Magnets

“You attract what you are.” Do you...?

“You attract what you are.” Do you...?

Or is that just a polished mantra we repeat without thinking?

It sounds deep...But is it?🤔

What if it’s just a sugar-coated narrative that’s easier to quote than to question?

🧲It's like saying:

🔹️Your challenges are self-made.

🔹️Your pain is your energy’s fault.

🧲We rarely stop to ask where these phrases came from

🔹️What they erase

🔹️What they assume

🔹️Who benefits from them

🧲Because, here’s the thing-

🔹️Positive thinking IS powerful.

🔹️Hope matters. A lot!

🔹️Choosing to see light, even in difficulty, IS a strength!

🧲But let’s not pretend that people who face real challenges aren’t ALREADY doing that!

🔹️Many are thinking positively.

🔹️Doing their best.

🔹️Showing up.

🔹️Trying, again and again- with full hearts and both feet on the ground.

Positivity doesn’t cancel out reality & reality doesn’t mean someone is facing challenges

just because they "did not think bright enough thoughts"...

🧲Also-

🔹️Why do we only say it when someone is hurting?

🔹️Why don’t we use it when someone’s thriving?

🔹️Why don’t we look at joy, love, opportunity, and say:

"You must have attracted this. You must be aligned."

🔹️We only bring it out when something goes WRONG!

🧲That’s not insight.

That’s a quiet kind of blame...dressed as wisdom.

🔹️A spiritual shortcut...

🔹️A tidy phrase used to silence reality.

🧲It’s so easy to repeat something that sounds wise. ( + It also sells....💰)

❓️So here’s a question- just to invite pause:

🔹️Is “you attract what you are” just another way to say: “This is your fault”?

About my artwork - "Magnets":

I created this piece around a single phrase that’s repeated too often and questioned too little:

“You attract what you are.”

🧲The magnet isn’t just a visual metaphor. It’s a form of personal criticism. A reflection of how quickly discomfort is deflected- how easy it is to turn someone’s challenges into a story about their mindset, rather than their reality.

😧Her expression isn’t confusion. It’s clarity. That quiet, sharp awareness of being subtly blamed for things she never chose.

🧲I wanted the magnet to feel absurd on purpose-visually heavy, cartoonish even-because that’s how those phrases can feel when you’re on the receiving end. Out of place. Weighty. And weirdly accepted.

🧲This piece isn’t about rejecting positivity. It’s about grounding it. It’s about questioning what we repeat- especially when it sounds wise, but erases something human.

🧲Some phrases protect comfort, not people.

---

Why These Phrases Stick So Easily?

Short, “wise-sounding” lines spread fast because they give simple answers to complex situations.

They feel tidy.

They feel controllable.

They give the illusion that everything in life can be explained by mindset alone.

But real life isn’t that linear.

People face illness, loss, financial strain, betrayal, bad timing, systemic barriers - none of which are “attracted.”

So when someone repeats this phrase without thinking, they unintentionally reduce pain to personal failure.

Not because they want to harm - but because the shortcut feels easier than real understanding.

The problem is: shortcuts erase context. And context is everything.

---

When “Wisdom” Becomes Blame

The phrase tends to appear only when something painful happens.

Not in moments of success.

Not in joy.

Only in struggle.

And that tells us something.

It’s not being used as insight.

It’s being used as explanation.

And when life is difficult, explanation can quickly turn into blame.

It quietly suggests: “If you had thought differently, this wouldn’t be happening.”

That’s not empowerment.

That’s pressure.

It makes people second-guess themselves instead of supporting them.

---

The Reality Behind Positive Thinking

Positive thinking absolutely has value.

It shapes perspective, builds hope, and supports resilience.

But it was never meant to replace reality.

Or to assume responsibility for everything that happens around you.

Most people facing real hardship aren’t pessimistic.

They’re tired.

They’re trying.

They’re doing the best they can with what they have.

And still showing up.

That is strength.

That is alignment.

That is resilience.

Not failure.

---

Why Questioning Matters

When a phrase is repeated often enough, it becomes absorbed as truth - even if it’s inaccurate.

So questioning isn’t negativity.

It’s clarity.

And clarity protects people.

It prevents emotional shortcuts from turning into emotional harm.

A grounded worldview can hold two realities at once: Life happens to us.

And we still have power in how we respond.

Both can coexist without blaming the person who is already struggling.

---

Reflective Questions:

• Has anyone ever used a “wise phrase” to dismiss your experience?

• How did it shape the way you spoke about your struggles afterward?

• What phrases have you absorbed that deserve to be questioned?

• How do you balance hope with honesty?

• What would support look like, instead of shortcuts?

About My Artwork - Magnets - Symbolism and Themes

This piece was built around the emotional weight of being blamed for your own struggles.

The Magnet:

Integrated into her hair.

Part of her.

Not placed on her - grown into her.

That detail matters.

It shows how deeply these phrases can sit inside us. At some point, they stop feeling external. They start shaping how we see ourselves.

The magnet looks heavy and slightly absurd on purpose. It mirrors how strange and misplaced these “wisdom phrases” feel when they’re handed to someone in pain.

They become a burden disguised as guidance.

Her Expression:

She isn’t confused.

She’s alert.

She knows exactly what’s happening.

Her face captures that quiet shock - the moment someone wraps blame inside spiritual language and hands it to you like a gift.

She feels the accusation beneath the softness of the words.

The Color Palette:

Soft, warm tones surround a heavier symbol.

That contrast reflects how these ideas often work: gentle on the surface, sharp underneath.

It represents the soothing tone of the phrase versus the emotional pressure it creates.

The Concept:

The artwork questions the cultural habit of turning mindset into a measuring stick for worth.

It pushes back against the idea that every hardship must reflect some inner flaw.

The magnet symbolizes how easily people turn someone’s struggles into a narrative of alignment, vibration, or attraction - without considering reality.

It invites the viewer to pause, look deeper, and break the habit of reducing human experience into slogans.

The Message:

This piece isn’t rejecting positivity.

It’s grounding it.

It challenges phrases that seem insightful but end up erasing context, complexity, and humanity.

It asks for nuance, honesty, and compassion that doesn’t hide behind spiritual shortcuts.

Because some phrases protect comfort - not people.

Disclaimer

This blog shares personal reflections on emotional patterns, language, and mindset culture. It is not medical, mental health, or professional advice. If you’re struggling with persistent emotional distress, consider reaching out to a licensed professional.