“There’s a redemptive power that making a choice has,” actor Will Smith said in an interview. “Rather than feeling like you’re at effect to all things that are happening, make a choice. Just decide what it’s going to be, who you’re going to be, how you are going to do it. Just decide. And then from that point, the universe will get out of your way… for me, I want to represent the idea that you really can make what you want.”
Will Smith pointed out something that all great and inspiring people always preach — the power of our thoughts and their ability to bring to fruition our deepest desires. There is something powerful that we all have within ourselves. Some people label this notion as the law of attraction and others call it manifestation. No matter what you call it, it all leads to the same idea.
Manifestation is the belief that your thoughts and attention toward certain desires can become your reality. If all of the geniuses and greats attest to this, there has to be some truth behind it. Some of those great thinkers and leaders include Albert Einstein who said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions”. There is also Mahatma Gandhi who said, “a man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes,” and Maya Angelou who simply said, “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”
While these quotes go hand-in-hand with the notion of manifestation, they can only go so far.
The magic starts with you.
Vision boards are a perfect way to get started on a journey of manifestation. Getting clear on what you want to see in your life is important, however, do not stop working after you make a vision board because it is only one step of many more you have to walk. You must accompany your vision with trust and action.
I was always told by my parents, teachers and other influential voices in my life that I could do anything I set my mind to. While it may seem cliché, it instilled a mindset in me that is unshakable at this point. Hearing that affirmation continuously while growing up made me actually believe it. The belief that I have the power to determine what I want in life and can make it a reality has served me well up to the current place I am in my life. I can look up from my vision board I created at 14 years old and see many manifestations from what I envisioned in front of me today.
Everyone has the power to bring to life what they envision. It may take time, but all great and worthwhile things do. There is no limitation as to how big you can dream either.
As Abraham Lincoln once said, “To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all, but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and blessing.”
Aaliyah Alexander is a sophomore studying journalism and international studies. Follow her on Twitter @aaliyahdanyell.
