Life may be a river whose flow we cannot reverse, and yet within that flow we see that we have the freedom to navigate our course . Near the shore we move slowly and roughly; near the center we move quickly and smoothly. We can humbly accept the bigger things and still actively direct the smaller things. We want to control our destiny, we can and we must, but how?

Here are three techniques to use to manifest the life you desire:

1) Intention

Intend for the everyday things you know you need. Intend for a good parking spot, intend for a good job when you are looking for one, intend for a positive and exciting day. Intend or it will be left to chance.

Remember to be specific when you intend. Mentally outline or visualize what you want. This sharpens the focus of conscious energy upon that selected probable future. Say you want a blue shirt for under 10 dollars, visualize the blue shirt and intend that it be under ten dollars. If you want compensation for the money you just spent on a book, then intend that you be doubly compensated. If you want a safe road trip, then go over potential complications and intend it to be smooth. Whatever your intent be specific while visualizing. The clearer you vision of what you want the easier it is for the universe to provide it. You are projecting your own energy into all possible futures and selecting a particular one to manifest.

Intending is commanding, and when done wisely it is the proper exercise of spiritual power. Over time you'll get better at intending for what is within your place to intend.

2) Request For the more important things, make requests.

Request knowledge and wisdom, request insight, guidance and protection. Request an answer to a puzzling question , request illumination, request that you learn your lessons as smoothly and efficiently as possible, request that you are given the best opportunities for fulfilling your potential. You cannot intend for these because they are beyond your wisdom to accurately specify. Therefore leave their fulfillment to the discretion of wiser forces like your positive Higher self, the Universe, and divine forces.

Be general and earnest in your request, and have faith and patience. By being general you leave the outcome entirely open and thereby allow possibilities to manifest that you could never have imagined.

Requesting is humbly knocking on the door to assistance by wiser forces. Such forces respect freewill and only assist when you request. Never requesting anything keeps you closed off to the abundance around you. Disappointment simply means reality has something else in store for you at another time.

Intending and requesting are two of the most powerful tools we have for shaping our experiences within the framework of destiny.

3)Detach

Just visualize exactly what it is you want and then go do something else. Just like placing an order from a catalog. After intending and visualizing something there must be a temporary period of forgetting before it manifests. If you want a good, parking spot, give yourself enough time to forget about your intent before you get there. If you are intending for a good day, do it when you first wake up and then forget about it. This gives reality some breathing room to reshuffle the time line.

The important thing to remember is that attention freezes the object of attention. So this is why when you 'can't wait' for something it seems to take forever to get to you. The sooner you think something else the sooner reality can get to work. It is best to have patience, and there is no easier way to be patient than to keep yourself busy with other things.

Most people only understand and focus the physical side of life, that getting anywhere takes planning and action. Of course you need to act to get anything done, but direct action is only part of the equation.