I’ve been on a pretty intense journey of self-discovery lately and this theory or principle, whatever you want to call it, has kept popping up in my life. I had heard about the law of attraction before, probably from a viral Facebook video, but I just dismissed it because it was so unbelievable to me and it didn’t line up with my reality. When I recently re-discovered it, I was surprised at how much it resonated with me this time. I suspect that this happened because I was already opening up my mind to the idea that I am the only one responsible for my happiness and that I am the only one standing in the way of it. The law of attraction made me imagine all the potential things that I could experience in my life if I lived it according to this principle. While this “law” can never be scientifically proven, I believe that it’s worth a shot if you’re looking for tools to help you live your best life. The best part of this is that trying it out doesn’t cost any money and it honestly sounds like magic!
What It Is
The law of attraction is a principle that claims that like attracts like. More importantly, this means that positive attracts positive, while negative attracts more negative. It proposes that the entire universe operates according to this principle and that it has an effect on everything in your life, including your thoughts. When you think positively or negatively about something, you are attracting the very thing that you are thinking about into your life, as surely as if you gave it a handwritten invitation. While this may seem impossible, you’ve probably already experienced this effect. For example, you might have experienced a day when you woke up and you stubbed your toe. Then, suddenly, there was no hot water, you were late to work, you spilled coffee on your pants, and everything that could possibly go wrong that day continued to go wrong. You might have just accepted that it was a bad day and that there was nothing you could have done to change it, but that’s where the law of attraction comes in.
Because the universe is governed by this law, it works constantly to make sure that attractions are occurring. Your thoughts are sent out into the universe and the universe conspires to make it happen, regardless of if you want those things to happen or not. When you get out of your bed in the morning and think that it’s going to be a bad day, you are attracting the bad day to yourself. Now this can be difficult to accept because, as humans, we always like to blame our misfortunes on everything but ourselves. However, it is important to remember that it is only once you become aware of the fact that you are doing this, that you will be able to change your thoughts and start manifesting positive and desirable things into your life.
How To Use It
1. Be Grateful
While there may be a lot that you wish to improve about your life, it’s important that you start with a positive energy and take note of what you can be thankful for. This will put you in the right mindset and will help to orient your thoughts in the right direction. This is also important because your desires won’t necessarily manifest right away and it can be easy to feel lost without any instant gratification. In that case, being grateful for what you already have will help to keep you satisfied and hopeful while waiting.
For example, if your goal is to do better in school, start by being grateful that you have the opportunity to go to school. You could be thankful that you can afford school supplies or that you have academic supports like professors and friends that can help you. While it can be difficult to see the bright side of getting a bad grade, taking that experience and being grateful for the chance to learn from it and try again is the best way to attract the grade you do want.
2. Pick Your Goals
This is the fun part! When you imagine your dream life, what’s different? What do you believe will make you a better, happier, or more fulfilled person? Some people say that you need to be realistic with your goals. This is usually just another way of telling you that what you want is impossible, so ignore them! In my opinion, it’s important to dream big but to be realistic by making sure that the goal is in line with who you want to become and that it will truly make a positive difference in your life.
For example, you might be struggling in med school. You might want to ask yourself, “Why is succeeding in med school important to me?” Is it because being a doctor was your dream ever since you were little? Is it because you believe your family won’t love you unless you’re a doctor? Are you doing it to prove something to someone? This is an extremely important step in deciding what your goals are. You have to evaluate your reasons for wanting what you want. If the thoughts behind it aren’t well-intentioned, you’re most likely forcing yourself down a path that’s not meant for you. And, if you can’t come up with a reason at all, you won’t be motivated enough to achieve it and it will not manifest itself.
3. Think About Your Goals Daily
When you have given your desires as much thought as you possibly can, you should create something visual to remind you of your goals. This can be in the form of a vision board, a list, a manifesto, etc. It’s important to physically see these goals frequently to remind yourself of them and the reasons that you want them. If your goals are on your mind all the time instead of hanging out in your subconscious, you’ll be able to get what you want faster!
4. Seize Every Opportunity
Once your goals are on your mind consistently, you’ll begin to want to take action and do smaller things that can bring you closer to that bigger goal. For everything in life, thinking about it can be a start, but it’s not enough. You need to be prepared to do whatever is already within your power, even if it’s just little things.
For example, if your goal is weight loss, there are plenty of small things you can do to bring the goal closer. You might re-evaluate your morning and night routines and decide that you can try to drink more water or go to sleep earlier. You could put together a healthy grocery list. You could go for a walk. There are so many things that you could integrate into your daily life without turning it upside down. The key is to start small and slowly, but surely, you’ll see progress.
5. Live Like It’s Already Happening
Even if your goal seems far away, you can attract it by making the most of what you already have and living like your goal is your current reality. A lot of people say “fake it till you make it” for issues like confidence. Why not use it here? The law of attraction claims that anything is possible when you start from your thoughts because they eventually become your reality.
For example, you could be thinking of attracting your dream house. It might seem ridiculous to live in a tiny, old apartment as if you lived in a mansion but that’s not exactly what the law of attraction means. Try painting your walls if you hate their colour, instead of thinking about how you’ll paint the walls in your future home. Decorate your room however you’d prefer, instead of leaving it plain since your living situation is “only temporary”. When you make moves in the present, the universe will see that you’re putting in work and it will rise up to meet your expectations.
6. Believe
This is perhaps the most important step of them all. None of this matters if you do not truly believe that you can attain your goals. If you don’t have faith in the universe, it will not be inclined to help you. Holding onto limiting beliefs like “Money is hard to come by” or “I’ll never find love” will prevent whatever you desire from manifesting. When you learn to let go of these beliefs and replace them with positive statements like “Money comes to me easily; I always earn more than I spend” and “I have found my soulmate and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with them”, you’ll be a lot more relaxed and open to receiving whatever the universe is sending your way.
If you are interested in learning more about the law of attraction, I highly recommend watching the videos of Sam Ozkural and Lavendaire on YouTube, as well as watching the documentary The Secret which is currently on Netflix. The book You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero also touches upon some similar ideas so be sure to check that out as well.
Happy attracting and good luck!