Gen Z and Manifestation Culture

[00:00:06] This is Hashtag GenZ, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how they're different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those who came before them. We explore what they think is cool, what moves them, and why they do what they do. I'm your host, Megan Grace. In this episode, we're diving into a topic that has become a cultural phenomenon, especially among Gen Z, but it's also often misunderstood. Manifestation.

[00:00:33] Whether you've rolled your eyes at the word, embraced it wholeheartedly, or found yourself somewhere in between, manifestation has become a part of the way many young adults think about success, identity, and what's possible for their future. People who engage in regular, positive future visualization, goal setting, and self-affirmation are often more likely to persist through challenges, maintain motivation, and take action toward goals.

[00:00:59] Researchers studying self-efficacy, growth mindset, and cognitive framing continue to find that what we believe about ourselves can shape how we show up in the world and influence opportunities we pursue. But at the same time, younger generations are navigating unprecedented uncertainty from economic instability and student debt to constant digital connectivity and global challenges. Gen Z is redefining what resilience looks like. They're serious about their goals, but oftentimes surprisingly lighthearted in how they approach them.

[00:01:27] They joke through the chaos, they dream boldly, and somehow they keep moving forward. Today's guest embodies that mindset perfectly. Ryan Liu is a creator, podcast host, manifestation educator, and aspiring pop artist whose journey began with a simple desire to work in entertainment. What started as creating content from a childhood bedroom during the pandemic evolved into a thriving platform focused on manifestation, mindset, self-belief, and personal growth.

[00:01:53] Along the way, Ryan has built a community by helping people think differently about possibility with combination of intention, action, confidence, and perspective. In this conversation, we explore why manifestation resonates so deeply with Gen Z. The difference between optimism and toxic positivity. How social media has shaped the way young people think about success.

[00:02:20] Ryan also shares practical ways to build confidence, create meaningful affirmations, stay grounded while pursuing ambitious goals, and embrace what he calls realistic Delulu. Dreaming big while staying rooted in reality. Whether you're a longtime believer, a healthy skeptic, or simply curious about why manifestation has become a powerful cultural force, this conversation offers an insight at how mindset shapes the way we navigate an increasingly complicated world. Let's get into it.

[00:02:53] Well, it is always great to have a conversation with a new friend, and I think that our friend today is going to bring some really good energy. And I'm not talking about waffles. She always brings an energy. But our new friend Ryan Lute is here to chat with us about something that I think is just, we've talked about some heavy stuff. And while there's heavy things in the world, I think Ryan's mindset and approach to thinking about what's going on in the world with Gen Z, and just in general, is going to give us both the energy shift and the mindset shift, because that's really the work that you do.

[00:03:23] So Ryan, welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. Oh my God, I'm genuinely so excited to chat. Hi. Ryan, I've kind of caught up on your work. I'll be the first to say I'm new to the concept of manifesting, so treat this like a blank slate. And I know that you are really the person to go to. But why don't you tell us a little bit about your story, the work that you do, and kind of the journey that got you to where you are today in the space that you work in? Oh my gosh, it was kind of random. Well, I always wanted to be in entertainment, and I didn't really know what that looked like, what that meant.

[00:03:53] I specifically wanted to be in music. I wanted to be a songwriter. So when I was, I want to say 18, I was writing a bunch of songs, and I was Googling, how can I get into sessions? How can I become a songwriter? And I kept getting a bunch of articles saying a bunch of different things. And one thing that came up was like, truthfully, it will be a lot easier for you to get into sessions with people or become a songwriter if you make a name for yourself. And I was like, okay, that feels more realistic to me than just trying to picture myself a million times or whatever.

[00:04:20] So I started making content on social media, and I actually was doing it for a good amount of time. I was making YouTube videos. I hope they're deleted now. I'm actually going to search right after this. But I was making fashion haul and fashion videos. I think that's what I decided my niche was going to be. And they actually performed so crazy well. I don't know why I abandoned that. And then after that, I started posting a lot of Vines. Vine was a thing at the time. I loved Viners. I loved Vines. And then Instagram, I was posting a lot on Instagram. And as I started getting older, I was having less time to do it, etc.

[00:04:49] But then the pandemic Lovato hit, and everyone was quarantined, and no one could do anything. And I was 23 at the time. And I was like, okay, well, I aged out. I didn't make it yet. So this is it. I just need to get a big girl job now. But because everything was shut down, I was like, you know what? I'm going to use this as my opportunity to really just commit to seeing if social media will work out. Maybe it could be a stepping stone or open a door for me to get deeper into a career in entertainment like I've always wanted.

