What if you could design a life for yourself that would make you happy? That you could create a life you would truly enjoy living? How about if you could use your intuitive abilities to do it? Would you make the simple changes necessary to increase your joy? Would you decide you are worth it?

We are all born with intuition. Being intuitive is part of our human birthright. It is something we are gifted as children but often forget to use as we grow up. We’ve heard of women’s intuition and gut instincts, but how often do you actually use your psychic senses intentionally?

Step 1. Release the Stress

You are not going to get anywhere if you can’t allow yourself to release the stress. Holding onto thoughts and feelings that cause you tension will always be an option, but they will never be a good one. Having the opportunity to let negativity out allows you to open up to positive energy instead. This is the first step to designing your new life.

Let It Go

Go somewhere where you won’t be disturbed for at least 10 minutes. Sit or lay down and relax. Take a moment to focus on your breath. Breathe in. Pay attention to how your breath feels as it travels through your mouth, down into your chest and through your lungs. With every inhalation imagine relaxation flowing through your body. When you exhale allow any tension to be released with every breath. Continue by taking deep breaths in and out until you feel relaxed.

Now, take a moment to think about any negative beliefs you may have about yourself. It can be that you’re not good enough, don’t have enough, are not attractive enough, don’t have enough to offer others, or are not worthy of having a positive relationship. Separate one thought from the rest, one that might be standing out above all else. Now imagine in your hand is an empty red balloon. Put the balloon to your lips and, as you focus on that negative thought, begin blowing it into the balloon. In your mind, repeat your negative belief as you blow. When you feel like it is totally filled, tie it off. Holding it between your thumb and your finger, release the balloon while saying, “I release this negative belief that’s held me back from designing a life I want to live.”

Next, one by one, focus on each negative belief you’ve held onto. Release them individually by blowing them into their own balloons and letting them go. Continue until you have relinquished any hold these negative beliefs had on you.

Step 2. Pay Attention to How It Feels

Our spirit knows when we are moving towards something that our soul needs. It just feels right. When we’re going against our higher good or our higher selves, it feels off. Imagine trying to swim upstream against the current. Think of the effort it takes to cut through the water and struggle against the tide. When we are moving in the wrong direction, everything feels harder. Every step becomes more and more difficult. But when we are on the right path, it feels like we’re moving with the current, and everything seems easier. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have obstacles or pitfalls, but you’ll be able to get through them and see the sunlight on the other side. It will finally feel like you’re going with the flow and at times you even be able to float along without any effort.

Go Swimming!

Using your psychic sense, or clairsentience, you can explore your goals. Again, just take a few deep breaths to begin relaxing. When you are ready, think about something that makes you feel really happy. It might be your kids or your significant other. You may feel extremely happy when you think about a specific location or something you do. Now pay attention to how that makes you feel. How does it make your body feel? How does it feel emotionally?

Next, think of something that makes you angry or sad, or something that just feels wrong. It can be something that goes against your basic sense of humanity or something more personal. Again, focus in on how it makes you feel. How does it feel inside your body? Does it make you feel heavy or light? Does it make you feel overwhelmed or even physically sick? Do you feel nauseated or does it give you a headache? Just take a moment to focus on that feeling.

Think about one of your goals. How does it make you feel? Does it feel light and airy? Does it feel as though you’re weighted down? Do you feel like you are swimming upstream against the current or like you’re going with the flow? Does it make you want to cry? Does it make you want to laugh? When you feel like you have determined what your clairsentience is trying to tell you move on to another goal or dream that you have and do the same thing.

When you are done, revisit your goals and your dreams. Do they still feel like something you want to do? Does it feel like you’re moving in the right direction? It’s alright to decide you want change something. It’s also okay if you’ve determined the way that you thought you were going to accomplish something may not be the best way anymore. You can trust your intuition will let you know what to do.

Design It!

There’s no reason to work harder than you have to. Manifesting means to set into motion the development of something you desire or wish to create. But, manifestation can be a double edged sword. In other words, what you think or believe, is or will be. Simply stated this means if you spend most of your time concentrating on what is wrong you may be bringing in more negative energy. If you direct your energy in a positive way you can bring happiness into your life.

Thought is the easiest way to begin the manifestation process. Thinking about what it is that you want, stating it aloud or even writing it down and then letting it go allows the universe to begin working in your favor. This doesn’t mean you ignore the signs or the solutions being presented to you; you still have to be present in your life and participate in it. You cannot ignore the gentle nudges from the universe that are keeping you on your path to manifest what you want. So, let’s design your life.

Manifest It!

Do you know what you want? Think about the previous exercises and make a decision right now about what you’d like to accomplish or what you’d like to bring into your life. Now is the time to start that process.

Think about one thing you’d like to have, achieve or accomplish. Get a piece of paper and write down what it is you’d like to manifest. Then, step back and read it aloud ten times. By reading it and repeating it, you are stating to the universe exactly what it is that you’d like. When you’ve written down what you’d like to manifest and read it out loud, find a safe place to put your paper. Then let it go. Thank the universe, your guides, your deceased loved ones and all your helpers from the other side for their guidance and assistance in creating what it is you’d like to manifest.

Walk away. This step is hard. We feel as though we need to control the way things happen in order to create the outcome we want. By releasing the control, however, we provide the space for the manifestation process to begin. Give it a little time; you may begin to see signs that you’re on the right path or you may begin noticing you’ve manifested exactly what you want already.

You are now well on your way to designing the life you want using your intuition. Enjoy it and enjoy the process. You can revisit any of the steps at any time if you feel as though something else needs to come into your life in order to create the design you want. You have put into motion the beginnings of a whole new world of opportunity designed just for you.

Melanie Barnum is a practicing psychic and medium. She is the author of five books on psychic ability and manifesting, including her latest, Llewellyn’s Little Book of Psychic Development, and is currently working on her sixth. She is also the creator and producer of an oracle card deck, the Psychic Symbols Oracle Cards. Connect at MelanieBarnum.com or follow MelanieBarnumPsychic on Facebook.