2020 Vision
In October of 2015, as a sophomore in high school, I wrote “I will attend Northwestern University and study journalism” in an entry in my journal. I was beginning to think about my future, and I saw Northwestern as a dream goal. I had no idea the impact of writing a goal to paper would have on my life. Five years later, I am at Northwestern and studying journalism— and while I do not owe it solely to a journal entry that I wrote in high school, I have a strong belief in the Law of Attraction.
This idea was populated in the early 2000s through theory taught by Rhonda Byrne in her self-help book “The Secret.” Byrne defines the Law of Attraction as “like attracts like; what you think about, you bring about.” The Law of Attraction works best when verbalized or tangibly visualized, through manifestation or vision boards. A vision board is essentially a visual bucket list, but it can also be a collection of images or words that inspire you or simply make you happy. While it was only recently that I learned about this psychological phenomenon, it is something I have been practicing for many years.
However, this traditional idea of The Law of Attraction is often criticized by mental health professionals and the general public because its core value comes off as a superficial fix for mental illnesses like depression. Leading psychologists agree that when approached with an ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality that “The Secret” preaches, vision boards can be harmful and the Law of Attraction does not work. In an interview with the Washington Post, psychologist and professor at McGill University, Marilyn Fitzpatrick explained the problem with the way some people approach this version of self-help.
“We don’t know for certain why we see these negative results in the research. But one idea is that when we compare ourselves to others, we stop focusing on who we are and what we can do, and focus on external, material goals,” Fitzpatrick said.
This explanation describes what happens when we create a vision board without acting upon it or incorporating it into our mindsets. The Law of Attraction does not mean that if we think of a material possession for long enough it will magically appear. The idea is to place the thought of attaining a ‘possession’ (or job, lifestyle, etc.) into our daily lives to influence our decision making and routines. The idea of a vision board is to get the positivity out of the depths of your brain and put it somewhere concrete. A vision board can be a more traditional ‘collage,’ but it can also be a picture on the wall or a journal, or anything that makes you feel positive energy.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been turning to my personal outlet for The Law of Attraction quite frequently. While journaling is not a stereotypical route to executing this concept, I have been writing ‘vision board’ entries in my journal since my freshman year of high school. Sometimes I will write about a day in the future, such as envisioning myself running the Chicago Marathon. More recently, I will write an ‘idealized day,’ which basically consists of getting everything done on my to-do list or waking up in a post-pandemic world and hugging someone without worrying about spreading a disease.
Image via Olivia Evans.
Because my version of a vision board has helped me find more inspiration and happiness throughout this otherwise depressing moment of life, I asked a few of my friends to tell me something about their rooms that inspires them or makes them happy.
A Photo Collage: Brook Skiles
A photo collage of various musicians, celebrities, etc. Image via Brooke Skiles.
In addition to her hope that it gives her visitors a little taste of her personality, Brooke Skiles also uses her wallspace as a source of inspiration. She prides herself on finding good music and has an incredible sense of humor– so she included pictures of favorite musical artists and movies. Brooke also vocally adores Kylie Jenner, and keeps photos of her to remind herself of the lifestyle she wants and to bring Kylie’s energy into her daily life.
“It’s basically everything I like and what and who I aspire to be,” she said.
Pieces of Home: Kyndall Hadley & Atim Bedell
Image via Kyndall Hadley & Atim Bedell
Kyndall Hadley and Atim Bedell, Weinberg juniors, both like to keep something that reminds them of home on their walls.
While Atim obviously likes to show her personality off through her room decorations, her Maryland flag is her favorite thing in her room.
“It’s very unique looking and serves as a good accent piece but it also reminds me of my home and family– like a little piece with me,” she said.
Similarly, Kyndall keeps a photocopy of a painting from her grandmother’s house.
Image via Kyndall Hadley
“It reminds me of home and my family and being young,” Kyndall said.
A Tapestry and Mindful Reminders: Missy Aminu
Image via Missy Aminu
After turning to meditation this summer, Missy purchased this tapestry for her dorm room to remind herself to be mindful during times of stress throughout the quarter.
“It reminds me of what my energy should be and also reminds me to think of my chakras and meditate” – Missy Aminu
The Law of Attraction is an incredibly useful tool in maintaining a good mindset throughout your life, but it is particularly helpful in 2020. While this is traditionally executed through vision boards, your mindset can be built into journaling, the way you decorate your space, the shows you watch or the music you listen to. It is so easy to become overwhelmed with negative thinking when the state of the world is so dreary, however, making conscious decisions in what you are consuming, producing and surrounding yourself with will greatly improve your headspace.