and the responsibility you know you must claim?

You do the simplest, most peaceful, and most counterintuitive thing of all.

You give the duality space to exist.

I didn’t force myself to suddenly feel love and light for the receptionist. I didn’t berate myself for being “a bad manifestor.” I simply became the observer of my own mind’s drama.

Part of me is annoyed and wants to blame.
Part of me knows I am the creator of this experience.
And both of these truths can coexist.

I allowed them both to be there, without judgment, without trying to instantly fix or spiritually bypass the “negative” one. I held space for my own humanity. In that space of allowance, the charge around the annoyance dissipated. The “block” wasn’t a solid wall to beat against; it was a cloud of contradictory energy that simply needed acknowledgment.

This is the practical, daily magic. It’s not about never feeling negative emotion. It’s about changing your relationship to it.

Your “Block” is Your Compass

That feeling of inner resistance is your most accurate guide. It’s not saying “STOP.” It’s saying, “PAUSE.”

The assumption you are holding in this area is not in alignment with the identity you wish to assume.

The next time you feel that familiar stuckness—whether it’s about money, a relationship, or your creative work—don’t try to manifest it away. Get curious.

1. Pause and Locate the 3D Trigger: What minor, annoying event just happened? (The slow email reply, the rejected pitch, the doubting friend).

2. Ask the Creator, Not the Victim: “What assumption must I be holding about myself or the world to have created this specific experience as my reality?” (e.g., “My ideas are easily dismissed,” “Money is hard to come by,” “I am not supported.”).

3. Allow the Duality: Admit, “Part of me believes that old story. And part of me knows I am the creator who can choose a new one.” Sit in that truth without forcing a resolution. Breathe into the space between.

This process isn’t about achieving perfection. It’s about practicing awareness. The moment you can observe the old assumption without being wholly identified with it, you have already begun to master it. As Neville says, you move from being a slave to your assumptions to becoming their master.

The receptionist will eventually find the information. I fully trust that. But the real shift happened in my mind. I walked away from a mundane Monday stress-factor with a renewed, visceral understanding of the only truth that matters: my outer world is the signage of my inner assumptions.

And the path to changing the signage isn’t through force, but through a gentle, attentive, and sometimes annoyingly honest conversation with the only writer in the room—you.

If the idea of shifting your identity from the inside out resonates—if you’re tired of battling “blocks” and ready to understand them as your guides—you’re not alone. This is the work we do every day in our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI). It’s a space where mindful creators and seekers move from theory to embodied practice, supporting each other in rewriting those deep assumptions. We’d be honored to have you join the conversation.

👉 Join our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI), here.

Manifesting Isn’t About Getting What You Want

It’s about becoming who you already are. The moment I understood this, my reality had no choice but to change.

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

First published on Medium

For years, I believed in the grind.

If I wanted the dream life — the ocean-view home, the thriving business, the financial freedom — I had to work hard for it. I had to hustle. I’d set a big goal, my stomach would knot with a mix of ambition and anxiety, and I’d start the slog.

The to-do lists were long. The effort was real. But so was the underlying vibration of lack. The nagging whisper: “Is this ever going to actually pay off?”

Every task, from writing a crucial article to the mundane admin of transferring blog posts between accounts, felt like a heavy “have-to.” I was building my future from a place of exhaustion, not excitement.

Then, a simple yet radical idea from Neville Goddard’s book The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to book) stopped me in my tracks. It reframed everything I thought I knew about manifesting:

“Manifesting is nothing but experiencing the results of your concepts of yourself in the world.”

Let that sink in for a moment.

It’s not about visualizing harder or reciting a thousand affirmations. It’s not about forcing the right action. It’s about your self-concept. Your identity. The state of consciousness from which you operate.

Neville goes on to say,

“Consciousness is the one and only reality.”

The world, he explains, has no motive of its own. It operates with “motiveless necessity,” meaning it has to reflect the arrangement of your mind — the sum total of all you believe and consent to be true.

My problem wasn’t a lack of action; it was the state from which I was acting. I was acting from “Sophia who wants and struggles,” instead of “Sophia who already has and enjoys.”

The shift happened in a morning meditation. Instead of wanting the ocean-view home, I decided to feel what it would be like to already have it. I felt the salty air on my skin, the vast, calm horizon, the deep, unshakable peace and financial abundance that view represented.