[00:05:15] So I started posting on TikTok, and I was posting everything that was related to me at the time, which was just like anything I was interested in, like me getting coffee or me buying flowers or me going to Home Depot for whatever reason, like me reading poetry or me playing with my dog, whatever. I was just posting every video that I can, making skits. And I just got into manifestation. I had a mutual friend tell me that she manifested free Selena Gomez concert tickets by writing about it in her journal. And I was like, well, I want to see Selena Gomez. So I started getting into manifestation. She taught me how to do it.

[00:05:44] She was just like, write about it as if you already have it in your journal. So I started doing that and things started manifesting. And because that was a part of my life, I was posting videos about it. And those videos started performing really well. People were asking me a lot of questions on how to manifest, which is crazy because I was also actively learning how to manifest at the time. I really had no idea what I was doing, but I did know that it was working. Every little manifestation thing I was doing was working. So I got super deep into manifestation. Then I got really deep into astrology and spirituality and then affirmations.

[00:06:12] And it kind of just became the base of what my content was and then helping me also manifest my life that I'm living right now. And like everything that I have right now and everything I want to have, like it came from manifestation, but also through teaching manifestation online, making TikToks about it, connecting to my community. Yeah, it's been a couple of years now. Now it's 2026. Yeah, six years. That's crazy to think about. Like recalling the beginning of it. I remember being in my childhood bedroom, not having any lighting at all, like being really in a very dark room and just talking to my phone.

[00:06:42] I would prop it on a candle because I didn't have any way to hold the phone up to talk to it. But yeah, and then now I'm here. In some ways you manifested being here. I just need to rewind for a second because I've literally never heard anyone call the pandemic a pandemic Lovato. And now I will think about it for the rest of my life because we were online calling it all sorts of nicknames that had nothing to do with it. So thank you for teaching me that. I can tell already that this is going to be great. I love it. Shout out to Twitter.

[00:07:11] May she rest in peace. Oh my gosh. Okay. So in a weird way, you manifested becoming like you were like, I'm going to entertain people somewhere or the other. And it was an interesting road for you. And I think that it's such a Gen Z tale of like, I don't know, but I'll figure it out. And I've got my, I've got my phone, my laptop and a candle to hold this phone up and I'm going to figure it out. And I think that that's a tenacity that we see a lot with you and your peers. And I just commend you because you knew from the get go, you're like, I will, I will make these people entertained.

[00:07:42] I just don't know how yet. And that's great. Yeah. That was because like, I wanted that. I wanted to entertain. I just found a lot of comfort growing up through being entertained. I was really big into Disney channel and pop stars and music. And I just was so enamored and, you know, starry eyed about Hollywood. And to me, Hollywood is so mythologized and like, it's still, still very much that I live in LA now. And I'm like, you know, right there in the midst of it.

[00:08:10] And it's still so special, magical and heartbreaking to me and everything in between. But yeah, I was just like, I will entertain. I will be seen one way or another. Like I'm going to make it happen. I told myself I was going to give myself the pandemic Lovato to just try. I remember writing on my 24th birthday in August, 2020. I was like, TikTok is going to be the one. I'm not scared of social media anymore. I'm just going to put myself out there. So I did. And thank God I did. I'm so grateful for it.

[00:08:38] Like I'm turning 30 in two months and I'm so grateful that, you know, I did that. Everything came up roses and that it needed to. And it is, I think where we're going to get to this idea of like, sometimes it's just committing to it. Right. Even if it's a little, it's a little bit wild, a little bit wild, but okay. Okay. So while I could probably listen to your story all the time, let's talk about Gen Z a little bit here. And I think that you're, as I mentioned, such a good example of like that Gen Z tenacity,

[00:09:06] but also just kind of looking around and being like, what the heck is going on? How are you seeing that manifestation is playing a role with Gen Z's general viewpoint on success, stability, self-worth, a lot of things that I think young adults grapple with that are big topics. And how's Gen Z approaching that? Because every generation's done it, but if I know anything in my heart about Gen Z is they're going to do it their way. I think Gen Z is approaching it with such a great sense of humor. Like I think they're the funniest generation.

