The Coronavirus pandemic is one filled with uncertainty and fear. Being secluded from our friends and loved ones is difficult, almost unbearable. However, something wonderful can rise from the ashes of this miserable situation: growth.

Self-help is a burdensome subject to many, mainly because we are comfortable the way we are, and change is a daunting thing. There is always a concrete difference between who you are now, and who you could be, the only thing in the way is you. One of the most valuable things about our present age is the internet--an endless pit of information. We have the luxury of everything being at our fingertips. It brings with it the perfect opportunity to learn new things in all aspects of life and helps us to challenge the idea that learning only coincides with school. The most invigorating thing about learning is that we can choose the knowledge we want to acquire, knowledge that does not follow an archaic curriculum.

A practice that has helped me is self-introspection and awareness. There are undeniable parts of ourselves that are unfavorable and we try to not think about, and if this is untrue for you, you have my congratulations. Subsequently, internalizing the root of why we don’t like those things leads to understanding, and again, growth. The present is a wonderful time to adopt practices to help us be conscious of ourselves and thought patterns. For example, If you constantly talk down upon yourself and compare yourself to others, explore why, and how you can transform that to self love and acceptance. Sure, some of you reading this will believe this practice is cliche and stupid, and from a person who doesn’t know you at all and doesn’t know what they are talking about. From my personal experience, and past misfortune of contemplating that others opinions of me determine my worth, the only thing that came from it was low confidence and blatant cynicism of myself.

This leads to some topics speaking on blatant negative outlooks on life and all of its extremities. Furthermore, this brings forward the concept that some of you may have heard of, the Law of Attraction. Take the quote “What goes around, comes around”. We can apply this to whatever energy and intent we put into our thoughts, comes back to us within our lives.

The Law of Attraction can be summed up in simplistic terms as, “like attracts like”, this closely resonates with the term “like tend towards likes” noted by the Greek philosopher Plato c.390 BC, as the first law of affinity. In chemistry, the laws of affinity are any of various combining theories or rules for how specific chemical species can combine according to affinity preferences or necessities, according to the Encyclopedia of Human Thermodynamics. During the late 20th century the topic has been re-conceptualized into as we know it, the Law of Attraction.

Additionally, this argument is supported by a study published by Edward R. Watkins at the University of Exeter, titled, “Constructive and Unconstructive Repetitive Thought”. This study states that “repetitive thought (RT) can have constructive or unconstructive consequences. The main unconstructive consequences of RT are (a) depression, (b) anxiety, and (c) difficulties in physical health. The main constructive consequences of RT are (a) recovery from upsetting and traumatic events, (b) adaptive preparation and anticipatory planning, (c) recovery from depression, and (d) uptake of health-promoting behaviors.” This carries the notion that our thoughts transform into our lives consequently in negative or positive circumstances based on our repetitive thought.

In short, the Law of Attraction states that positive or negative thoughts thus translate into positive or negative experiences in one's life. This moreover shows that we are the co-creators of our existence, and the concept of victimizing ourselves and asking the question “Why me?” is a hopeless endeavor to alleviate the pain of our problems. The direct steps of the Law of Attraction are simple and straightforward, and can be found on many external resources that are easily accessible. During this time, we can easily transition into habits that better us, instead of spending our time inside moping about how unfortunate life is. It is easy to lose ourselves in the weight of time and indecision, but we can always start again, and we have time to do it, especially now.

Now is the moment where we decide to become conscious of our actions and who we are, and most importantly who we want to become, all in the security of our own homes. And so, while this outbreak seems never ending, it’s not. As L. Frank Baum said, “Everything has to come to an end, sometime”, and when it does, the only thing that will be left is us, which is the only thing that matters.

Mira Bartolino, class of 2022, is a staff writer for the Dedham Mirror. She enjoys playing soccer, writing, and learning about politics and philosophy. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends and go to the movies.