I’m not trying to dismiss all the books, courses, movies and professionals out there who claim they can teach you how to turn your life around and attract the love, the wealth, the success or the happiness that you long for. Some of their methods may be effective, and their fundamental premises are generally sound.

Like them, I am a firm believer that our destiny is in our own hands and that we each have the power to co-create a life of fulfillment and meaning, no matter where we come from. But I also know that this is not a quick-fix problem that can be solved by some magical secret.

Based on what the mystery man taught me, and my study of numerous other approaches, I believe that three essential elements need to be included for effective manifestation. The reason many “law of attraction” teachings and techniques fall short of changing people’s lives in sustainable and measurable ways is that they fail to embrace all three elements. I am convinced that all three of these factors need to be addressed in order for each of us to become a powerful creator.

Digging Deep

Teachings on manifestation sometimes fail to dig deep enough into the subconscious roots of our current patterns of creation. If we don’t effectively unearth the hidden beliefs, habits and behavior patterns that may be blocking our ability to co-create, including the cultural programming we’ve absorbed from the world around us, we’ll constantly be working against ourselves. You can’t transform what you can’t see. And just as the subconscious mind can be the source of our biggest obstacles, it’s also the source of our greatest creative power. Simply encouraging people to “think more positive thoughts” only engages the conscious mind. To become an effective creator, we need to find ways to imprint new patterns and desires into the subconscious mind. In my new book, I guide readers into a new and empowered relationship with what lies beneath the surface of their everyday awareness.

Getting Specific and Practical

Human beings are creatures of habit, and the well-worn paths that our lives follow are habits we have developed throughout our lifetimes. Habits don’t change overnight. Very few of us can just decide that we’re going to change something and then sustain a new behavior without looking back. It takes time and patience to change longstanding habits. And it takes practice. Many manifestation teachings don’t include specific practices to help embed the new habits of thought into the subconscious mind. I help others create a personalized tool for transmitting their desires deep into their subconscious and out into the Universe, calibrating the vibrations to the perfect frequency for success.

Connecting to Purpose

The most important element for creating the life you want is to connect your individual dreams and desires to the greater good of the world in which you live. You are not creating your life in isolation. You are co-creating it with the Universe. Yes, you can have the life you want and fulfill all of your personal longings, but if it’s all about you, ultimately you’ll find that the power to deliver deep fulfillment will be limited.

When we hear words like manifestation, attraction and creation, we often associate them with getting. But the real power of the law of attraction is found when we shift our attention from getting to giving. Generosity, love and service are not afterthoughts — things you think you’ll have time, money and energy for once you get what you want. The energy of compassion is what drives a truly co-creative engagement with the Universe. My book teaches you a method of manifestation that integrates the element of giving from the very beginning.

With these three essential keys in place, you truly can co-create the life of your dreams. Are you ready to get to work? Because it will take work. If you’re ready to experience lasting fulfillment in a world where the odds seem to be stacked against it, you’ll need to dig deep to understand why your dreams seem to elude you. You’ll need to study how the Universe works and learn how to make it work for you. You’ll need to rethink your definition of happiness and root out the unhealthy vibrations of fear and subconscious cultural programming that may be blocking your creative energy. You’ll need to become more sensitive to the vibrations of your own thoughts, feelings, and intentions and to those of the people in your sphere. And above all, you’ll need to be committed, not just to your own happiness or success, but to the greater good of the world.

Because if there’s a “secret” that can change your life, it’s this: We’re all connected — from the smallest living being to the farthest star in the cosmos. Of course, that may be the oldest secret there is. But it remains a secret in that many of us live our entire lives without discovering its true transformative power. You can use this secret to manifest the life of your dreams, but it will also change what the life of your dreams means to you.

I’ve always been a straight shooter, and I won’t promise you anything that I haven’t tried and proven in my own life. I won’t ask you to do anything I don’t ask of myself. I won’t tell you it will be easy — because it won’t. I will tell you, however, that anything is possible. You truly can manifest the life you long for.

Excerpted from The Creation Frequency by Mike Murphy with permission of New World Library. Copyright © Mike Murphy, 2018.