Celeste+C’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Title of Speech= Be Positive

=Text of Speech=

In July of 2010, after a routine mammogram, all of us in my family were incredulous to discover that my mom was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer; she was convinced that she was going to die. When I first heard the news, my heart started pounding and my brain went into over drive as I contemplated all of the ways this could have occurred and what I could do to fix it. But there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop the cancer, or make my mother’s pain go away. After having surgery to remove her breast, my mother began chemotherapy, followed by radiation; all of which took a toll on her mentally and physically. It was so hard to watch her cringe in pain as she tried to complete simple tasks such as reaching for a cup on a shelf or lifting her arm slightly as she drove the car. As the months wore on, my mom started to become depressed and would often lash out with words at the smallest discrepancy. My father suggested that she talk about how she felt in a local Breast Cancer Support group, but after a few weeks of going to these meetings, we realized that they were doing more harm than good. The women’s stories brought even more negativity into her life, and we were faced yet again with the challenge of figuring out what would help her get better. My mom was then offered a change to participate in a Mindfulness study through UCLA. She did not know it at the time, but after the study, the researchers informed her that she had been in the “treatment group.” This meant she received the benefits of the Mindfulness intervention, which included positive imagery, self compassion, and ultimately reduced her anxiety and depression. By listening to a positive reinforcement CD every night before she went to bed, and changing her way of thinking, my mother was able to get better more quickly and start enjoying the life she was so blessed to have. In her own words, my mother described going through the process of positive thinking as “Seeing the rainbow at the end of a storm.” A common trend I see among my peers is that its seems they have no confidence, or at least that is how they portray themselves. Academically, comments such as “I don’t know this material”, or “I will never get into college after that test,” lead me to believe that students do not have faith in themselves, or their abilities. Just by making these small remarks, people are betting against themselves and thinking in a negative way, which will not help the situation. In fact, a study done by the Mayo Clinic indicated that those who thought in a positive manner, ended up reducing their stress levels, which would be helpful before taking a test or speaking in front of a crowd, like right now. If I came up here with the mindset that I was going to fail, or mess up, I probably would mess up even more than I am now because my stress level would have spiked; but because I have a positive attitude about this speech, that is not the case. Another path I see my peers following is one of negative comments toward their fellow classmates and friends, which I myself am even guilty of. Let me tell you that after staying up half of the night studying for finals, hearing “You look tired,” which everyone knows is just a polite way of saying “Wow you look especially disgusting today!”, is not going to bring up my tired spirits nor put me in a very good mood. And then, for the rest of the day, I will most likely reflect the negativity I have just received on others, which will create a whole cycle of negativity, when we should be enjoying each other and life amazing lives he had been given. This is seen not only with teenagers, but among the entire American population. Ask yourself, when was the last time you watched the news and there was a positive message? Most of what we hear today on the news is complaints, tragedies, potential disasters, fear of terrorist attacks, and only once in a while, you may hear an uplifting, positive story. Instead of focusing on the negatives of a situation, consider doing yourself a favor and looking at life with a positive view. A professor at the University of Pennsylvania by the name of Martin Seligman wrote a book called “Learned Optimism,” which included his research on pessimism and how to cure this ailment. Seligman writes that, “Studies show that... optimists do much better in school and college, at work and on the playing field. When optimists run for office, they are apt to be elected than pessimists are. Their health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most of us from the usual physical ills of middle age. Evidence suggests that they may even live longer.” And don’t we all want to live longer? Tweaking our daily activities ever so slightly could make a difference in our attitudes for the whole day. Eating healthy, nutritious foods, getting exercise, and balancing this with getting enough sleep at night, all are factors that are proven to make people in general feel more optimistic. It is also important not to expect so much out of others so you will not be disappointed if things do not go your way. After studying for a test, remind yourself that you know the material and that your best is good enough. Go out of your way to compliment others, laugh and smile more, slow down, say thank you, and enjoy life! In the America I want to grow old in, I would like optimism to be our new mantra. So smile at yourself, as well as others, and make today a positive day. Thank you.

=Cite Your Sources= Mayo Clinic: Stress Management- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009

__Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life__ -by Martin Seligman