Celebrities Who Use Manifestation: Real Quotes and What They Actually Did

Celebrities who use manifestation and the Law of Attraction, in

Wellness Article

An empty theatre stage lit by a single spotlight with red velvet curtains

Many celebrities say manifestation played a part in their success. Manifestation means setting a clear intention, believing it will happen and acting toward it, often using tools such as visualisation, affirmations, scripting or symbolic acts like Jim Carrey’s $10 million cheque. This page collects only quotes that can be traced to a named interview, article or book.

Sourced roundup · Themes: manifestation, the Law of Attraction, visualisation, affirmations and self-belief

Last updated: 10 November 2026

Written by Saj Ali

Reading time: about 9 minutes

How we wrote this article: this article was written by Saj Ali. It includes only celebrity quotes traced to a named, linked source, explains the method each person used and the research on related techniques, and every claim links to its source.

Celebrities and manifestation in brief

  • Jim Carrey. Wrote himself a $10 million cheque for “acting services rendered” and visualised success.
  • Megan Thee Stallion. Said she “already manifested” her Netflix deal.
  • Conor McGregor. Linked speaking his predictions aloud with the Law of Attraction.
  • Muhammad Ali. Said repeating affirmations leads to belief.
  • Common thread. Every one paired belief with hard work.

Contents

  1. Why Celebrities Talk About Manifestation
  2. Jim Carrey: The $10 Million Cheque
  3. Megan Thee Stallion: Manifesting Career Goals
  4. Conor McGregor: See It and Say It
  5. Steve Harvey: Vision Boards
  6. Muhammad Ali: Affirmations
  7. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Create a Vision
  8. Other Famous Names Linked to Positive Thinking
  9. What the Research Says About Their Methods
  10. How to Try Their Methods
  11. Frequently Asked Questions
  12. Key Takeaways
  13. Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
  14. Sources

Why Celebrities Talk About Manifestation

Manifestation has gone from a niche idea to a mainstream one, helped by books such as The Secret and by public figures who credit it with their success. The core idea is simple: get clear on what you want, believe it is possible, and take action toward it. Our manifestation guide explains the full practice.

Celebrity stories are inspiring, but quotes online are often misattributed. This page includes only quotes we could trace to a specific interview, article or book, with a link to the source.

Celebrity Method Source
Jim Carrey Visualisation and a symbolic cheque Fox Business
Megan Thee Stallion Manifesting career goals Billboard
Conor McGregor Visualising and speaking predictions aloud The Irish Times
Steve Harvey Vision boards SteveHarvey.com
Muhammad Ali Repeated affirmations Muhammad Ali Center
Arnold Schwarzenegger A clear vision and goal NPR

↑ Back to contents

Jim Carrey: The $10 Million Cheque

Jim Carrey’s story is probably the most famous manifestation story of all. On The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997, he described how, while still unknown, he would drive up to Mulholland Drive and visualise success, and how he wrote himself a cheque (Fox Business):

“I wrote myself a check for $10 million for ‘acting services rendered’ and I gave myself five years… or three years, maybe. And I dated it for Thanksgiving, 1995, and I put it in my wallet and I kept it there, and it deteriorated and deteriorated.”

Fox Business reports that by 1995, after hits including The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, he was earning at that level.

What he did:

  • Visualised regularly. He pictured directors and people he respected being interested in his work.
  • Made a symbol. The cheque gave his goal a specific amount and deadline.
  • Kept working. When Oprah said visualisation works if you work hard, he agreed: “you can’t just visualize and then, you know, go eat a sandwich” (Showbiz Cheat Sheet).

Read more on our page about Jim Carrey.

↑ Back to contents

Megan Thee Stallion: Manifesting Career Goals

In a 2022 interview with Billboard, rapper Megan Thee Stallion was asked what she was manifesting next. She answered (Billboard):

“Everyday I think of something new that I wanna do and I start to try to leave the breadcrumbs of how I’m gonna do it, but right now, I’m definitely manifesting that I will get these buildings together to open up my assisted-living facilities. I already manifested my Netflix deal, so you will see the results of my manifestations from that.”