I bathed in that feeling for five minutes. Then I got up to face my day.

My to-do list was the same. I had to transfer a backlog of articles to our new Medium channel. But something was different.

The task that used to feel like a draining, doubtful chore now felt… pleasant. It felt like the ocean breeze. I was energized, motivated, and confident that this small, aligned action was part of a natural, unfolding process. I was no longer building my reality; I was expressing the reality I had already claimed within.

This is the secret they don’t tell you about “massive action.”

When you act from the “wish fulfilled,” your action transforms.

• It becomes motivated: You’re not forcing yourself; you’re flowing with inspiration.

• It becomes intelligent: Your intuition guides you to the most effective actions, not the most exhausting ones.

• It becomes magical: The “bridge of incidents” — Neville’s term for the unfolding path — appears, offering solutions you could never have forced.

Let me give you a real-life example.

We’re building our coaching business, which means we need to get in front of people. The hustle mindset says: “Cold email 100 people! Go network! Grind!”

But from our new state of aligned creators, our intuition nudged us to simply book a yoga class at our local community center. While signing up, we noticed a link in the town newsletter: “Apply to Become an Instructor.”

Following the nudge, I filled out the form. It took five minutes. The next day, we had a meeting. A day after that, we were scheduling dates and fees. Suddenly, we were being offered a platform to reach tens of thousands of people in the town’s next Parks & Rec guide — not as yoga instructors, but to teach our program, ‘Ace Your Goals.’

No hustle. Just ease. The path unfolded because we were in the state of people for whom visibility is natural and easy.

Your Practical Framework: The “State Shift” Method

If you’re tired of the grind, try this. Don’t just read it — do it.

1. Know What You Want. Get specific. Is it $10,000 a month? A soulmate? Perfect health?

2. Identify the Core Feeling. Why do you want it? Is it security? freedom? joy? love? The feeling is the real goal.

3. Step Into the Identity. Who are you being once you have it? For five minutes, close your eyes and feel that feeling now. Be the person for whom this reality is a normal, natural fact.

Pro Tip: Do this 3x daily.

• Morning: To set the tone for your day.

• After Lunch: To reset and reclaim your state before your second work shift.

• Before Bed: To let your subconscious mind work on it overnight.

This isn’t about denying your 3D reality; it’s about changing the source of your creation within it. You stop rearranging the external furniture and start rebuilding the internal foundation.

The World Mirrors Your Inner State

The bills might still be on the counter. The inbox might still be full. But from the state of the wish fulfilled, you handle it all with a new energy. You are no longer a beggar hoping the universe will provide. You are the architect, operating from the completed blueprint.

You are giving yourself the feeling you’ve been chasing all along. And in doing so, you become a magnet for the circumstances that match it.

The transformation begins when you stop trying to create your reality and start experiencing it from within.

Ready to Move From Knowing to Living It?

Understanding the theory is one thing. Consistently living in the state of the wish fulfilled is another. It requires practice, guidance, and a community that speaks your language.

Inside our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI), that’s exactly what you’ll find. This is where you can:

• Practice the State: Get daily, structured guidance to help you embody these teachings.

• Find Your People: Connect with a powerful community of like-minded creators and manifestors.

• Get Unstuck: Receive the accountability and support to move through doubts and witness your own bridge of incidents unfold.

If you’re ready to replace the hustle with a feeling of natural, oceanic ease, you belong with us.

Click here to join the Shift Your Identity (SYI) community for free.

Your new state is waiting.

A Mattress, $22k, and A Liberating Truth

Why Manifesting Often Fails — And the Identity Shift That Makes It Work

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

First published on Medium

For five weeks, my neighbor’s old mattress festered on her lawn.

It became the backdrop to my life. I’d see it while taking out the trash — a sodden, decaying monument to… something.

Irresponsibility? Laziness?

I (Sophia) didn’t know, but I knew I was judging it. I’d feel a pang of irritation when I saw the neighborhood kids jumping on it, a potential health hazard. I’d sigh, thinking, “Why doesn’t she just deal with it?”

My frustration grew with each passing day. I was stuck in a story I hated, and I’d cast my neighbor as the villain.

