Ask And It Is Given: Learning To Manifest Your Desires

This chapter reinforces the connection between emotions and Source Energy, stating that the presence of negative experiences doesn’t mean that someone has lost their connection to Source. Negative experiences are a natural part of the physical world, and if they are viewed through the Law of Attraction, they should lead to new desires for better experiences. Success comes from focusing on these desires and on positive outcomes rather than dwelling on negative experiences from the past. In general, life experiences create desires, which are in turn recast as requests to the universe.

The act of desiring is part of the asking process, even if the asker is not consciously aware of what they are requesting. The conscious part comes when the person decides to manifest those desires by guiding their emotions toward what they want rather than toward what they don’t want. Abraham advises paying attention to all feelings at all times, especially when unsure of one’s true desire. If something makes a person feel good, it is a sign that the desire is aligned with their vibrational energy and is thus a true, positive desire. If thinking about something makes the person feel bad, even if they think that they desire it, this thing is likely not a true desire, but a belief shaped by past experiences.

In this chapter, Abraham explains how all people are connected to Source energy, claiming that humans are born knowing that they are emotional antennas and can tune in to the vibration of well-being and create their reality based on those vibrations. The physical world, however, can be distracting and confusing, with many different vibrational wavelengths. This can lead to a belief that external circumstances shape reality. To combat this belief, Abraham emphasizes the importance of following emotional guidance, shifting one’s own emotions to make manifestation easier.

The chapter suggests that people often focus on what they fear rather than on what they desire, and as a result, they see the universe as uncontrollable. To counter this belief, Abraham uses a metaphor of a journey from Phoenix to San Diego. When traveling between these two cities, the hypothetical traveler will use maps, directional signs, and other guidance to go the right way. If they get lost, they will use these references to return to the right path; they will not simply wander in the desert forever. While there are many ways to get to a destination, there are also many ways to know if one is going the right direction. Abraham states that manifestation works the same way. By paying attention to their emotions, people will always be on the right path to manifesting what they truly desire.

This chapter connects the individual human experience to the universe as a whole. Abraham describes the universe and everything within it as constantly expanding. This expansion is described as natural and good: ultimately the entire purpose of existence. The process of manifestation is part of this expansion. Every being in the universe is said to manifest their own reality, even if they remain unaware of this dynamic.

When people accept the Law of Attraction and embrace their own ability to shape reality, they can creatively engage in this grand process of universal expansion. By extension, they begin to feel more in control of their own experience.

This chapter expands on the ideas presented in the previous chapter, connecting each human’s experience to that of all other humans and to that of all beings in existence. Because everyone is constantly manifesting their own world, it may appear as if Source Energy sometimes chooses one person’s manifestation over another. Mismatches in manifestation often lead to negative experiences.

Abraham encourages people to accept these negative experiences and use them to help guide future desires. The book also warns that people should not try to repel unwanted things. Because Abraham maintains that energy can only attract, it follows that thinking about unwanted things will only bring these things closer. Instead, anything unwanted should simply be ignored.

To illustrate this idea, the authors employ a cooking metaphor. When baking a pie in a fully stocked kitchen, a chef does not resent the ingredients that are not useful to the recipe just for existing in the same space. At the same time, the chef does not put extra things into the pie that would ruin the recipe, just because those things are present in the kitchen. Instead, they simply leave the non-pie ingredients on the shelf until a different recipe is called for or a different chef has need of them. The authors write that experiences should be viewed the same way. Anything that one person does not want should be left alone, with the understanding that it might be of use to another person or for another purpose.

This chapter discusses intentions, and states that people should approach relationships with other physical beings on the plane of earthly life. Because Source Energy is everywhere and everyone has access to it, every human is constantly pulled in different directions by various attractive energies. A major life challenge is therefore to decide which of these directions to pursue.

Abraham says that a person should not allow other people to use him or her for their own desires. Everyone has the same access to the path of well-being, and people have the ability to manifest their own desires for themselves. However, when someone becomes disconnected from Source, they may begin to believe that others are responsible for their happiness. This mindset negatively impacts the person and others as well. People who rely upon other people for happiness will never truly tune in to their own desired vibrational alignment.

Abraham encourages people to look carefully at the directions in which they are being pulled and to choose only those directions that are satisfying. The chapter ends with a reminder that the simple act of focusing on something makes it a point of attraction. Focusing on the lack of money, poor health, or other negative outcomes will bring the universe’s attention to these things and cause them to manifest. The only way to exclude something from reality is to ignore it.

The law of attraction does not mean that desired achievements and positive outcomes can be reached instantly. Instead, manifestation is a gradual process. The authors illustrate this idea with the example of a friend who advises another to think more positively about something. Abraham admits that if a person is trapped in a cycle of negative feelings, it seems almost impossible to think positively.