[00:09:35] And I think when it comes to manifestation and generally it comes down to the just being completely delusional, like having the audacity just to own it and owning it for everything they want and being excited, even if it doesn't exist yet, even if there is something that they want, but they're going to speak about it really confidently. And I think that really feeds into this entire generation. I feel like everyone's so delulu and very convicted of what they believe in what they want. And I think that's why it happens for them too. I feel like this generation feels a lot more secure in kind of like what could really

[00:10:04] be possible, especially seeing success stories right in front of them online or with people they look up to or even in their own lives. And I think that's really inspiring. I think the thing about Gen Z and just community in general is like we all just continue to inspire each other with what we have going on, what we're succeeding in. And at least that's the way I like to feel when I think about my friends, when I think about my followers, when I think about people and the things that they're achieving. It's like, look at how genuinely far we've come. It's a lot of reflection too. I feel like Gen Z is also so much more mindful and conscious of everything that's going on in

[00:10:34] the world and themselves and their environment. So I think that makes them so powerful to be able to create the things that they want and they're going to be successful in it because they have this deep conviction that it's going to happen and it happens. As I'm hearing you talk, it's almost, and I observed this of sometimes Gen Z is so seriously unserious about important things, right? So they'll be like, wow, my whole future, like again, like I'm going to have that job. That feels very serious. But then they're going to make jokes about it the entire way. And then they're going to get that job.

[00:11:02] And then they're going to laugh at the person they were three years ago. And I think that there's like a very healthy approach, or maybe I just align with like, to some degree, like the compartmentalization of that, of I'm going to be very serious about unserious things, or I'm going to be unserious about very serious things. And that dichotomy I think is helping them go through a very shaky time. Like I'm older than Gen Z and I can't imagine going through like what feels like this swirling

[00:11:30] chaos of a world at the age that some Gen Z are. And I feel like they're just coping the best they can. They're just doing their best. I think you literally clocked it. It's approaching humor and taking like very serious things and being unserious about it because like, this is the way we have to process it. And this is the world we live in. And I think having a good attitude about it, or at least trying, or at least finding the humor in it makes it easier to digest. And it also makes it a little bit more silly.

[00:11:56] And it makes it feel like it's not as intense and heavy as it really is. Because, you know, there is a lot going on that's super heavy, especially around the world, especially in this country, in our environment. Like there's so much happening all the time. It's actually crippling if you really just focus on it and you're paying attention. Like it's, I think it's easier and better if you just let yourself be mindful of it, but also try to have as much fun and enjoy yourself and your life as much as you can. Because, you know, a lot of things are out of our hands.

[00:12:24] There's a lot we could do, but there's a lot that it's just like, geez, what do we do? Absolutely. And I think my therapist would be very thankful that I'm saying these words out loud. Like sometimes there's just some stuff in our world that feels out of our control. And the best thing we can do is just be like, I'm going to go do that crazy thing that is actually within my control. Like what else am I going to do? And I'm going to make a joke at potentially an inappropriate time because at least I'm going to have a nice time. That's literally my entire thing.

[00:12:50] Like I stress my publicist out so much because I'm so unserious. You should just have fun. It's fun for me if I'm going to, if I'm going to be doing it, I might as well, you know, get a little giggle out of it, a little teehee, you know? Yes. I mean, but if we're not on this earth, but to have a good time, you know, like the humans weren't built for work, in my opinion. But anyways, that's because this is like a real, apparently this is really your nice job. Let's talk really about this idea of manifestation. Again, when I was of a younger age, when I was your age, when I was in college,

[00:13:19] we were not thinking about these words of manifestation. Like it just, again, millennials, we weren't as like, maybe we didn't have the tools. Maybe we weren't like on the trends as much, but we just weren't. We weren't thinking, I'm going to manifest that. It was just like, maybe I'll write it down in my journal. Maybe I will. Maybe I'll get there. I don't know. But why do you think this idea of manifestation, and I feel like it's grown so much outside of what felt like a very Eastern principle of mindfulness into this very central to like, it's online everywhere.

[00:13:47] So why do you think manifestation and this mindset focus is resonating so deeply with younger generations right now? I really attribute a lot of it to social media. I think people really look at things and perception is so important. And if you go on, you know, TikTok or social media, or then people are talking about manifestations or what they've manifested successfully, et cetera, you're going to want to believe that the same way that, you know, my mutual friend was like, I manifested free Salina Gomez tickets. I was like, well, I want free Salina Gomez. Like, it's like that idea. That's like, well, they just did it.

