Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
It’s likely we’ve all heard some sort of talk on “the law of attraction,” the whole idea we have this sort of power to attract anything into our lives. This concept proposes positive thoughts attract a positive life and negativity attracts negative, according to Cambridge Dictionary.
It’s not about “magic” — it’s about mindset. It’s the art of aligning thoughts with a desired reality. It’s the process of putting out the same energy what one wishes to be returned to them.
It is easy to view it as wishful thinking or false hope that everything desired will simply appear through thought alone. It is important to not replace the law of attraction with proactive effort to bring those thoughts to life.
The law of attraction isn’t about turning every wish into reality, but about being intentional with thoughts, surroundings and energy toward every aspect of life.
Focusing heavily on the negatives in life often result in a subconscious hunt for more of them.
On the other hand, a strong focus on positives results in a tendency to notice them more often which leads to a more positive life.
That’s the law of attraction in its simplest form. It’s not necessarily the world changing for a person, it’s the person changing how they move within it. Patterns, people and moments start to match with the frequency of a certain mindset.
The law of attraction is often mistaken with blind optimism without action. The law of attraction in its true meaning is not a guarantee that everything someone wants will appear, it’s a reminder thoughts and emotions are active forces shaping how one perceives and responds to the world.
The law of attraction isn’t a cheat code and doesn’t promise perfection and instant success. It simply asks us to become conscious participants in our own mindset.
A study was done at UCLA that compared test scores of students who visualized the outcome of their score versus a group who visualized their outcome and the process it would take to get there. One may assume the students who only visualized a good score received it, attracting that outcome into their lives.
However, the results showed those students scored lower than the other group. This study was looked at by psychologists who concluded that if we engage in a imagined reality or “fantasy,” but don’t actually think about the steps we must take to bring it to life, we end up convincing our brain that we have already achieved it. This type of thinking can actually set us up for failure.
The students had successfully envisioned their grades that they ended up studying far less than was necessary. When the law of attraction is used in this way, one can run the risk of undermining their ability to go out and get something, according to Psychology Today.
I concluded the law of attraction isn’t about lazy delusion. It’s a form of accountability in disguise. If I live with the idea that my thoughts shape my life then every belief is a blueprint.
If the law of attraction is utilized correctly, it becomes a tool that will never fail. The law of attraction doesn’t mean thinking about something will deliver it right to your doorstep, it’s about channeling your thoughts so intentionally that they begin to shape your habits, your choices and eventually your reality.
When someone convinces themselves that things never go their way, they tend to act accordingly — hesitant, doubtful, closed off. Opportunities may come to them but they are too focused on confirming their own disappointment to notice.
On the other hand, when someone quietly expects something better for themselves, they start to move a bit differently. They try, they show up, they spot doors they may have never seen before.
This shift in mindset can change momentum and attract positive change in life. It’s not that optimism magically creates success, it’s that shifting perspectives opens eyes to things that lead to success.
It means believing so deeply in personal direction that action naturally follows. The law of attraction isn’t magic, it’s mental clarity. It doesn’t hand us what we want overnight, it slowly starts to mirror what we believe we deserve.
The law of attraction has never failed to remind me of its presence. Learning how to utilize it has taught me how to turn my motivation into motion.
Everything I’ve received in life — positive or negative — comes down to how my belief in myself told me what I deserved. If I believed I deserved success in something, I channeled those beliefs into action that led me right where I needed to be.
If I believed I wasn’t worthy of something, the negativity I faced within myself blinded me from seeing opportunities that could have served me greatly. Even if I knew the success was far out of my reach, if I had just shifted my mindset, I still would have thrived.
It truly is all about mindset. Our thoughts can either be our worst enemy or our greatest tools. It’s about how we want to use them to attract something worthwhile.
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Contact Eva Shauriki via email: eva.shauriki@pepperdine.edu
