What if I told you that there’s a way you can get anything you want in life, simply by ~manifesting~ it into existence? That’s the claim of the Law of Attraction, a trending spiritual belief that’s been promoted by tons of social media influencers lately. Now, before I give you any of my personal opinions of the Law of Attraction, here’s what you should know about it:
The premise is that we can use the power of our thoughts to manifest what we desire into our lives. The Law of Attraction (also known as Manifestation) says that we attract the energy that we put out into the world. So, if you’re constantly thinking things like “today sucks” or “I don’t deserve love,” then those thoughts will come true. However, if you are actively thinking and saying positive things, then positive things will happen to you.
The belief system has recently been made popular in the U.S., but it actually stems from ancient Buddhism. It all comes from a quote by Buddha, “what you think, you become.” Essentially, the universe gives to you what you put into it. Sounds a lot like Karma, right?
So, how can you use Law of Attraction to benefit yourself? The theory says that you should follow these steps:
1. Pay attention to what you want in life. If you’re goal is to get a promotion at work, imagine the scenario in which you do. Talk with your friends about how exciting it would be. Write in your journal about it. Speak it into the universe! Tell yourself that you will get the promotion and the universe will answer.
2. Take action. Do everything in your control to get what you want. If you’re trying to get into a certain grad school, it’s obvious that there’s only so much you can do. But, if you actively try your best in addition to practicing manifestation, then the universe will have your back.
3. Become a “vibrational match” for what you want. This is a complicated one, but in simple terms – act like you already have what you want. If you want that really cute person in your accounting class to ask you out, act like they already have. Practice the feelings of gratitude, love, appreciation and joy. If you can obtain those feelings without depending on the out-of-control scenarios to give them to you, then the out-of-control things will fall into place for you.
And those are the core elements of the Law of Attraction! It’s a theory that can be used versatilely, whether you’re meditating, journaling or simply wanting to change your outlook on life.
Even for someone like me, who doesn’t quite believe in the concept of being able to control things out of my power, I still think Manifestation practices could be beneficial. Although this is a very spiritual idea, it seems a lot to me like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT employs the same practices: change your thoughts in order to change your behaviors in order to change your perception of the world. If you’re consciously thinking about being positive and grateful, you’re bound to notice more of the good in your life. Journaling, meditating or even speaking about your desires in life makes you more cognizant of them, which is the first step to achieving them.
So, whether you believe in Law of Attraction or not, thinking positive thoughts and focusing on your goals can only do you well.