I Have the Power

Remember these sweet nothings? Power Balance Bracelets. They were marketed to athletes, high school kids, the elderly, busy moms, hip dads, and school campuses worldwide.

'These bands will improve your athleticism and give you perfect balance. You'll never fall over. Stand on one leg, try to push me over. Try and push my arms down. See it does work!'

This well-marketed placebo convinced folks that all they needed to do was to buy one, to put it on and their dreams would come true. For years we bought into it. Daring to do everyday feats with expert precision. Obviously, Power Balance bracelets are a con. There isn’t any real science to back up its claims, however, the truth lies in how it made people feel. Folks felt invincible. They swore by them. It was empowering to think that an attainable, affordable silicone rubber bracelet with holographic magical magnets would bring balance to a troubled tumultuous existence.

The bracelets highlighted an unfortunate aspect of modern living. Often, we get so caught up in believing that we need an extra ingredient to our concoction of happiness and success that we forget to give ourselves time, a chance, or even credit. Instead, we systematically take power from ourselves. Slowly removing pieces of what makes us who we are until we have become a discombobulated Frankenstein’s monster that’s lacking self-worth and can’t seem to function on its own merit. We become convinced that investing in an outside source will bring us the results we want.

Grift aside, in hindsight, Power Balance and other similar brands taught us a valuable lesson: The individual is the vessel of power. The catalyst for change. The principal agent in the chain reaction of making things happen. In reality, the Power Balance bracelets are akin to Micheal Jordan’s ‘Secret Stuff’ in Space Jam.

(*spoiler alert* MJ's secret stuff is tap water!)

The object itself is ordinary and alone has no magical properties. What gives the object (or idea) its power, is the belief, the focus, and the effort put forth by the one who wields it.

Or I’m completely wrong and the magnetic bracelets are really powered conduits similar to a magic wand, Mjolnir aka Thor’s hammer, or Micheal Jordan’s shoes in Like Mike.

(One of the most important items in the magical world, a wand.)

(The relationship between Thor and Mjolnir is worth an essay but no not today.)

(Like Mike staring Lil Bow Wow, Johnathan Lipnicki and Michael Jordan's shoes.)

Can Balance Bracelets Work? https://www.healthline.com/health/balance-bracelet#takeaway

Therapeutic effects of magnetic and copper bracelets in osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19942103/

Harvard Men's Health Watch The power of the placebo effect https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect