This essay originally aired on May 28, 2015.
I believe in The Law of Attraction. If you don’t know what that means, it’s basically, “You are what you think and you attract what you think.”
I embraced this philosophy in the spring semester of 2013. At that time, I knew who I wanted to be, but I didn’t know how to become that person. I was stuck in a career rut. Yes, I was only 22. I had my whole life ahead of me to figure everything out. But it felt like time kept moving, but I wasn’t. I felt hopeless.
But one day I came across a Facebook video of an interview with Will Smith on the “Tavis Smiley Show.” It was about The Law of Attraction. I’d never heard of it, so naturally I went on a research binge.
And what I learned changed my life.
The Law of Attraction states that you attract what you focus on. So simply, you focus on the things you want more of, instead of the things you don’t like. For example, if you always say the world is against you and everything sucks, then the world is going to be against you and everything is going to suck. But by changing your thoughts, you can change the way you interact with the world. And ultimately, life becomes what you make it.
I grew up in a Pentecostal Christian home where I was taught about power in the tongue and how your thoughts can manifest. So unknowingly, I was already well aware of The Law of Attraction. I just needed to put it in motion.
It may seem like an abstract concept to most, but at that confusing time in my life, I had no other choice but to believe.
I started just by writing down what I wanted to do!
I wanted to create documentary films that made an impact. I wanted to tell stories about people from all walks of life. Basically, I wanted to be a millennial Oprah. Once I finished my goal list, the next step was to believe in myself.
I researched film studios, perfected my resume and learned industry lingo. I also emailed producers, directors or anyone willing to give me a chance.
Within the month of using the Law of Attraction, I received the opportunity of a lifetime. I moved to Atlanta for a year and worked on huge movie sets, interviewed amazing people and learned the inner workings of the industry. After leaving Atlanta, I returned to Penn State to finish my degree.
Now, my whole outlook has changed. I’m no longer feel like I'm in a rut. I enrolled into my dream class, landed an internship that changed the way I viewed the world and expanded my knowledge on storytelling.
All of these events wouldn’t be possible if I wallowed in my sorrow and accepted the feeling of defeat.
Now, I see a clear path for my future. I’m confident in my ability to do accomplish all of my goals. This all happened because I believe in The Law of Attraction.
Chanukah Christie graduated from Penn State with a degree in broadcast journalism. She was an intern at WPSU-FM in the spring of 2015. Her goal is to create positive social change through storytelling.
