Of course there will always be people who make different choices and who disagree. The way we think about situations does really influence what our experience will be. I can easily imagine a homeschooler describing a group where they had little in common but focusing most of their memories on the one or two good friends they made along the way. That is the difference between positive and negative thinking.

This aricle might be helpful. http://stress.about.com/od/professionalhelp/a/distortions.htm