The Gym Lesson That Unlocked My Manifestations (And How To Do It Yourself)
My coach called me out on my biggest limiting assumption. What happened next taught me the real secret behind Neville Goddard’s “Truth That Sets You Free.”
Photo by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash
I stood in front of the pull-up bar, feeling a familiar knot of fear and shame in my stomach.
My coach had just asked me to see how far I’d come. My mind instantly screamed the old story: “No, I can’t really do any pull-ups yet.”
I was about to retreat, to shrink back into the identity of “someone who can’t do a pull-up.” It was a comfortable, if painful, story. It was my assumption, and I was its slave.
But my coach saw a different story. He looked at me and said, “From what I’ve seen you do, you are much closer. Just try to get as far as you can.”
His words were a key. They didn’t give me new strength; they unlocked a strength that was already there, buried under a pile of limiting assumptions.
I grabbed the bar. I pulled. And for the first time, my chin moved almost halfway to the bar. It wasn’t the full pull-up, but it was a quantum leap. In that moment, I wasn’t “trying.” I was being — an athlete who was capable, powerful, and on the verge of a breakthrough.
That day at the gym was a perfect, physical demonstration of a psychological truth I’d been studying for years. It was a living example of chapter 5 from Neville Goddard’s book The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to book) Sophia had been teaching on a TikTok Live just days before.
Neville writes,
“Since your life is determined by your assumptions, you are forced to recognize the fact that you are either a slave to your assumptions or their master.”
In that moment of fear, I was a slave. But my coach’s words reminded me of the identity I had the power to master.
The Identity I Practice in the Dark
You see, for three months, I had been doing a very specific mental practice. While my physical body couldn’t do a pull-up or a handstand, my mind was already an athlete who could.
Every night before bed, I would close my eyes and say the affirmation:
“I am an athlete who can do pull-ups and walk on hands.”
I wouldn’t just say the words. I would let the visual form naturally in my mind’s eye — seeing my hands grip the bar, feeling the muscle engagement, experiencing the triumph of the full motion. And then, most crucially, I would tap into the feeling: the confidence, the pride, the pure joy of having that skill.
Sometimes, I used the 369 method: saying the affirmation with feeling three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon, and nine times before sleep. This wasn’t about begging the universe; it was about impressing my own subconscious with a new, dominant story.
The result? The 3D reality is catching up. I can now hold a handstand against the wall for over 20 seconds. And that “halfway pull-up” was a direct download from the identity I’d been practicing in my mind.
From the Gym to Your Greatest Goals
This isn’t just about pull-ups. This is the master key to manifesting anything.
I’ve applied this exact same formula to my work as a writer. For a long time, the identity of the “wanna-be writer” came with baggage: overthinking, fear of publishing, and playing small.
So, I started practicing a new identity:
“I am a financially abundant author.”
When I say this affirmation, I feel a wave of peace and joy in my head and chest. It’s not a feeling of frantic desire, but of a satisfied state of wish fulfilled.
This new identity inspired tangible actions the “wanna-be writer” would never have taken:
Writing and publishing consistently, without overthinking. The abundant author knows their voice has value and doesn’t get bogged down in perfectionism.
Submitting articles to bigger publications. The abundant author plays a bigger game because they know they belong there.
The 3D hasn’t caught up to the full vision of financial abundance yet. But it is responding. Our Medium channel just hit 100 followers — a milestone worth celebrating! Our income from the platform has noticeably increased. These are the “halfway pull-ups” in my author journey, proving the technique is working.
Your Practical Takeaway: Feel It First
The most important takeaway from all of this is simple, yet profound:
To have what you want, you must first become the person who has it.
And the key to that shift isn’t just thinking or visualizing — it’s feeling.
We don’t want the new car, the perfect relationship, or the thriving business for the object itself. We want it for the feeling we believe it will give us: security, love, freedom, joy, peace.
The revolutionary secret is this: you don’t have to wait. You can generate that feeling now.
Want financial abundance? Don’t just visualize stacks of cash. Step into the feeling of peace and security that abundance brings. Feel it in your body. Let it calm your mind.
Want a loving relationship? Don’t just imagine a person. Generate the feeling of being cherished and understood right now, in your heart.
Want better health? Connect with the feeling of vitality and gratitude for a body that is whole and well.
When you live from the feeling of the wish fulfilled, you naturally start to think, act, and make decisions as that person. The 3D world has no choice but to rearrange itself to match your inner state.
This is Neville’s “Truth That Sets You Free.” You are not a passive victim of your circumstances. You are the author of your assumptions, and the master of your identity. Your only limit is your uncontrolled imagination.
So, what’s the “pull-up” in your life? What story have you been a slave to?
It’s time to become its master.
Ready to master your assumptions and shift your identity alongside a supportive community? We dive deeper into these practices daily in our free Skool community, “Shift Your Identity” (SYI). Join us and others who are consciously creating their reality. Click here to join Shift Your Identity for free.