[00:14:17] I saw them do it. Like they said it, like, what do you have to lose by trying? So I think social media really amplifies it and amplifies the voices. And then also when everyone is having their success stories, the more you believe that it's real, the more that you believe that you could do it, the more you're going to do it. And maybe previous generations didn't necessarily have that. Maybe it was in millennials before Gen Z. I think millennials maybe have seen these massive pop stars that were on TV, but you don't necessarily see the work behind it or the practices that they had before they got to whatever point they had.

[00:14:46] But I think with social media, anyone could be famous. Anyone could post a video and be like, I just did this. I manifested this. This is because of this. And the social proof, such a massive aspect of it. And I think, you know, one thing I really, really, really love about Gen Z is the community aspect. And they really, really listen to each other and take everything that they are doing with so much vigor and heart. And I think that's why everyone's getting so into it. Because I agree. I think when I began making videos about manifestation, it felt like such a little niche.

[00:15:14] And now I feel like it's in everyone's vocabulary. It's like, I'm manifesting this. I manifested that. You know what I mean? Like, it's just so rolls off the tongue for everyone now. Well, and I wonder if manifestation just got like, and this is me potentially being blasphemous to your work. But like, did manifestation get this kind of like glow up in the modern trend culture of just really being focused? Or am I missing that? Because to me, I'm like, it's just keeping that thing in the front of your mind, but without like stressing yourself out over it.

[00:15:44] Yes, no. Where am I? Where am I missing it? Because I'm like, is manifestation really just focusing really hard? I don't think you're missing it at all. The way I look at manifestation, while I think there's a spiritual and universal aspect to it, I also believe in confirmation bias. So when I went to college, I started psychology. I think manifestation genuinely is just like the more you put it on the forefront, the more you believe this thing, the more you're naturally inclined to go after it. Because, you know, when people ask me a very realistic question, like what even is manifestation?

[00:16:12] A lot of people, especially Gen Z, are just very much just like, cool, it's magic. Love it. Woo woo. But I also believe in the confirmation bias. If I constantly say, I'm a pop star, I'm going to be a pop star. Like the more you affirm things to yourself and the more you start naturally moving towards it, it might even be subconscious. The more you're just affirming this thing, you're going to make the actions to do it. And that's the other thing about manifestation. It's also aligned action. It's not just saying it, but doing the actions within your power to make it happen. Right?

[00:16:40] So you want to be a TikTok star and you're manifesting a TikTok star, you're going to have to make videos. Right? Like that is what's in your control. And then from there, I would say maybe the rest of the half is letting it be up to the algorithm, the universe to make it manifest. But it is a lot of confirmation bias. It's a lot of paying attention to your own environment and what you're doing to make it happen. You know, I always tell people, yes, believe in it. Yes, work towards it. But also there is the intention of setting that goal. You're going to want to achieve that goal.

[00:17:09] People typically give up on themselves before they see results. And I think that's where people fail. I don't even like using the word fail, but that's where people don't necessarily accomplish what they want yet because they give up a little too soon. Like you got to keep pushing it. Like imagine I'm speaking to myself. Imagine if I gave up at 23 where I was like, well, Noah Beck is so much younger than me and he's so big on TikTok. I give up. I'm not going to try. Then genuine, honest to God, I don't even know where I'd be. I don't even know where I'd be in an alternate universe. I can't even fathom it, but I wouldn't be here.

[00:17:40] So I think it, yeah, it's putting in the front of your mind and doing it, working towards it. And then also letting it happen to like everything goes hand in hand. Everything works out pretty serendipitously, I would say too. Well, and I think it's, it's the, the energy piece of it as you kind of framed it of it, you are putting it out to the universe, but I also think that there's a little bit of work of being it's, it's not just like I wrote this down and now it's going to happen. I think that you have to set up the environment for the universe to provide, which kind of leads

[00:18:09] me to my next question. Cause I think that sometimes there can feel like there's this tension between encouraging this self-belief that like everything that I'm manifesting is going to come true to me. And then the, also the reality of living in a complete, which we'll get to your work, a complete delusion when there are structural realities and challenges that like some people just like, we can't manifest our way out of some of these societal and structural realities of our life. Right. I would love to manifest that someone just takes away my student loans. Right. But I don't know.

