Chiropractor uses principles at work, in life

By AMANDA C. DAVIS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

CANFIELD — Every day is a great day in the office of chiropractor Scott Petrallo. That’s because he and his wife, Stella, both of Canfield, choose to live their lives and run the practice with the belief that what they put out will come back to them.

Employees and office helpers are encouraged to emulate that kind of positivity, and Scott makes it a requirement that “It’s a great day at Dr. Petrallo’s office” is the first thing people hear when they call in. He’s so adamant about it, in fact, that he’s let a few employees go in the past for refusing to use the phone greeting.

What he wants is for the genuine enthusiasm of employees to spread to callers, customers and visitors to his business, ProAdjuster, on Kirk Road in Austintown.

It’s that kind of mind-set that attracts further growth and development for the Petrallos in both their personal lives and business, they said.

The whole concept of the Law of Attraction seems to be everywhere since last year’s release of the “The Secret.”

The project was the brainchild of Australian author Rhonda Byrne, who assembled a team of authors, ministers, teachers, philosophers and business owners to discuss the Law of Attraction.

“The Secret” includes a DVD, released in March 2006, a book and audio book with contributions from Dr. Joe Vitale, a Texas author who grew up in Niles; Jack Canfield, co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series; John Gray, author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus;” Neale Donald Walsch, best-selling author of the three-book “Conversations with God” series; and others.

At first, information about “The Secret” spread largely by word of mouth and through “viral” marketing, where the trailer for the DVD was passed from one person to another via the Internet, Vitale explained.

From there, Oprah Winfrey and Larry King both featured a panel of the project’s contributors, and book and DVD sales exploded. A parody sketch of the Oprah appearance appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” and the book has spent the past several months on the New York Times best-sellers list.

Vitale said those involved in the project had no idea it would become such a success. And while it’s helping people realize they have a choice in how they live, he said, real changes won’t come about unless there is action to back up those choices.

Application in life

“‘The Secret,’ to me, is essentially just a different packaging of something I’ve been practicing for years,” the chiropractor said. “I’ve always been one for goals and visualization, whether it applied to my family or my job.”

For example, when he adjusts a patient in his office, Scott said, he envisions the bones correcting themselves, a technique that he believes gives him an edge in helping his clients.

The Law of Attraction says that like attracts like and that thoughts are magnetic and determine one’s experience.

Even though the idea has received harsh criticism in the media and scientific community, especially after the release of “The Secret,” it is hardly a new concept. The centuries-old belief that we can attract happiness, wealth, money or love is evident in the works of such greats as Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, William Shakespeare and Albert Einstein, all of whom are quoted in “The Secret.”

Local counselor Marilyn Burns, director for Treat Yourself Center for Holistic Health in Canfield, said she uses concepts from “The Secret” in her personal life and practice because it encourages people to be positive and gives them hope.

Stella Petrallo said she applies the law to every aspect of her life, from the way she talks to her children, to the way she talks to the checkout person at the grocery store.

Smiling and saying “please” and “thank you,” are easy ways to attract the same response from others, she explained, adding that “It’s very catchy, and it comes back.”

The simple gesture of offering a basket of apples in the waiting room at her husband’s office has reinforced the Petrallos’ belief in the Law of Attraction.

Stella noticed the basket had been empty for some time while the business was going through a lean period. She decided to fill the basket to see if business would pick up.

“It sure did, and my husband said ‘that basket will never be empty again,’” she added.

Vitale said he thinks the message of “The Secret” is making a “massive difference” in the world, but noted it’s still in the process of being spread to other countries.

“I really believe in it,” he said. “It’s awakening humanity.”

XFor more information on “The Secret,” visit www.thesecret.tv.