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Meaghan Shea Prof. Ingram English 1103 036 4 December 2012 Argumentative Research Essay Do you wonder how you can will yourself to wake up in the morning, or convince yourself to work out after the three p.m. hump of the day? Questions such as these first sparked my research into the realm of positive thinking. The idea that a persons own disposition can affect his or her physical being and overall lifestyle is not a new onepsychologists, medical doctors, and economists alike research the affects of positive thinking on well-being in their respective fields. Yet a holistic opinion on the subject has not been formedI look to research and formulate a more integrated perspective. As the foremost explorers into the mind, psychologists research the affect a persons own thinking can have on his or her psyche. A staple in virtually every 12step and self-help program on the market, personal exploration is a key factor in repairing or training the mind. The textbook definition of introspection is the contemplation of ones own thoughts, feelings, and sensations, which professionals often use in dealing with addicts or psychiatric patients to pinpoint the origin of behavioral problems and specific feelings (introspection).

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Essentially, paying due attention to ones internal dynamic prior to addressing the external. Physicians, among other branches of medical professionals, explore bodily wellbeing, which is often affected by the well-being of the mind. From maladies to chronic issues, traditional doctors are generally thought of as the first line of defense when things go wrong. Sometimes unknown to the patient, physical problems are often manifestations of deeper-lying issues within a persons metaphysical world. However, medical doctorsexcluding psychiatrists concentrate predominantly on the physicality of a particular issue, leaving the more comprehensive explanations for later stages of treatment. The most seemingly unlikely party concerned about dispositions influence on wellbeing are economists, who explore the relationship between mentality and business practices. Training manuals and self-proclaimed guides to success boast that the secret to success is an eye-on-the-prize mentality that keeps you focused on success until you eventually achieve it. Conversely, some economists believe that such positive thinking ultimately caused the housing market crash, through the optimistic spending of loans and hopefulness that the stock market would continue to rise indefinitely. While less direct than the idea of a mind-body connection, these ripple effects lend themselves to the greater meaning of overall wellbeing, expanding to include economic success and financial stability.

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Yet none of these three parties can make reasonable claims without the ethos of research. Psychologists study of the mind has been contributed to and built by case studies, data, and experimentation. Notably, researchers have found a constant level of happiness, consistent throughout a persons life (Melendez, et al.). If a person was happy with his or her life overall as a twenty-year-old, he or she was often just as content as a septuagenarian (Melendez, et al). This theory also works in the reverse, showing us that there may be a constant level of happiness or contentedness throughout a persons life and much of that may be based on personality and disposition. Doctoral medical research has shown similar things about the bodys ability to wear and tear over time. People with more upbeat lifestyles are overall healthier in the long run, avoiding big-time issues like heart disease or cancer. A study comparing mortality rates of English bus conductors to that of their driving counterparts proved that even the relatively low stress exercise of walking up and down the bus lowered their risk for deadly diseases such as coronary heart disease (Shiroma and Lee). No doubt that people on the go, people managing stress, and people living healthily are all in better health and will likely live longer than any given couch potato. The third component to this particular discussion has no medical research to back it up; however, there is a multitude of economic findings that they discuss as evidence. As mentioned, financial stability and healthy workplaces are key

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factors in ones overall wellbeing. Yet, some argue that the promotion of a things will be okay attitude has actually destroyed business and the economy (Ehrenreich). Barbara Ehrenreich argues that if stock brokers, businessmen, and bankers had been less idealistic about money and the economy, and more realistic about the impending bubble burst, the financial situation present would not be so. While obviously the world can only watch in retrospect, her points suggest an interesting view on the appropriate time and place for positivity. Psychological research not only includes emotional and mental factors, but incorporates multiple facets of the body. The biggest link between the mind and the body is the brain, which is an integral part of both. Hormones like dopamine and progesterone are naturally produced by the body and affect both mood and physique (Pania and Gessab). For instance, an increase in progesterone not only makes people feel more jubilant and able but also increases wellness by promoting things like bone density and energy. The ability of psychologists to understand and predict the affects and, more specifically, benefits of environmental stimulus and alterations can allow an average Joe or Jane to consciously improve his or her lifestyle. Once you realize that sunlight can improve your mood by reducing serotonin levels in your brain and decrease your susceptibility to weather-induced depressionSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)youre much more capable of increasing your own health, and ultimately wealth (Neurogenetics Unit). Pushing even further, your

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more empowered to do something to help not only your health, but yourself in other aspects of life. You find yourself with more energy, you are more focused, and you are more motivated to complete tasks. Studies by the American Sociological Association show a direct correlation between personal motivation and health, thus linking the psychology of the brain to the ability of the body. More energy and more motivation generally overflow into all areas of a persons life. A feeling of personal control over ones life leads to feelings of control over ones health, and such an internal locus of control promotes wellbeing (Seeman and Seeman). This theory works in reverse as well, the lower the level of control a person feel he or she has over his or her health, the lower the level of wellbeing he or she possessesthis is shown extensively by the depression commonly associated with chronic or terminal diseases. Psychology explains a humans basic needs as food, shelter, clothing, and sex (Maslow). However, to provide the former three of that list, one needs the monetary ability to acquire them. Such action requires money, and one usually yields money from economic success. Thus, a functional economy is necessary. Rhonda Byrne argues that positive regard is necessary to excel in all relationshipspersonal and professional. Optimism is hailed as a fundamental skill in business, as well as other aspects of life. An eye on the prize mentality is a desirable aspect in business, sales or otherwise. Among infinite clichs hinting at a

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no-quit attitude, statistically the odds favor repeated attempts, even in hit-or-miss situations. Positive, yet realistic idealism is necessary, I believe, to be truly successful. Even ignoring the idea that happiness is a key factor in feeling truly successful, a positive attitude lends itself to a healthy mind, in turn leading to a healthier body and a more successful life economicaleventually, overall. From my research, I conclude that, while success and happiness are certainly possible otherwise, positivity is a key ingredient in the recipe for a high degree of wellbeing in aspects of life.

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Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. New York: Metropolitan, 2009. Print. "introspection." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 03 Dec. 2012. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc., 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. Melendez, Juan C., Jose M. Tomas, Amparo Oliver, and Esparanza Navarro. "Psychological and Physical Dimensions Explaining Life Satisfaction among the Elderly: A Structural Model Examination." Elsevier 48.3 (2009): 291-95. Science Direct. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska Hospital. "Seasonal Affective Disorder and Serotonin-related Polymorphisms." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 Apr. 2001. Pania, Luca, and Gian L. Gessab. "Dopaminergic Deficit and Mood Disorders." International Clinical Psychopharmacology 4th ser. 17.1-7 (2001): Abstract. ResearchGate. Institute of Neurogenetics and Neuropharmacology. Web. 04 Nov. 2012.

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Seeman, Melvin, and Teresa E. Seeman. "Health Behavior and Personal Autonomy." JSTOR. American Sociological Association, June 1983. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. Shiroma, Eric J., MSc, and I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD. "Exercise in Cardiovascular Disease." American Heart Association Journals. American Heart Association, 2010. Web. Nov. 3.