[00:18:38] I don't think that's going to happen. I don't, I don't know if it's going to happen. Start journaling about it. We'll see. I promise you like some things that feel so out of reach and unrealistic could be realistic. But on that, on what you were saying in the discourse of what you're saying, I, I agree. There are certain things that like genuinely, like you, I can't manifest being a white person. You know what I mean? I can sit here and probably be like, would my career be more successful as I was doing exactly what I was doing, but I was a white person. Probably. I think about that all the time. Right. So I can't change that.

[00:19:08] And honestly, I wouldn't want to change it. The PR training kicked in. I wouldn't want to change it because I'm so proud to be a queer AAPI creator. A creator. Yes, I agree. There are some certain things that you cannot manifest differently, but it is working within your environment and working with the universe. They go hand in hand. So back to the white person example. Yeah, I'm probably never going to be a white person, but let's say I know that. And I also know that it's like, well, what I will manifest is that we start working with

[00:19:36] the environment to be able to still get the goals I want and achieve the things I want, regardless of whatever the circumstances are. So back to your point about like the student loans. One, I actually do think you could probably manifest someone to pay all your student loans. You'll be shocked. I've manifested crazy things. Oh my gosh. I will teach you. I've seen the craziest things be manifested. I've manifested crazy things, especially when it comes to money and situations, etc. But I think working with the environment and also having your faith, I think it's also really important to be realistic Lulu in your manifestations. Like go ahead and be crazy.

[00:20:05] Be so out there of what you want, but be realistic Lulu about steps to get there. So like, like, let's say manifesting someone paying off your student loans, you know, there are probably some tiers or steps that you can get to there. This is possible. This is real, but maybe starting a little lower than working your way up to it could seem a little more realistic and less daunting than just having, or even just manifesting being able to pay it off yourself. Like who knows? You could come into a lot of money out of nowhere. I've come into a lot of money out of nowhere all the time. And it's so lovely. Yes. I love this. I love it so much. I love this for you. And I love this for me.

[00:20:35] I love where this is turning. Interesting. I, I, yeah, I think that that's the, I'm glad that you're acknowledging that. I also love that you studied psychology, but you don't make that like your most important thing, but it does back a lot of what you're doing because I do think some people look at manifestation and they're just like, so, so it's goal setting. Right. But I work in organizational development. There's a lot of people at companies that write goals that they never come back to. And it's just sitting there on a piece of paper and there's no diminishment of that. But if it's not front of mind, it's probably not going to happen because you're not,

[00:21:03] again, setting yourself up or setting up other people to like welcome that into their life. So your platform, I would love for you to tell us a little bit more about that responsibility that comes with that platform of while, you know, the, the concept of being a Delulu is really cute and fun. There's a responsibility that comes with that, that you're not guiding people down a path of just complete blind optimism. And so where do you balance the responsibility of these positive mindsets of welcoming good

[00:21:30] things into our life with optimism, connection, and belief without being like, let me absolutely stray you down this path where you could potentially like implode your life because you were unwilling to accept reality. A hundred percent. I think it comes through being grounded and rooted. When it comes to your manifestations and being positive, there is such a thing as toxic positivity. And this is where it gets really dangerous because while it's great to be optimistic and positive, you want to have that attitude. You want to be on the higher vibration.

[00:21:59] You want everything to align to you and you want to attract that good energy. Doing it too much and being too in this place could actually be a detriment. So this is where being grounded comes from. And being grounded is putting your feet on the ground and feeling the earth and knowing this is where I am right now. Being rooted in your situations, being rooted in what's going on, but knowing that the path that you're on is not linear. And there are different ways that you can go around things and being really clever about it and seeing how things kind of play out. I believe in the positivity.

[00:22:27] I consider myself a deeply positive person. I believe really good things happen to me all the time because I'm a really positive person. But also it's just knowing where you are and where you're going to go. And also when you are grounded in it, that's where you're not too far removed, too delusional, too much up in space, too in the woo-woo. You need to stay grounded. How do you stay grounded? It's reminding yourself, okay, where might be the situation I am right now? And what's the situation I'm manifesting towards? And just knowing I'm moving towards that. It is mine.