Then, while immersed in Neville Goddard’s influential book The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to book), a sentence stopped me cold:

“This great discovery of cause reveals that good or bad, man is actually the arbiter of his own fate… and that it is his concept of himself that determines the world in which he lives.”

Arbiter of my own fate. The words landed not as an empowering affirmation, but as a confronting truth. If I was the arbiter, the cause, then this mattress wasn’t just happening to me. My reality was mirroring something back to me.

I looked around my own apartment. And there it was: in the cupboard, four dusty paper bags filled with old college memorabilia and clutter from three moves ago. Ignored. Unattended. A mess I was refusing to deal with.

The parallel was undeniable. The neighbor’s junk outside my apartment was a perfect reflection of my clutter inside.

The old me would have either not done anything and continued to brood in her anger or, eventually, marched over and asked her, with barely concealed annoyance, to handle her mess.

That would be trying to rearrange the furniture in a burning house.

The new me, the one tentatively embracing this “arbiter” idea, knew the only door was inside my own mind.

I didn’t just clean the clutter. I became a person who lives in a clean, orderly, and attended-to environment. I handled my bags. I sorted, I discarded, I created space. I wasn’t just cleaning; I was embodying a new concept of myself: I am the kind of person who resolves things promptly.

The next day, the mattress was gone.

Now, you might call it a coincidence. But after five weeks of stagnation, the timing was… interesting. It was my first tiny, tangible proof. The universe wasn’t punishing me; it was showing me how the mechanism works.

This lesson became crucial when I started applying these principles to my business. I learned to manifest money, but I hadn’t yet learned to manifest a state of being.

I once visualized and “manifested” a $22,000 month. And it worked! The money came in. But the how was a nightmare. The projects attached to that income required three grueling months of non-stop, high-stress work to deliver. I got the number, but I lost my peace. I got the what, but not the who. I was still the identity of someone who hustles and struggles for abundance.

I was using the law of assumption to change the scenery, but I was still the same anxious character in the play.

Neville Goddard and the Buddha, in their own languages, point to the same solution:

Stop trying to change the reflection. Change the face in the mirror.

This is the shift from manifestation to Identity Shifting.

It’s the difference between:

• Manifesting a specific income and becoming the person who is in harmonious financial flow.

• Visualizing a perfect partner and embodying the state of being already loved and understood.

• Affirming “I am abundant” and feeling the natural, quiet joy of the wish fulfilled.

This is where Neville’s “State of the Wish Fulfilled” meets the Buddha’s Brahmaviharas — the divine abodes of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. These aren’t complicated rituals. They are mind-states. When you dwell in the feeling of love, compassion, or peace, you are, by definition, not dwelling in lack, fear, or frustration. The light naturally drowns out the darkness.

You are assuming a new identity.

The One Practice to Start With Today

This might sound like a massive undertaking. It’s not. It’s a practice, like learning the piano. Every minute counts. Every note matters.

Don’t try to track and purify every “bad karma” seed at once. You’ll exhaust yourself.

Start here: Anchor yourself in a single, wholesome mind-state for five minutes a day.

1. Sit quietly. Close your eyes.

2. Choose one: Loving-kindness (May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I live with ease.) or simply the feeling of deep, quiet peace.

3. Feel it. Don’t just say the words. Generate the sensation in your chest. Let it warm you. Imagine your wish is already fulfilled — not as a frantic craving, but as a present-moment reality. What does that feel like? That’s your new state.

4. Dwell there. For five minutes, that feeling is your entire world. You are not someone wanting peace; you are peace.

In this state, you are naturally purifying old seeds and sowing new, powerful ones. You are shifting your identity from the inside out. From this place, action becomes inspired, aligned, and effortless — whether it’s cleaning your clutter or building a business.

The world doesn’t change when you chase a different reflection. It changes when you have the courage to become the person for whom that reflection is natural. You are the arbiter. And that is the most liberating truth you will ever embrace.

Ready to fully embody your new identity?

This is the work we do every day in our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI). It’s a space where we move beyond theory and into practice, supporting each other as we consciously choose and become the people we are meant to be.

If you’re ready to stop hustling against the current and start flowing with it, we’d be honored to have you.

→ Join the FREE Shift Your Identity (SYI) Community Here