A young man named Evan was thinking about having a good meal and a hot shower as he walked the streets of downtown Denver. Evan was homeless at the time—proving a point to society and himself that he would live his life his way, and his way only.

But not having possessions or a place to stash them didn’t mean he didn’t value a buck. In fact, at this moment in time he thought some cash might be kind of cool. And he knew he was magical.

As he walked and imagined being abundant he noticed something in the bushes at the edge of the sidewalk. He reached in and pulled out a brown leather wallet. There was no identification in the wallet but there was $1000 in cash.

That’s Zen creating. Simple. Natural. Effortless.

There is a reason Evan could create with such ease. It’s not luck—it’s utilizing the law of attraction in a way that results in that seemingly magical result.

Most people still think of the law of attraction as a “sometimes” thing. But the law of attraction isn’t an anomaly. It’s as ever-present as the law of gravity. Gravity doesn’t work “sometimes”—you don’t find yourself periodically floating to the ceiling. A law is a law.

So how can some people be so Zen about creating their desires, while others have to wrestle their dreams into submission (and even then, they still don’t manifest)?

Because some people forget what Zen creators remember. There are ways to create easily, elegantly and gracefully.

Do you want to be a Zen creator? Follow these ten strategies to allow your dreams to bloom:

1.  Get clear

The universe doesn’t respond to ambiguity. Wishy-washy dreams create wishy-washy realities. Who wants that?

You may not know exactly what you want in every area of your life, but you do know the most important thing—how you want to feel. And it’s the feelings that actually create. Get clear on those and get ready for your dream to manifest.

2.  Lighten up

The laughing Buddha isn’t a Zen icon by accident. When you weigh down your dreams by making money, relationships, health, etc. too real, you don’t allow for much magic.

Learning to consciously create your reality should be a fun and exciting process. There is no such thing as failure because every mis-creating is simply feedback to hone your skills.

Laugh along the way and realize nothing is forever. You have unlimited chances to create your desires and anything you can imagine is possible.

3.  Be demanding

This is your life. And you are the one creating it.  When you place an order in the universe, mean it. There is no “meant to be” or “not meant to be.” You’re the one deciding—create with conviction.

4.  Stop checking

When you plant a seed you don’t keep digging it up to see if it is sprouting. Yes, you do care for it—water it, protect it and perhaps feed it. But you don’t stand over it all day wondering if it’s growing. Let it go to let it grow.

It’s the same with your creations. Flow some energy towards your dreams, perhaps change some beliefs, and then let it go.

Check periodically to see if some signs indicate it’s happening, but don’t obsess about it and don’t tie your happiness to whether it manifests or not.

5.  Don’t give it to your ego

Yes, you are a powerful being and can create anything in the world you desire. But that doesn’t make you better than anyone else.  The minute you start thinking you’re special you set yourself up for a fall.

Why? Because Zen power is quiet power. The energy of bragging and better than is a cover for a fear of not enough and less than—better known as self-sabotage.

Own your power and realize everyone on the planet has the same ability whether they use it or not.

6.  Corral your thoughts

Thoughts create realities because feelings come with thoughts (feelings are the actual fuel). Good thoughts make you feel good and thus create positive futures.

Become aware of what you’re thinking and feeling. Know that these energies have the power to create and consciously choose the thoughts and feelings that will create what you want.

7.  Be open to possibilities

Evan’s dream of a good meal and a hot shower could have manifested in other ways—a friend offering dinner and a couch, a shelter outreach person directing him to a bed or even a day job opportunity.

Dreams can manifest in all kinds of forms when you let go of controlling how it “should” happen. Your job is to think, feel, and believe in your dreams. It’s the universe’s job to deliver the reality that’s in alignment with your energy.

8.  This or better

Sometimes a wonderful possibility presents itself and we’re suddenly filled with fear that it might not fully happen. We get a call for a second interview, the perfect house comes on the market or the cute guy asks us out—but what if it all falls apart?

That’s when “this or better” is the place to be (mentally). Maybe the job, house or guy is only a sign, and there is an even better match for you coming soon. Or maybe the original possibility can be all you dreamed it could be. Either way it’s you, not anything outside of you that is in control of your life. Relax. And remember your new mantra—this or better.

9.  Expect it

Getting excited isn’t enough. Imagining the dream isn’t enough either. You need to honestly expect what you want will (absolutely) manifest in your world.

But what if I can’t seem to really expect it?

That is a common problem. It happens to all of us with one dream or another. And it happens because you have beliefs stored in your subconscious mind that are in opposition to you having the dream.

The good news is beliefs can be changed. Every Zen creator worth her salt scours her subconscious mind to discover those beliefs—because once discovered it is easy-as-can-be to change them.

10.  Allow for miracles

Miracles happen when we receive more than we asked the universe for—when the reality that manifests is more than we imagined. How does this happen? It happens when our unseen friends step in and add their energy to ours.

Can we make miracles happen? No, not really—it’s out of our control. But we can ask our unseen friends for them and we can stay open to receiving them.

How?

By feeling gratitude for our unseen friends when things do go better than expected. By asking for their help and guidance regularly. And by expecting things to go magically well for you even if you don’t create “perfectly.”

Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as pretending to be Zen—centered, collected and cool—in order to be a Zen creator. Paradoxically—it does take effort to create effortlessly. But once you apply these guidelines and practice (as every Zen master does) the results will astound you.

Happy creating—and Namaste.