Her description is a useful model: think of the goal, then “leave the breadcrumbs” by working out the steps. That mix of intention and planning is close to what goal research recommends. See our guide to SMART goals.

↑ Back to contents

Conor McGregor: See It and Say It

Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor became known for predicting how his fights would end. In 2015, explaining how he did it, he said (The Irish Times):

“If you can see it here, and you have the courage enough to speak it, it will happen. So. I see these shots, I see these sequences, and I don’t shy away from them. A lot of times people believe in certain things but they keep it to themselves. They don’t put it out there. If you truly believe in it, if you become vocal with it, you are creating that law of attraction.”

He pointed to his head as he said “here”. His method combines two techniques: detailed mental rehearsal of specific moves, and public commitment to the outcome. Our guide to visualisation covers mental rehearsal in more depth.

↑ Back to contents

Steve Harvey: Vision Boards

TV host and comedian Steve Harvey is a well-known advocate of vision boards. On his official website, he writes (SteveHarvey.com):

“You see, success starts with a clear vision, and it’s on you to map out every big dream you got.”

A vision board is a collection of images and words representing your goals, kept where you will see it every day. Harvey’s version stresses mapping out each dream clearly, not just collecting pictures. For a step-by-step method, see our manifestation guide.

↑ Back to contents

Muhammad Ali: Affirmations

Long before manifestation was a trend, Muhammad Ali used affirmations to build belief. The Muhammad Ali Center records these words (Muhammad Ali Center):

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”

Ali paired this with intense training. Read the full story in our guide to Muhammad Ali’s self-belief.

↑ Back to contents

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Create a Vision

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book Be Useful (2023) opens with the tool “Have a Clear Vision”. Speaking to NPR about it, he said (NPR):

“If you take some time and create a vision for yourself and create a goal for yourself — and then chase that goal no matter how difficult it may be — life becomes kind of fun.”

He described chasing one vision after another: becoming Mr. Universe, coming to America, becoming a leading man in films and running for governor. In the same interview he spoke openly about losing competitions along the way, a reminder that a vision does not mean every step goes to plan. See how other high achievers use visualisation.

↑ Back to contents

Other Famous Names Linked to Positive Thinking

Other well-known figures have also credited belief and positive thinking:

  • Donald Trump has named Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, as his pastor and an influence. See Donald Trump and positive thinking.
  • Oprah Winfrey hosted the 1997 interview in which Jim Carrey told the cheque story, and has featured many manifestation teachers on her shows.

Many manifestation ideas trace back to earlier writers such as Napoleon Hill, Neville Goddard and Rhonda Byrne. Our guide to the best manifestation books covers the classics.

↑ Back to contents

What the Research Says About Their Methods

The techniques these celebrities describe overlap with well-studied tools.

Technique Celebrity example Research
Mental rehearsal Conor McGregor, Jim Carrey A meta-analysis of 35 studies found mental practice improved performance (Driskell, Copper and Moran, 1994)
Positive self-talk Muhammad Ali Self-talk interventions had a moderate positive effect on sports performance (Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2011)
Clear goals Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Harvey Specific, challenging goals lead to higher performance than vague ones (Locke and Latham, 2002)
Planning the steps Megan Thee Stallion If-then plans had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals (Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006)

The common thread is that every one of these people combined belief with sustained effort. When Oprah said visualisation works if you work hard, Jim Carrey agreed: “you can’t just visualize and then, you know, go eat a sandwich” (Showbiz Cheat Sheet).

