Fate or Manifestation?

The other day my good friend and I were discussions all the information and teachings about manifesting your life. Our current lives, supposedly, is what we have wanted and made of it. And whatever we want, whether it's a car or a job or a bucket of money, can be manifested, perhaps in its/God's/The Universe's own good time, but it will happen.
There is also the "wisdom" that everything happens for a reason, you are where you are meant to be, etc.
That's a real dichotomy I don't understand...yet...and  maybe never will.
I know that manifesting does work, because Doug and I did a vision board months before any thoughts of Denver or publishing a magazine were a twinkle in our brains, and here we are living what we put on the vision board. Did we want all of it? Yes. Did we believe it could happen? Yes. It included happily driving to mountains with sun and following a future of prosperity, happiness, freedom, fulfillment and deepening love between us. While we didn't put on the vision board that we wanted increasingly difficult challenges, I can accept them and that those "opportunities" have made us better people and a better partnership.
So that's funny isn't it? It's where we are in every respect that has been a part of the manifestation but the journey has also been loaded with other complexities...does that mean all that has been fated so we can continue in our manifestation...but we had to learn some wisdom thru these circumstances to get there? I mean, I guess where would we be without differences of opinion, the irregular tide of finances, breakdowns and exhaustion? HA! I think I would be in a better place but I guess you never get to appreciate what you have unless you have had the opposite.
What I do believe is that the universe is always working in our favor, even though plenty of times it never looks that way. I can also say that I don't think we are going to know what's fate or manifestation unless we continue to manifest, and swim with the tide of our lives when it appears not to be what we wanted.
Just two short years ago, I never expected to be living  in Colorado, publishing a magazine and living with a man I adore. I bet next year I can say the same about plenty more things, and in 5 years, I probably won't even believe all the changes that will happen. I just know that I'm going to continue wishing on stars, buying lottery tickets and rolling with the punches, taking one day at a time. Whether you call it fate or manifestation, I'm not sure if matters, but I sure would like to win the lottery.