Students put power of positive thinking to the test

1785315

If there is one secret that people might not have a problem sharing, it is the power of positive thinking.

Proponents claim the premise has had followers since the time of the United States’ founding fathers and included geniuses such as Einstein.

With the help of Oprah Winfrey and especially through her talk show, a new vigor has set this particular philosophy in the forefront of many Americans’ lives, focused by the multimedia packaging of "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.

The book has spent 17 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. An extended edition by Byrne along with Paul Harrington, the Rev. Michael Beckwith and Neale Donald Walsch is available on DVD.

The theory of "The Secret" is based on the "law of attraction" and describes how people create their own lives by what they focus on.

"Everything that’s around you right now in your life, including the things you’re complaining about, you have attracted," said Joe Vitale, a marketing specialist, in the DVD version. If negativity is the prominent attitude, then negative things are going to happen. People attract happy or harmful events into their lives by focusing on them, he said.

The primary component in following the secret is simply to think positively. "When people start focusing on what they want, what they don’t want falls away," said Jack Canfield, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" in the DVD "The Secret."

There are three main steps to applying the secret into everyday life. First, the universe must be asked for something. Next the individual must believe that his or her request will come true. Third, people must receive their requests.

The philosophy encourages people to live as though the goal already has been met and to experience the emotions they would have if they had achieved the goal. Then the universe is supposed to do its part and bring the goal to fruition.

One point the DVD stresses is that there is more than enough happiness, wealth and love to go around.

"Life can be absolutely phenomenal and it should be," said Bob Proctor, a philosopher who has traveled the world for 38 years trying to help people understand this way of thinking.

But how relative is this law of attraction in the lives of ordinary teenagers?

Teens from Coronado High School decided to put it to the test.

Seniors Shelby Green and Randy Palmer along with sophomore Michaelanne Laurent woke up each morning for about a week and said to themselves, "I am so glad to wake up and start my day. I look fantastic. Today is going to be awesome. I am going to be on time and everything will run smoothly, I can’t wait to get started," along with a personal goal they chose.

The purpose of the quote was for each of the students to start the day off in a positive, encouraging way. The test was to see if they could carry that positive attitude with them and if it had any effect on their week.

Green’s goal was to be more positive and less critical. Green, one of Coronado’s valedictorians and a member of the diving team, was faithful to saying the statement every day and her goal was met.

"My week had a more optimistic outlook," she said. "I was making a conscious effort to improve my day and saying the statement helped me to be more positive."

Palmer and Laurent had a more difficult time remembering to be positive.

Palmer, a member of the Coronado golf team, set a goal to play well at a golf tournament. He forgot to say the statement every day and played poorly. He did not find the week any different from any other, however. When asked if he could be positive all the time Palmer responded, "Never."

As a member of the track and cross country team, a violin player, and a staffer at the Coronado Newspaper, Laurent found it difficult to remember to say the statement every day, but she kept the goal in her mind of accomplishing her work faster in order to catch up on her sleep.

Throughout the week she saw an improvement in her time management.

"I noticed that when I started my day off in a positive way, I was happier and my tasks were easier," Laurent said. "It is not new information that thinking positively will make you happy. I don’t necessarily believe in ‘The Secret,’ but I do believe in being positive."