↑ Back to contents

How to Try Their Methods

  1. Write a cheque or a note to your future self, like Jim Carrey. Include a specific goal and date.
  2. Make a vision board, like Steve Harvey. Map each dream clearly.
  3. Rehearse in your mind, like Conor McGregor. Picture the specific actions, not just the result.
  4. Repeat an affirmation, like Muhammad Ali. Keep it short and personal.
  5. Leave breadcrumbs, like Megan Thee Stallion. Write the next three steps toward your goal.
  6. Take action daily. Every one of them worked hard for years.

For a fun modern take on bold self-belief, see our guide to delulu manifestation.

↑ Back to contents

Frequently Asked Questions

Which celebrities use manifestation?

Sourced examples include Jim Carrey, who wrote himself a $10 million cheque; Megan Thee Stallion, who said she manifested her Netflix deal; Conor McGregor, who linked speaking his predictions with the Law of Attraction; Steve Harvey, who uses vision boards; and Muhammad Ali, who used affirmations.

What is the Jim Carrey cheque story?

On The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997, Jim Carrey said he wrote himself a cheque for $10 million for “acting services rendered”, dated Thanksgiving 1995, and kept it in his wallet. By 1995 he was earning at that level.

Did Conor McGregor believe in the Law of Attraction?

Yes. In 2015 he said that if you truly believe in something and become vocal with it, “you are creating that law of attraction”.

Does manifestation work for celebrities because they are already talented?

Talent and hard work matter. The celebrities quoted here all paired belief and visualisation with years of effort, which is how research suggests these techniques work best.

How can I manifest like a celebrity?

Choose a specific goal, make it visible with a cheque, note or vision board, rehearse it in your mind, repeat a short affirmation and take daily action toward it.

Are celebrity manifestation quotes online accurate?

Many are misattributed. This page includes only quotes we could trace to a named interview, article or book.

↑ Back to contents

Key Takeaways

  • Many celebrities credit manifestation techniques such as visualisation, affirmations and vision boards.
  • Jim Carrey wrote himself a $10 million cheque dated Thanksgiving 1995.
  • Megan Thee Stallion, Conor McGregor and Steve Harvey have all described their methods in interviews or on their own sites.
  • Every one of them paired belief with years of hard work.
  • The techniques overlap with research on mental practice, self-talk and goal setting.

↑ Back to contents

Explore More on Self Help Supermarket

Use these pages alongside this one:

↑ Back to contents

Sources

  1. Fox Business. What is Jim Carrey’s net worth? https://www.foxbusiness.com/entertainment/what-is-jim-carreys-net-worth
  2. Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Why Jim Carrey wrote himself a $10 million check before he was famous. https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/why-jim-carrey-wrote-himself-a-10-million-check-before-he-was-famous.html/
  3. Lamarre, C. (2022). Megan Thee Stallion talks Flamin’ Hot Super Bowl commercial, manifesting EP with Jazmine Sullivan. Billboard, 3 February 2022. https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/megan-thee-stallion-super-bowl-2022-interiew-1235026694/
  4. Early, K. (2015). Mystic McGregor is now a law unto himself. The Irish Times, 14 December 2015. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/mystic-mcgregor-is-now-a-law-unto-himself-1.2465319
  5. Harvey, S. Next-level vision board: See it, believe it, achieve it. SteveHarvey.com. https://steveharvey.com/next-level-vision-board-see-it-believe-it-achieve-it-steve-harvey-motivational-talks/
  6. Muhammad Ali Center. Muhammad Ali quotes: In his own words. https://alicenter.org/meet-ali/in-his-own-words/
  7. NPR (2023). Arnold Schwarzenegger has one main guiding principle: Be useful. 6 October 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/10/06/1203694351/arnold-schwarzenegger-has-one-main-guiding-principle-be-useful
  8. Driskell, J. E., Copper, C., and Moran, A. (1994). Does mental practice enhance performance? Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 481–492. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.4.481
  9. Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., and Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-talk and sports performance: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(4), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611413136
  10. Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705
  11. Gollwitzer, P. M., and Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601%2806%2938002-1

Self Help Supermarket guides are for general information and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.