Intuition or Manifestation?

When someone asked me, “If you were giving a TED Talk, what would be your topic?” the answer came immediately: *intuition or manifestation*. This question has followed me throughout my life, particularly as I look back on my journey, from the quiet woods of Tennessee to the city by the ocean, I now call home. As a small child, I was told I could dig my way to China, so I grabbed my little plastic shovel and got to work. While that hole never reached China, it planted a seed in me—a desire to explore the world beyond my backyard. I’ve always known I was different, with dreams that seemed larger than life. One of the earliest was of a house on a hill, looking out over the ocean. Today, as I sit in my home with a view of the sea, I can’t help but wonder: is this the result of manifestation or intuition? I don’t have a clear answer. What I do know is that I’ve experienced this phenomenon repeatedly in my life—deeply wanting something and having it appear. From vision boards to gut feelings, many of my desires have unfolded in ways that seem almost magical. One of the first big experiences was landing a job that moved me from the Deep South to Southern California. It was a leap into the unknown, but one that felt destined. Then, while walking through my company’s offices, I saw a photo of a man and KNEW he would be my husband. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. That same feeling arose when I wanted to have a little girl—and I did. The most striking example was when we had outgrown our little townhome after our daughter was born. One day, while pushing her in a stroller, I saw a house that felt like it belonged to us. It was a perfect white, two-story house with a beautiful tree in the front yard. Every time we walked by, I imagined us living there. A few months later, a “For Sale” sign went up. I immediately knocked on the door, and a few weeks later, we moved in. 

 After our second child was born, I dreamt of a home with a swimming pool and an ocean view. Today, I’m writing from that very place, a home we remodeled from top to bottom, just as I envisioned. From jobs to homes to family, there are so many moments in my life where dreams and desires have materialized, seemingly out of nowhere. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this. Is it intuition, a deep inner knowing of what’s meant for me? Or is it manifestation, the power of focusing my energy on something until it becomes real? Perhaps it’s both—a dance between the two forces that shape our lives in ways we don’t always understand. 

Now, in my mid-50s, I feel a shift. I no longer focus on material desires, but on something greater. I find myself manifesting a movement towards helping others feel better. I don’t know what that looks like on a vision board, but I do know it feels deeply important to me. My new vision isn’t about what I can take from the world, but what I can give back. Ultimately, I may never fully understand whether this journey is driven by intuition or manifestation. But I’ve come to embrace the mystery. 

My hope now is to leave this world a better place than I found it, living by example and following whatever inner force continues to guide me. Maybe that’s the true magic—living in alignment with both intuition and manifestation, trusting that what’s meant for us will always find its way.