The Power of Unmanifesting

Rohit Sharma had been timing the ball well, Shami was on song, and Kohli had never been more determined. The 2023 Cricket World Cup could not have come at a better time. The Indian team was riding high on form and practice.

In a quiet corner of Kolkata, Abhishek had been manifesting this. An ardent fan of the Indian cricket team, he has been manifesting this situation since 2019. Brick by brick, he visualised each batsman getting into a particular role, each bowler perfecting their wide yorkers. But by 2023, it was too much for God.

God had grown increasingly tired of the constant bitching and interference of Abhishek in his plans. S/he originally wanted India to win the cup, but Abhishek annoyed him more than the pop-up ads. No wonder India faltered at the last step!

Manifestation is the buzzword these days. It has taken over the world by storm. People are manifesting to lose weight, start a business, or get a degree. However, it is all hogwash, a product of the greased wheels of society that wants you to work towards its perpetuation, not your own happiness.

What is even manifestation! Having some goal you think about daily, working to make it happen?

You need to let go of all your aspirational thoughts, rejecting the process of trying to materialise them and embracing a more carefree and spontaneous approach to life. Had Abhishek done it India would be the world champion.

I will tell you why!

We think about a lot of things, ranging from watching POTUS farting on camera to one saving the world from doom. Not all these thoughts need to come true! Many of us are stupid and cannot be allowed to manifest things happening.

There are people amongst us whom evolution has spared so that there is always a scope for improvement. Imagine that guy you met who would not shut up about some Baba, the lady who was adamant Suryakumar Yadav had to be picked in the World Cup squad. Would you really want these human beings to be able to manifest anything, let alone their own independent thoughts? LET US UNMANIFEST!

Besides the stupidity, life should not be planned or determined. Let surprises come to you. Shaun Hick is a famous person because when I googled quotes on spontaneity, I came across one from him – "I may be going nowhere, but what a ride!" I wanted to write this, hence using it bereft of context. You would not believe it if it just came from me. But now we have a famous person saying the same. This should convince you.

Fig: Another famous person agreeing with me

Do not have any direction in your life. Be miles away from any goal. The random events would eventually add up to zero, but you would at least have cool-sounding liners to your credit. Also, let us be honest. Having goals only leads to stress, and stress can lead to many diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes.

Moreover, you could actually pursue whatever you like at the moment without the pressure of goals. You could be playing drums today, writing a book tomorrow, or waking up in the middle of your dreams. Enjoy the ride while you can. Planning it to minutes would just exhaust you. Planning the economy never worked; ask the USSR. Planning trips never worked; ask your friends. Planning fitness never worked; ask the morning alarm. 

Too much planning can also screw in other ways. Some of us, the probationers at LBSNAA, manifested getting selected and putting up a photo from the AN Jha lawns so much so that 2 years from then, we are still getting ourselves clicked there - today, tomorrow, every single day! It's a never ending loop.

So how does one unmanifest? It is pretty simple, actually.

Write a journal. Document all the things you ever wanted to achieve but could not. If you are reading this, it would probably be a long list like mine. Once the documentation has begun, read this journal daily and remind yourself of the futility of manifestation. There is a lot more that you could add to the list. Get on it!

Roll a dice to make all your critical decisions. The randomness you will introduce will unmanifest whatever little progress you have manifested. It is anyway better to not make your own decisions. You will be spared of the accountability, and the decisions would probably be better now.

Look at all the decisions Salman Khan has made - he did not learn acting, did not learn driving, did not learn shooting. To any logical and well-thinking mind, he should not be a superstar he is. But here he is. What is then the point of making informed decisions? Roll a dice, my child!

Another easy way is to read self-help books. They will all talk about a few things, including the power of manifestation. Read them carefully and make a vow to never do them. If you had to structure your life with such precision to live it, perhaps you would be better off living it your own way.

You are in need of a mantra, and I have one for you. UNMANIFEST! Be free of your desires.