manifest

The word manifest goes back through Old French to the Latin manifestus meaning ‘evident’ and, in legal contexts, ‘caught in the act’.  The earlier form in Latin was manufestus which breaks down into manu meaning ‘by hand’ and -festus a word element of uncertain origin.

This word which has been part of English since Anglo-Norman times has acquired a new meaning in the jargon of life coaches who teach their clients that there is a way for them to fulfil their dreams and become the person they think they might be if they follow some simple steps.  The life coach promises that they can manifest their hopes and ambitions if they wish hard enough.  Part of the process is to be very clear about what they want and try to remove any obstacles in their path.  They need to harness their positive energy and ditch any negative thoughts. After that they just have to believe they can achieve what they set out to achieve, believe it strongly enough to manifest their wish.  Oh and possibly look for signs and signals from the universe.  Do all this and manifestation is a certainty.