I've been mulling over the intent behind your question and I think you might be being a little unfair to yourself by describing your past approach of "living in a world of my own creation" as though it was a bad thing.

There's nothing particularly real about reality anyway...it's all just a vibrational snapshot in time...so all realities are valid :)

You've already discovered a method for yourself that has worked for you in the past when dealing with painful issues, and I wouldn't dismiss it as an "escape mechanism" just because others here, such as me, use different approaches.

There's a great little phrase (based on a biblical quote, I believe) that sums up nicely an excellent vibrational stance to live your life from...

"Be in the world, but not of it"

In other words, allow the physical world around you to inspire desires to focus upon (because that's the ultimate value of having desire) but then take those new desires and play with them in your own reality in your own unique way.

I don't see it as a bad thing at all that you have been able to shut out the physical world and retreat to your better-feeling world because, really, isn't that what deliberate creating is mostly about? ...making a different reality more dominant vibrationally than your current one, until the current one morphs into something else.

To answer your question in a nutshell, there are two essential requirements to living a continuously joyful/happy life...and it's nothing really to do with the physical "stuff" you have accumulated...

1. Be happy where you are

2. Be eager for more

How you fulfill those two requirements is entirely up to you...there's a gazillion different approaches out there in the world you could utilize.

But if you want to deliberately use the approach of visualization then, as @kakaboo has already said, you've got to enjoy your visualizing. If you're not enjoying it then there is no point doing it because visualizing doesn't create what you want anyway.

In that case, you are better off just finding something else, anything, in your life to be happy about and the physical manifestations will take care of themselves.

Ignoring the bad feelings regarding a manifestation and using visualization to feel better only invites those bad feelings [resistance] to re-surface at another time until they are cleaned up, this is counter-productive because resistance must always be cleared first and foremost, before any visualization exercise is implemented, when a person is engaged in a visualization without having cleared up any or all resistance around a given subject or intention, the visualization is at most ineffective, this is because during the visualization they are consciously aware of the absence of their desire, or they are looking at their desire from a ''future'' perspective which keeps it in a future reality in which it doesn't manifest. Another mistake is believing visualization is the creation process, which causes a person to force themselves to visualize as often as possible believing the manifestation will happen faster, resulting in attachment to a certain outcome, thus ''checking'' and always noticing that the ''stuff'' is not there yet. I've gone through all of this personally a few years ago and the simplest method was under my nose the whole time, dissolving all resistance through practicing the art of letting go and allowing. The biggest impediment with visualization is resistance, as long as it's there the focus cannot be pure, fully felt, or held for long periods of time, there is no pure energy or a positive vibrational match, just mixed signals which are ineffective. After resistance around any given subject is dissolved from the practice of letting go and allowing, a visualization will have more powerful positive momentum behind it, adding more clarity, as well as a pure vibrational match, this is way more effective. Since the desire is created during it's first launch, visualization really isn't necessary, just letting go [releasing] and allowing a desire will bring it's manifestation, however, if you want to truly be engaged and enjoy your visualizations, it is best to clear all resistance first to reap the full benefits of the practice.

Well, I care about what I'm requesting. I don't agree that you can't care whether it comes or not. It's disingenuous. Of course you care! If you didn't, you wouldn't be putting in the request to begin with! I don't believe you have to be coy with the Universe. Put your request in and sit back and watch and wait for it to show up. Have faith that the Universe will deliver it in its own time. Be patient, but keep watching and waiting for it to show up, because if you do, it will!

I think number 2 is causing confusion.

Yes, you cannot live in two realities at once, but ALL realities are just ENERGY.

Be in the Energy you like (Appreciation, Joy, Laughter - NOW) and that will be the reality you keep choosing Now. The external world (physical), will keep reflecting that internal vibe/frequency/energy, giving you the things you want.

You don't even have to worry about the specifics. Relax, let Law of Attraction/God/Source be your Manager.

The Vibe comes first then the physical - find any reason to feel Appreciation, Abundance Now, so that you stay in that energy creating a reality of that energy.

Hi! This is a very late reply but I just found this topic and it is what exactly I am (or I was)! I have been looked up for the solution for a few weeks and I can sum up into these things. I don't know whether these are correct / effective or not but I can feel the power of them that change my thought and my feeling. So I would like to share to you and questers.

For me, i think the reason that you can visualize vividly but you don't get it in reality is because..

1. You don't accept yourself enough - You have to love and accept both good and bad in you. (maybe it is better to use the term 'something that you are not' instead of the term 'bad') You don't realize how good you are and how far you have come yet. You have to love yourself and you situation right now more. If now it is not good as you expect, it is not the end yet.
2. You don't believe in the power within you enough - Maybe you are very happy during the visualization but sad when you come back to reality. This is maybe because you don't believe the power within you right now to link between what you are now and what you want.
3. You have some detachment from what you visualize - I have been visualized for a long time and it happened automatically even before I know that it is called 'visualization' in the law of attraction. But I just found that there is a detachment between the reality and the world I am created. This is maybe because I study acting and all actors know that that is the imagination. - I think visualize is good but you have to feel like you, the real you right now, is in that world. If you think about it separately from the reality like actors, your subconscious won't believe it and then your vibration is still the same as what you are now.

I am just a newbie and this is just what I get from looking around this website for my own solution (Thanks all questers :D) and I am trying applying them. Please comment if there is something needed to be corrected.

Also this topic is posted long time ago, so please share how you are now and what you have discovered along the way :D