I first got to know the Secret almost one year ago, from watching the Oprah Show. From that point, I had most of my life been seeing myself as a victim every time things didn’t go as I wanted, and I had always been thought from my family and surroundings to always be prepared for all bad things that can happen. Today, when I think back to when I was young, I had always lived my life by the Secret without knowing it. As a kid I always knew for some reason that whatever I really focused on would happen. I didn’t understand or know anything about this power, and I was scared that it would be “bad” forces, so I tried to avoid using it unless I experienced some sort of emergency that I really needed to think my way out of.

My problem was that I mostly attracted things I didn’t want or didn’t know was bad for me (funny example: I attracted bad eyesight because I wanted to wear glasses, like my best friend did!). My biggest problem was that I most of the time attracted bad people and bad circumstances, and I always asked: why me? You see, in grade school I was always bullied by the other kids and they were so mean to me for many years. And as I grew up, sometimes I was able to experience nice people and circumstances, but it was like a repeating “curse” that I kept meeting people who treated me bad, and bad circumstances that I wanted to get away from.

Here is where my story begins. I am currently a nursing student, and last year (before I knew the Secret) we had an 8 week period of practice at a nursing home for elderly. Most of the other students who worked at the same nursing home as me would be two students working on the same floor, but I was the only student on my floor. The people I was working with were very negative and treated me bad, and they also complained to my teacher about my bad performance, behind my back. I spent a lot of time with my friend after work, and she is a very negative and complaining person (and also a very unlucky person), and I understand now that her negativity rubbed off on me and made that period even worse for me (for that reason I don’t spend so much time with her anymore). At that time, I almost quit my nursing studies, because I thought it was the wrong thing for me.

That was then. Now, I live my life by the Secret, and I have really changed into a very positive, joyful, happy, and truly grateful person. This January, we were having another 8 week period of practice (this time in psychiatry), and I was placed to work in a nursing home again. I was kind of nervous, because I really didn’t want this to be like experiencing my last period over again. I was determined to make this period the best one that I have ever had! I wrote a list of all of the good things I wished to experience at this job, and how I wanted myself to be. On the back of that list I wrote: “This is the best job ever, and I am having the time of my life!” I folded this piece of paper and hid it away, deciding not to look at it again until I had finished this 8 week period. And this truly became the best period I have ever experienced! I worked on the same floor as a fellow student (instead of alone as last time), and we really supported each other and had lots of fun working together. The people we were working with were all amazingly wonderful and positive people, and they really treated us very well. I was amazed at how many Philippine nurses I was working with (I am half Philippine myself). I had wonderful patients who I grew to love, and I did my job very well. The nurses and my teacher were very pleased with my work. I felt deep gratitude every single day, and didn’t let anything distract me from that, not even other students were complaining about their work.

And what really blew my mind was that one of the students in my group (who was working in a different nursing home) was really struggling with the same problems as I had had last year. I really noticed her attitude, that was shouting: “Oh, poor me, all people are so bad to me. I am such a victim!”. That’s how I used to be! I used to be the one with her problems, and now I came to realize that I was probably the one student in my group who was the happiest with their workplace! I feel so happy and grateful, and I know that I was the one who created my wonderful circumstances and people! And I wish for all of my fellow students to be able to do the same. Now, after finishing this period, I looked at my sheet of paper again, and I put a check on all of the things that came true, and of course all of them did! It blew me away, but I was not surprised.

I’ve been living the Secret ever since I first saw it last year, and have attracted so many good things into my life. Now it’s time for me to aim higher, and to use the Secret to create a life beyond my dreams! Thank you so much, Rhonda!