Instead of trying to change an outlook all at once, they encourage people to gradually shift their feelings toward more positive emotions. By analyzing one’s feelings and choosing a path that will improve one’s emotions, gradual progress can be made. Viewing the Law of Attraction as a gradual process is said to make it much easier to understand and accept. Abraham asserts that once the process begins, it will become easier over time. As positive feelings build up, they create a closer alignment with universal source energy, leading in turn to more positive feelings.

Expanding on the thoughts from Chapter 18, this chapter discusses why each person must decide what path to following the Law of Attraction is best for them. No one truly knows how another person feels or what their desires might be.

Abraham gives the example of a theoretical attendee at one of their conferences. In the current booking system, the attendee is fully allowed to make their own choices when choosing to buy a ticket; they can find a location and date that aligns with their schedule, book their flight on an airline that gives them travel points, and choose the hotel that they know has comfortable pillows.

However, if Abraham Hicks publications made these decisions for the attendee, they might book the person automatically in their own city, even if the date didn’t work for the person’s schedule. Although this centralized booking system may appear more streamlined from the outside, it would actually make the process more complicated and less desirable. Like the conference booking process, the universe is described as being most efficient and effective when each individual directly uses the Law of Attraction for their own benefit rather than trying to use it to influence others.

This chapter reviews many ideas introduced in the preceding chapters. First, it delivers a reminder that the dissonance of the physical world can distract people from manifesting their desired reality. Specifically, this chapter focuses on the idea that allowing the negative energy of others to influence personal desires can lead people to a reality that they do not truly want.

Abraham states that anything being asked of the universe will be granted, including both positive and negative things. The book claims that emotions can be used to gauge one’s true desires and ascertain one’s own their alignment with these desires. Strong negative emotions about something are an indication that this thing may simply be an assumption about the future borne from past experience.

This chapter also addresses the idea of selfishness. Abraham says that they (and their physical counterpart Esther) are often accused of encouraging selfishness. They explain that selfishness is not a problem in an abundant universe, where there is no limit to what can be brought into existence. The authors once again use real-world examples to illustrate this idea. They point out that a healthy person would never think that their own health comes at the cost of someone else’s, nor would this person wish to become unhealthy so that another person could be well. Overall health is not a zero-sum game; everyone knows that one person’s good health does not cause anyone else’s poor health. According to Abraham, everything in the universe functions this way. One person’s achievement of a goal or desire does not deny another person the same opportunity. Abraham explains that selfishness, in this sense, is actually positive, as it means aligning with one’s true desires and ultimately benefiting the world by creating more positive energy. Manifestation becomes easier the longer one holds onto a desire; the more persistent the desire, the easier it becomes to align with it.

This chapter introduces specific timelines by which the Law of Attraction is said to function. Abraham explains that within 17 seconds of a person having a thought, the universe begins to respond to that thought. After 68 seconds, the manifestation process begins to take shape. This process will continue as long as the individual continues to focus on the desired outcome with positive thoughts, rather than introducing thoughts that might cause negative outcomes. Within a few hours, days, or months, the effects of the manifestation will become visible.

The authors emphasize that the effects of this process are not always immediately obvious. However, the longer a person focuses on a specific desire, the stronger the Law of Attraction will become, and the more likely it will be to be fulfilled. Additionally, as the individual continues to focus on the desire, additional thoughts related to the desired outcome will begin to arise.

Abraham advises people not to worry if they find it difficult to remain focused on positive thoughts for long periods. As long as they continue to monitor their emotional response to each thought and respond accordingly, the general trend of positivity will allow manifestation to occur. Their emotions will guide them toward focusing on thoughts that are aligned with their desires.

In Chapter 22, Abraham explains the concept of allowing the manifestation process to unfold naturally. When people ask the universe to fulfill their desires, the most crucial yet difficult step is to “allow” the universe to bring them into this desired reality—without resistance. Resistance arises when someone doubts the process, worries about it, or tries to control how the universe will grant their wish. Abraham emphasizes that desire must be coupled with trust and alignment in order for the Law of Attraction to work. They state, “Absolute alignment with your own Source Energy means that you know the following: You are free. You are powerful. You are good. You are love. You have value. You have purpose. All is well” (113).

According to the authors, the only thing that can prevent desires from becoming reality is the individual’s own resistance to the process. Abraham suggests that people must let go of their need to “figure it out” or control the outcome. By focusing on positive emotions, they will align with their true desires and will naturally draw what they want into their lives. Abraham also stresses the importance of relaxation. The more relaxed a person is, the more easily they will attract their desires. They encourage people to practice gratitude and focus on current possessions or circumstances that already align with their desires.