[00:22:55] I'm going to give myself peace, but I'm not going to let myself be super crazy about it. This is a really good example where it's like, oh, well, I'm manifesting being a billionaire. So I'm just going to spend all my money because I'm a billionaire. Well, yes, you could be a billionaire. Definitely. I would manifest that. But also being grounded and to be like, well, maybe that's not the reality, but I'm going to move like it. I'm going to act like it. But it's also mentality versus necessarily having to like empty out your savings because you believe that you're a billionaire, right? You can get there, but you need to stay grounded in where you're coming from, too. Yeah, it sounds like there's this balance of faking it till you make it,

[00:23:25] but not setting yourself up for future ruin, right? You know, like be the person you want to be. Exactly. I think like as adults and young adults, there's a lot of responsibilities that come with it. And people's journeys are so different. And people take their own time to do their own things and giving yourself the grace to be like, OK, maybe not right now, but I'm going to get there. Or yes, it's mine. I believe it's mine. I own it. And I'm going to let myself naturally have it come to me. But it's the affirmation putting in the forefront.

[00:23:53] And the repetition of it really does help a lot, too, because then you keep those goals in your mind. Like you said, you know people who write goals down on a piece of paper or calendar, and maybe they never even return to it. I'm a big fan of vision boards. I have one right behind me right there. It's a whiteboard, but it's just to remind me in my entire office wall in front of me is a bunch of things that I aspire towards or things that inspire me or things that I'm excited about. Keeping it there and reminding yourself, I think that's super important, too. But, you know, staying grounded and rooted is balance. And learning that balance can also be a little tricky, too.

[00:24:23] That's why it's also really important to find people that you trust or creators that you trust or spiritualists or whoever that you're listening to that come from a grounded perspective. Because then I think it could really get sketchy, you know, where it's just like, you know, buy that yacht right now. Money will come back. And it's like, clock it. Money will come back. But maybe let's not buy the yacht right now. Let's really think about it and be mindful about it. I think that's really important. We are pretty much what we consume with the content and the creators that we see and like the things that we see in general.

[00:24:52] So perspective and perception are everything. I appreciate you have such a balance and nuance to both being online and consuming things online and sharing things online. I think that there's a lot of people out there that would say it is hard to strike that balance in your algorithm, right? But beyond just being online, because we know Gen Z is online a lot. I do have a lot of people that are Gen Z that listen to this podcast.

[00:25:18] And then I also have people that are not members of Gen Z, but know them and have them and love them in their lives. So what advice would you have for maybe a few just bullet points? Advice would you have for people that are listening that want to take some of this manifestation and this mindset work? And I know they can go follow you. We'll talk about that in a minute. But what are a few things that people can be doing to start practicing this and letting this into their lives in a meaningful and balanced way?

[00:25:45] The simplest thing you could do, and this is also impactful for you, is just start on working on affirmations. It's just saying nice things about yourself. Start giving yourself the audacity and confidence to go about life and move in the world with this new perception of yourself where it's like, everything is good for me, but also I'm a great person or whatever you feel your affirmations are. That's really easy.

[00:26:09] You could spend, I'm not even kidding, a good 15 seconds of your day and say five good things about yourself or things that you want to be. And we keep repeating it. You do it for 21 days. You make it a habit. Then you're going to start believing it's going to be natural to you. I think honestly, anyone who's new to it or that is such a simple, easy way just affirming those things. And honestly, let's make it even easier. You don't want to affirm it to yourself. Listen to me. Listen to other people saying nice things to you. Like you can just claim it. You can just be like, okay, I heard that. And eventually you're going to believe it. You know what I mean?

[00:26:37] Like call me ugly, maybe seven years ago, I would have had a meltdown. Like call me ugly. Now I'd be like, girl, let's be real. That's an opinion and it's yours. Yeah. Like you get, you have the confidence of a, and it's wrong. And it comes from the affirmations and it comes through like the self, the self coddling and talking, self talk. I actually learned that in therapy. So it's just like making sure you coddle yourself and talk to yourself and walk yourself through things, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I, I don't know when, but I downloaded an app that gives you a daily affirmation.

[00:27:07] It pops up on your widget. And today it said I was a force. I was like, of what? Tell me more. And I know. Everything in nature. Nature. Of like power. Who knows? Power men. We're going to see. I was like, that's a lot to ask of me on a Monday, but all right. Affirmations app. Be the force. Whatever it is. Affirmations app is on it for you. Thank you. I was like, okay, I'll run with that. Thanks so much. Cause sometimes you just need to hear it from random apps or random people that you are feeling. Wherever you get it.

