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Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal

Why Manifestation Isn’t Just A Trend: How To Manifest - Roxie Nafousi

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

Roxie NafousiguestAli Abdaalhost

Aug 10, 20231h 2mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Introduction and Ali's Skepticism About Manifestation
After the cold open and a long announcement of Ali's own book, Ali welcomes Roxie Nafousi and explains his skepticism, which began when The Secret claimed manifestation could cure cancer. Roxie invites skeptics to read her book.
- •Ali stopped reading The Secret when it turned to curing cancer through manifestation
- •Ali recently began exploring spirituality, including an interview with Tara Swart
- •The episode draws on questions from the podcast's Telegram community
- •Roxie says skeptics are the readers she most wants for her book
What Manifestation Is and Common Misconceptions
Roxie defines manifesting as using the power of the mind to change and create the reality you experience. She says it is an old practice that TikTok has turned into a devalued trend, and she lists the misconceptions that put people off.
- •Manifesting is not new; Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich dates to 1917
- •The trend has devalued the term, and Roxie likens herself to the PR of manifesting doing damage control
- •Misconceptions: it is magical, it is about material possessions, it is only for young spiritual women
- •At its core it is a self-development practice about self-worth
- •You manifest what you subconsciously believe you're worthy of receiving
Roxie's Story: From Addiction and Self-Loathing to Manifesting
Roxie describes her years of addiction, low self-worth and body dysmorphia. A friend's podcast recommendation in May 2018 led her to manifestation, and she says it changed her life and became her career.
- •She fell into addiction at 18 and hit a rock bottom at 27
- •The podcast taught her that self-worth shapes outcomes, so she took responsibility for her life
- •She describes severe body dysmorphia and a constant inner critic
- •Two weeks after starting she met Wade, and their son Wolf was born a year later
- •Manifestation led to workshops, webinars and her seven-step formula
Who Manifesting Is For and the Early Journey
Roxie says manifesting suits anyone who wants positive change, such as a new job, a partner or more confidence. Her own early steps included affirmation playlists and immersing herself in self-help, which she says led her to self-love.
- •It is for anyone wanting to make a positive change
- •Beliefs are repeated thoughts, and neuroplasticity makes them changeable
- •Affirmation playlists work best on waking, falling asleep and in meditative states
- •Roxie says she "brainwashed myself with self-help" and formulated her seven steps
- •Roxie describes self-love as walking into any room as yourself while honoring where you are and where you want to be
Using Affirmations Day to Day
Roxie and Ali discuss practical uses of affirmations. She recommends them for replacing the inner critic during the day, and Ali shares his habit of starting his journal with "Today is gonna be a great day."
- •You can only hold one thought at a time, so an affirmation can interrupt a negative loop
- •Examples include "I will do my best, and that is enough" and "I am calm, I am at peace, I am safe"
- •Affirmations can start the day on a positive note
- •Ali opens his morning journal with "Today is gonna be a great day"
Step One: Be Clear in Your Vision
Roxie walks through the seven steps, starting with step one, which asks for vulnerability and courage to name what you truly want. She explains how clear, authentic goals prime the subconscious to find opportunities.
- •Look at where you want to be in six months, one year or five years
- •Vulnerability and courage are required to be honest about your deepest desires
- •Visualization and vision boards support this step
- •Goals aligned with what you truly want lead the subconscious to seek out opportunities
- •Ali asks how ambitious the vision can be, and Roxie says to ask what you actually need rather than fantasize
Vision Boards, Specific Goals and Outcomes Beyond Your Control
They cover how to tell true desires from what you think you should want and how to make a vision board. Roxie says it should be specific bullet points on physical paper, and she shows how big goals combine energy with action.
- •Journaling and noticing excitement versus anxiety help separate your own wants from others' expectations
- •A vision board is specific written goals by category, not a pretty mood board
- •Ali notes the research on goal-setting supports this
- •Roxie's 2022 board included Jay Shetty's podcast and a Sunday Times bestseller, and all happened
- •Manifestation combines an energetic force with action, though she would not put down winning the lottery
Visualization Meditation and Balancing Desire with Gratitude
Roxie describes guided visualization meditations. Asked about the Buddhist idea that desire is suffering, she says she is against it and explains the sweet spot of knowing what you want while being grateful, then letting go.
- •Use guided visualization meditations, for example before bed, to sink into your future self
- •Roxie rejects the idea that goals are a contract to suffer
- •The manifesting sweet spot is wanting something while being grateful for what you have
- •Roxie says her secret ingredient is letting go of anything she wants and not obsessing
- •Holiday and hiking analogies show the value of enjoying the journey
Steps Two and Three: Remove Fear and Doubt, Align Your Behavior
Roxie explains step two, healing the fear and doubt that hold you back, and step three, taking action as your future self would. Ali observes that the process is evidence-based even without the spiritual language.
- •Fear and doubt are insecurities, low self-worth and limiting beliefs that even stop you from imagining what you want
- •Healing involves therapists or healers plus daily practices like journaling and affirmations
- •Aligning behavior means acting as your future self would, in her phrase "fake it till you become it"
- •There is no substitute for hard work; you can't think your way to success
- •Ali notes that set a goal, face the emotions and act is evidence-based
Step Four: Overcome Tests from the Universe
Roxie describes obstacles as tests of how worthy you believe you are, using a dating example of someone who texts four days after a date. She says her favorite step also covers how you handle rejection and challenges.
- •Obstacles on the way to goals test your sense of worth
- •A date who texts four days later is her example of a test to decline
- •Not settling for less is one part of the step
- •Challenges can be read as proof it won't happen, or as lessons to persist through
- •Roxie believes the universe rewards you after hardship
Steps Five to Seven: Gratitude, Envy into Inspiration, and Trust
Roxie covers the final three steps. Gratitude brings an abundant mindset, envy can be turned into inspiration, and trusting the universe means noticing synchronicities and surrendering.
- •Her mother's Arabic phrase: for every thanks you give, you get 1,000 in return
- •She cites studies on gratitude and wellbeing, including a Joe Dispenza experiment with a 50% immune system boost
- •Envy comes from scarcity; inspiration says you have something and I can have it too
- •Celebrating others' success shows what's possible
- •Trust means noticing synchronicities and believing what you want will come if you do the other steps
Common Manifesting Mistakes and Roxie's Own Goal Review
Roxie says the main mistakes are treating manifesting as a nightly ritual and becoming obsessive or desperate about goals. She describes how she revisits goals and why she is currently enjoying her present chapter, then offers closing words.
- •Manifesting is a way of living, not a ritual to do every night
- •Obsessing over a vision board creates desperate energy that blocks results
- •Roxie reviews goals in a journal about every month or two, sometimes with her team
- •She is currently enjoying a chapter of contentment rather than setting new goals
- •Her closing message is that we have more power to change our lives than we give ourselves credit for

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