Now that college is around the corner for most if not all young adults, students once shook by a pandemic now have to shift their focus on achieving their career goals. As if we thought we had it together already! As an NYC girl, I have always seen myself as a hustler, hungry to advance my career in journalism by having one skill: working hard.

But, when the pandemic rocked my world back in March, all of my plans for networking, holding e-board positions, and making a name for myself on campus were dismantled.

I have experienced what it's like to be in an abyss of declines.

It was hard finding an internship so late in the semester, but through the power of manifestation (hold the supercharged crystals and sage) I have secured not one but two internships this summer.

Manifestation: My Definition

Manifestation to me means conspiring with the universe to create your potential reality. I know, it sounds extra! But it's true, every day you are manifesting things without putting that specific definition onto it. When you anticipate yourself failing a final after studying for one day, when you daydream about the college party happening this upcoming weekend, or when you are scrolling on social media and picture yourself in your favorite celebrity's expensive car.

It's the things you think about that haven't happened yet.

Once you realize that, you can manipulate your thinking for your good, attracting good energy and positive vibes into your life.

When I first began my internship search, I assumed that is was fairly easy to secure a high ranking internship with my "credentials". I had a high GPA, a couple of writing samples, and a decent cover letter/resume. I used tools like Linked In and applied to all the jobs I could find.

But I had a rude awakening when I realized that everyone around me was doing so much more. I remember a day particularly when one of my friends mentioned that she secured an internship after applying to about 50 a day.

My jaw dropped. I was not on Linked in until the sun came up, and I didn't want to be.

Perspective

Having a positive mindset is one of the hardest things to do. It's a conscious decision that you have to make every day, especially when you experience a negative thought. This may sound stupid, but so many times when I was vocal about my rejections from my internships I was told I was being negative, but I actually was fearful. I'm not a negative person, and I don't think you are either.

Most of the time, when you think negatively it's because you are scared and doubtful about the future.

Once I was rejected by the majority of the internships I had applied to, I began to think or manifest negativity. I automatically assumed they didn't appreciate my talent and I didn't want to apply to anymore. To tell the truth, I was embarrassed.

I felt slighted that I wasn't chosen, especially seeing my peers and friends on Linked In be accepted into great opportunities. I was worried that I chose the wrong career path, I wasn't the good writer I thought I was, and that I would have to choose a more practical major.

After you start doing everything right and still get a no, it's only human to start thinking the worst, because you aren't getting rewarded for your positive attitude. The easiest way to have a positive outlook in life is to acknowledge the fear or worry you feel and replace it with something positive.

For me that was positive affirmations, declarative statements that I would say in my head, write in my journal, or say to myself in the mirror every day.

When I was rejected from an internship opportunity at Forbes, I was crushed.

The fear of inadequacy and failure filled up my body like a waterfall, but I acknowledged it and replaced it with you are talented, you are a good writer, you will get an internship. I was literally crying in the mirror and balling up my fists when I received rejection emails when I said those affirmations. They made me feel better because I wasn't just sitting in my fear, but rather expressing that raw real emotion and still beliving (in the face of rejection) for better in the future.

Once I did that, I realized I didn't feel so heartbroken every time I received a rejection email.

I would see it say "welp" and open up Linked in and continue to apply to more jobs. I also began to write more articles for my campus magazine and digital sites to build up my writing portfolio for the potential internship that would soon come my way. I knew that writing was my passion and my positive thinking pushed me to continue doing what I loved even though I wasn't being directly validated for it.

Communication

With journalism falling in the realm of somewhere between writing and media, I have always been a talker. I am very sociable, and I am known for being the loudest/funniest girl in the room. But, when it came to openly express my struggle with getting rejected from internships, struggling to pass class while online, and trying to find a job to support my family at the same time I was hesitant to share.

Before manifestation, I was a big believer in not troubling other people outside of my family with my problems. Although my family emphasized with my frustration and desire for an internship, they weren't in the position to guide me or provide me with career feedback. If you need help or assistance with something, it is in your best interest to ask.

You probably have a really good "nothing is wrong with me" face.

When it comes to achieving your dreams in your specific career, it takes a tribe to get you there. Manifestation works best when you surround yourself with positive people and individuals who are dedicated to helping you become better. I myself had to be candid with my college advisors, deans, and my friends about how I had no leads for a potential internship for the summer.

Automatically, once I reached out I had friends willing to read over my writing, help me set up my own website to showcase my work, and my college advisors sending me connections they know in the industry looking for interns. In metaphorical terms, me communicating with the people around me about what I needed made the universe in turn give me what I desired.

Action

In the words of 2015 aggressive Shia LaBeouf: " Just do It!" Once you practice the acts of mental manifestation the only last step is doing the work. I had to manifest my positive thoughts into reality. It wasn't just enough to think positively but not do the physical work to match.

In order to do this, I had to push myself out of my comfort zone. This is a generic phrase that people use a lot, but what I mean is I did the things in the field of journalism that made me uncomfortable. I would find the managing editor at a magazine and email them for a phone conference on Linked In (just to ask about their career, not a job).

I used my money to attend seminars hosted by media groups like @blackgirlsinmedia and @thewomansnetwork.

I created my own podcast to showcase the passion I had for communications and media. I would also make it a point to use the full extent all of the resources I had, including adding a highlight page for my writing on Instagram, a website portfolio even when I had three articles in it, and send a phone conference email to someone at almost every job I was applying to.

In the beginning, it felt a little excessive and useless.

But, throughout I realized I was learning so much about the industry, networking with people, and creating pieces of work without an internship. As soon as I stopped believing that getting a journalism internship was the green light to start moving like a writer, I was offered two editorial internships. It felt so unreal like I finally got what I had always wanted. But I realized I didn't get what I wanted, I got what I manifested.