Negative thoughts are a waste of space, as they do nothing but bring down your energy and cause you to dwell on things that are simply out of your control. Having negative thoughts decreases your motivation and will cause you to just want to lie in bed all day and not do anything. We are what we think and if all we contemplate during the day is all the negative and depressing parts of our lives, that’s what will manifest in front of us. This is simply the law of attraction. 

In basic terms, the law of attraction states that whatever we think about is what will manifest in front of us, specifically, in the form of events that occur in our lives. Our thoughts become our reality whether we like it or not. The good news, though, is that we have the ability to control our thoughts and dictate our actions to help us achieve anything we want in life.  The Buddha is believed to have said the famous phrase,  “We are what we think.” Through this phrase stems the Western notion of “karma,” which is an explanation of our future by our previous actions. 

It was believed that the energy a person gives exudes is the same as what they receive. If a person radiates positive vibes, positive vibes is what they receive. Unfortunately, the same is said for negativity. This makes it more crucial to truly practice being positive in your everyday life. Consider this a workout for your mind. You won’t see any results if you exercise once a month. Only by keeping consistent with your practice will you begin to see a change in your life. 

Celebrities and other influencers often publicly praise the Law of Attraction and how they’ve utilized it to reach their fortunes and fame. Actor and Comedian Jim Carrey is a vocal supporter. In an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011,  he revealed that before being successful, he was a struggling actor with only a few dollars and material possessions to his name. Despite his bleak circumstances, he had a dream of becoming an actor. He wrote himself a check for 10 million dollars and dated it ahead five years. Every night he drove somewhere isolated and closed his eyes, envisioning his life as how he wanted it, including the emotions he would feel when the time had come to cash in on the check. Sure enough, prior to the date of the check’s expiration, he received a ten million dollar paycheck for “Dumb and Dumber.” 

Life is what we make of it and we have the ability and power to make it however we want. It all starts with the mind and shifting towards the belief in ourselves to achieve things that we don’t think are possible for us. If you put a barrier on what you believe, you will never achieve your dreams. However, if you put forth the effort and the right attitude, anything can become your reality. 

Quinn Robinson-Duff is a columnist for Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].