[00:27:36] It's like, that's how I look at it too. When I talk about manifestation, I always say, if someone told me go dance under a full moon in the pouring rain and hop on one foot and spin in a circle and chant this spell, then you're going to get all your wishes come true. And if that's what you need to believe is going to work and go do it. You know what I mean? Like it really comes down to belief, you know? So if you believe you're a force, you're a force period. There's no debating that. No contesting that. We'll see what it turns out. We'll see what it says. We'll see how we feel at the end of the day of what kind of force it is.

[00:28:06] You come off as a force to me right now. This is force. You've been asking really, really good discourse questions. So I think that's a force. Yeah. Good questions. Not lucky questions. That is actually one of like the nicest compliments people give me, not just in podcasting, but like in research or in general, people are like, you asked really good questions. And I was like, great. I paid a lot of money to learn how to ask really good questions. So shout out to my liberal arts education.

[00:28:35] Thank you. I appreciate that. Honestly, it's like, it's like, I do a lot of these and it's so cute and fluffy, which obviously love, but like, I can do the discourse. Like, yeah. I know you can. Tell me that manifestation. That manifestation sounds like a bunch of bull. I'm happy to talk about it. Like I'm well equipped. So like, I'm like, ooh, let's talk. I love that. I would never, I never call it, I never call it experts on their BS, but I'm like, tell me more about that because I am intrigued. And we got to learn that you had a psych degree and there's a lot of science that goes into that.

[00:29:05] So you know how the brain works. So I trust you. I actually did a lot of my success with social media to learning psychology, learning what people look for and what they need and also understanding people on a different level. I genuinely, I think that's how I built a lot of my community and following was learning, understanding like what they're thinking about, what they're seeking out, et cetera, and being able to work with it and nurture that too. So honestly, shout out to my parents, cause I actually didn't want to go to college. I wanted to be a pop star, but they forced me to go to college. And then they were like, well, if I told them if I was going to go to college,

[00:29:33] I'm going to study something I want to study, which was, I guess, psychology at the time, but also shout out psychology too. And college. Sometimes parents. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's not for everyone, but it can be good. I don't think college is necessary at all. You can do anything. No one take career advice from me. Really? Like do whatever you want. I mean, I work in her. I have two degrees in higher education. And my thought on this is that it is not for everyone. But if, if there's a desire to be there, there will be a place for you.

[00:30:03] And for those who don't desire to be there, then I'm like, there will, you will find a path in that. And there's plenty of paths for people. And, and we can get in. That's a whole other philosophical conversation at another time. I'm just thankful that your parents made you go to college because I feel like you're ethically out there doing good for others. And probably not the way that you thought you were going to use your psych degree, but you are using the understanding of the human brain to help people. So random. I, yeah, I had no idea what I was going to do with it.

[00:30:31] Well, I didn't, I didn't, I only imagined myself being, doing exactly this, being on sets or et cetera. So like, I never, I don't even know what I was, I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I had to go to college because my parents made me, but like, you know, I was like, I don't know what I was going to do after. I don't, I have no idea. I graduated in 2020 and that's when my TikTok took off and I was like, thank you God. Cause I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know what I'm going to do. Imagine. I mean, that's again, why do I have to tell you this? You're the manifestation professional.

[00:30:58] The man, the universe was saying you're going to use your psych degree and we're going to shut the whole world down until you figure out this degree. And here we are six years later, six years later. Here we are. Okay. So my last question I asked all my guests, what's one of your favorite things about the Gen Z that you're working with and that you interact with in your content? And I know that you've got your own podcast, but what's like one of your favorite things about you and your peers that, I mean, just makes you happy. They're hilarious.

[00:31:28] It's a good time. Like genuinely people are so deeply unserious, even when it's serious. And that is very much me and my sense of humor and how I go about things and easy to talk to because the Gen Z-isms are so simple. It's like, don't say, say clock it. Don't know what to do. Just like drop a little, a little teehee in there. Or like be like, I don't know. It's just easy. It's just easy to flow with. Like, I think it's silly and fun. It keeps things lighthearted.

[00:31:55] I think my career is a lot of having me, is a lot of me having to enjoy myself. Because if I don't enjoy myself, it's going to show. So it's like, I need to keep it very light and teehee. My, one of my publicists is Gen Z and he's all silly and fun. And that makes it nicer for me. Now that we're talking about it, I don't think I've ever said this, but I really love that a lot of my team are my age or Gen Z or young because it makes it so fun. And I also love watching us grow within our careers and within each other. Get it done. And we're having a good time. And it's silly.

