Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, living in the units or in Enclave, you’ve probably thought at some point during the semester, “What is happening in the world right now? This situation is so wack.” Trust me, I’ve wondered the same on numerous occasions. As a second year student at Cal, I’m able to empathize with each and every one of you.
With that being said, I wanted to share an interesting concept with you that I heard on a recent podcast, Impaulsive Ep 68. The guest speaker was Charlie Rocket, a man who managed to turn his life around from being an unhappy 300-lb millionaire into an accomplished Ironman Nike athlete (2.4 miles swim, 112 miles bike ride, and 26 miles run). During the podcast, Charlie unraveled the secret to his success: quantum physics. Now, before you exit out of this blog after seeing the phrase “quantum physics,” don’t worry! Charlie was able to break it down enough for any person like you and me who aren’t physics majors. The general idea is that each and every one of us are made up of both particles and waves. Due to the ability of waves to be at two places at once, we are all technically connected to our dreams. Therefore, Charlie makes a point to convince himself that he has already achieved all his goals and that time has yet to catch up. This is related to the notion of the Law of Attraction: you get back what you put into the universe. If you radiate positive energy, the universe will return that, and if you put your goals out there into the universe, the universe will work its magic.
Another life hack that Charlie shared was to start a winning streak each day by looking for small wins. “I woke up on time this morning and made some coffee… winning streak!” “I attended my lectures and learned a challenging concept… winning streak!” “The weather is nice and I got boba with a friend… winning streak!” By actively recounting your wins throughout the day, Rocket believes you are making your life frequency more positive and prone to winning. Momentum is the strongest force in the world; by focusing on your winning streak, you are constantly and actively seeking the next win. The idea is to instill a positive mindset that will have a domino effect in all facets of your day.
Despite the pandemic, I urge you to take the initiative to ensure that your semester is as unique and fulfilling as possible. Therefore, I recommend that you take a few minutes to complete this exercise; I personally have done so and it’s helped me maintain my focus during this hectic semester. Take out a sheet of paper, write the title “Quantum Possibilities” at the top, and then start listing out your goals: short term, long term, academic, financial, buying your parents a car, or anything else you want to accomplish. By physically writing down your dreams, you are not only reinforcing them in your mind, but you are also putting them out into the universe. Although you can’t achieve your dreams overnight, you can actively work to manifest your dreams with a positive mindset. If you ever feel discouraged, exhausted, or even stuck, the ASUC has specific resources geared towards helping you succeed. One example is the Financial Wellness Commission, which aims to increase your accessibility to financial resources through workshops and scholarships. The Diversity Affairs Commission (diversityaffairscommission@asuc.org) is another resource that empowers underrepresented groups and guides them to succeed at Berkeley. Lastly, this entire pandemic situation has created additional stress for everyone; the ASUC Mental Health Commission is always there to support you. Achieving your goals is not going to be easy but it’s certainly worth it. I challenge you to take this semester by the reins and utilize it to its full potential.
(Justin Shi, c/o 2023)
