“Act as if! Act as if you’re a wealthy man, rich already and then you’ll surely become rich. Act as if you have unmatched confidence and then people will surely have confidence in you. Act as if you have unmatched experience and then people will follow your advice. And act as if you are already a tremendous success and as sure as I stand here today—you will become successful.”

    —Jordan Belfort, Wolf of Wall Street

Want to add a fun (yet very effective) tool to your Law of Attraction toolkit? You can never go wrong with acting as if!

Here’s a real paradox: we get what we want when we stop wanting it.

This explains the prevalent and annoying phenomenon where someone you like comes running as soon as you stop chasing them. 

Acting as if is one of the most creative and fun tools you can use to trigger the universe to act.

While undoubtedly fun, “acting as if” is more than just a game.

It is one of the most powerful tools that even exhibits the underlying principles of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Acting as if has been proven to help people work through unhealthy patterns and habits.

It is also considered extremely useful in changing beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes.

It has also been used to treat depression and other mental disorders.

In the book “The Game of Life and How to Play to Play It” author Florence Scovel Shinn talked about acting as if as early as the 1920s.

Simply put, acting as if is simply thinking, feeling, and behaving as if you already have something you want or that something you want to happen is already occurring in your life.

Four Easy Steps to Acting As If

1. Act the Part

Acting the part is the first step of utilizing this powerful method. 

Regardless of whatever it is that you would like to manifest—a new house, a partner, a career—you need to physically behave as if you already have whatever it is that you want.

For instance, if you want to be in the medical field, you need to behave like someone who’s already in the medical field.

In addition, if you want to become rich, act like a rich person would.

This is something that will require practice, especially if you are short on cash. 

To become rich, you need to spend happily. 

According to Florence Shinn, “Bills should be paid cheerfully. All money should be sent forth fearlessly and with a blessing.”

2. Speak the Part

Speaking the part requires speaking things into existence. 

Watch how you speak about yourself and your life. 

If it is not aligned with the reality you desire, don’t hesitate to change it. 

When you hear yourself saying “I can’t find a job,” “I can’t lose the excess weight,” or “There are no good men,” immediately replace them with the opposite. 

You also need to speak and react the way you would speak and react once your desire has manifested.

3. Look the Part

This is a crucial part of the process.

You have to remember that if you look the way you want, you will raise the vibration and speed up the creation process.

Purchase clothes that are suitable for the job you want, not the job you currently have.

You can look the part for anything, not just career choices.

The idea is to find clothes that fit the life you want to have.

4. Believe in the Character

Hands down, this is the most important step.

You have to fully believe in the character you are creating. 

Don’t feel guilty about creating another character other than the one you currently have.

Keep in mind that you are merely enhancing traits that are already innate in you.

You are bringing them out while gently and lovingly letting go of habits that are no longer serving you.

Remember: you are already perfect and complete, just the way you are. 

But if you want, you can always take everything to the next level.

The bottom line is this: you can act, speak, and look the part but if you don’t believe it, then you won’t get to where you want to be.

Over to You

With time and some practice, acting as if can help you feel more confident. More than anything, it can help make your visualizations come to life. When acting as if, keep the following important takeaways in mind:

• Let go of any feelings of absence or want and act as if you are already that person you want to become and you already have whatever it is that you want.
• Internalise this technique. Make it a part of you. Believe it with all your heart and you’re a step closer to that reality you want to achieve.