[00:32:25] Teehee. Teehee. I think that we don't work in teehee enough into the everyday zeitgeist. And we need to whip that one around a little bit more. But I agree with you. I mean, Callie, my producer and editor is going to hear this. And she's like, we do not teehee enough. You're correct. But no, it's, it's teehee. She's listening. There will be these moments where I'm like, this is serious, but like, let's also have a good time. Right. And I love when I just, I feel like it's just like fun.

[00:32:53] Like, I mean, not that we shouldn't be serious at all, but like we can do serious, important work without being so serious that we're like in our head and we're at night. And that's, that takes a long, that takes a long time to get to. And so I'm glad that I think that Gen Z is encouraging older generations, younger generations and be like, let's define the difference between serious and important. Because important is different than serious. We can have fun with important. And very few of us do very serious work unless you are literally a surgeon.

[00:33:23] Brian, I've had so much fun talking with you and learning about this on a deeper level. I was a skeptic. Now I'm not. So you changed one heart today, many minds, but where can people follow along with your work? Yeah. You and God, man. Where can people follow you and learn about your work and continue to shape their own mindsets and how they approach life? You can find me across all my platforms at Emotions, E period, M O period, C I O N S. And you guys can also catch the podcast to Lulu with Ryan Liu.

[00:33:52] It is a manifestation based podcast where we talk to a bunch of really cool, amazing, unique guests with their unique perspectives. And it is every Thursday. We have a new episode every Thursday. And I would love to chat more of everyone. If you guys want a little bit more unserious to Lulu Teehee or maybe some psychology degree put into use. It was expensive. So yeah, you can find me there. You can follow the podcast account of you or more of a clip girl. And that's at Delulu BFF. Wonderful. We will make sure to get that in the show notes.

[00:34:22] My music's coming out soon. So please stream. I'm not even going to manifest the tickets. I'm not going to manifest the tickets. I'm just going to buy them. There you go. Thank you. Well, Ryan, it has been wonderful to spend time with you. Hope to see you offline soon and in Nashville. But thanks for shaping up our day a little bit. And I think this is the best time to sign off with a little Teehee. Teehee. Thank you so much.

[00:34:51] Before we wrap up, I want to leave you with a few key takeaways from my conversation with Ryan. First, manifestation is a lot more than just wishful thinking. It's all about keeping your goals visible. Whether that's through affirmations, journaling, or a vision board, the more often you remind yourself of what you're working toward, the more likely you are to take action and move yourself in that direction. Second, confidence is a practice. Ryan talked a lot about affirmations. And while they may sound simple, the way we talk to ourselves does matter.

[00:35:20] Start by paying attention to your self-talk and replacing one negative thought each day with something more supportive and constructive. Third, we got to dream big, but stay grounded. Ryan's idea of being realistic to Lulu was one of my favorite parts of our conversation. It is okay to have ambitious goals, but to pair them with practical next steps. Optimism works best when it's connected to action. And finally, don't underestimate the power of humor.

[00:35:46] Gen Z has absolutely mastered the art of taking important things seriously without taking themselves too seriously. In a world that can feel overwhelming, finding ways to laugh, stay connected, and keep perspective is one of the most powerful mindset tools we have. If you'd like to learn more from Ryan, you can find him across social media platforms at e.mo.tions. Think emotions.

[00:36:10] And check out his podcast, DeLulu with Ryan Liu, where he explores manifestation, mindset, and personal growth with a wide range of guests and perspectives. Now we'd love to hear from you. What's stuck with you? And what are you going to keep thinking about after this episode ends? You can go ahead and share about it on Spotify in the listener comment section. Or you can follow, rate, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. This really does help other people find these conversations and learn along with us. We've been having a blast so far this season, if you couldn't tell.

[00:36:40] And we still have a lot of great episodes on the way. However, we're always looking for timely topics and insightful guests to feature. So if you have a suggestion, go ahead and use the form on our website, strategieswithgrace.com slash podcast. You can also connect with me directly on LinkedIn or on Instagram at Megan Grace to keep the conversation going. I couldn't do this without the Gen Z team behind the scenes who bring this episode to life. This episode was produced and edited by Callie Waters. Thank you again for stopping by.

[00:37:08] Let's continue this conversation and we'll chat soon.