There are no problems in your life that cannot be overcome by the power of positive thinking. These are the opening words in the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. He was an American minister and one of the world’s most widely recognized motivational speakers in the 20th century. This book was very popular and has sold more than 5 million copies. But since Norman wasn’t a scientist, so many people also disregarded his ideas. I read the book and personally found most of the ideas in the book among the ones that have changed my life. But even if you don’t find all the ideas convincing, I picked three lessons from the book that can show you how positive thinking can help you have a better life.
Key Lesson #1: Your own thoughts are the key to overcoming your problems
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all your problems? While some of them might be real, such as debt or disease, it’s your attitude toward those problems that is important. Debts take time to pay, and diseases don’t just go away, but you can change your attitude in an instant. If you live your life with a focus on positivity, you’ll have enough energy to overcome your perceived problems. Most people think that their life is determined by outside circumstances and dumb luck. But in fact, your world is nothing more than the thoughts you have about your life experiences. If you think positively, you set up positive forces that bring with them positive results. Thinking negatively, on the other hand, brings negative results, and this negative thinking can even affect your physical health by making you ill. Vincent Peale tells a story of a young man whom he thought was one of the most complete failures he had ever met. This young man couldn’t make any positive changes in his life because he wouldn’t examine his attitude. But after realizing that his life was bad because his thoughts were negative, he was able to set everything right. So, learn to always see the positive even when facing problems.
Key Lesson #2: Worrying is a very destructive habit
It’s natural to feel worried. Worrying about things like your finances or health is understandable, but it is also unhealthy and can lead to many physical and psychological diseases. For example, the stress from worrying can lead to higher blood pressure and lower life expectancy. Thankfully, worrying is just a “habit,” and habits can be overcome. Breaking the habit of worrying is surprisingly easy: simply believe that it is possible to free yourself from it! If you can imagine a worry-free life, then you can live it. You need to focus on freeing your mind from negative thoughts. This is especially important before going to sleep because that’s when our thoughts sink deeper into our subconscious. However, it’s not enough to simply drain your mind; you must fill it back up again, this time with positive thoughts to replace the negative ones. These are thoughts that inspire feelings like hope, courage, and faith. It may be difficult at first, but you must keep at it by practicing every day if you want to achieve positive change.
Key Lesson #3: Faith can help you solve your problems
The mind and the body are very related. Like when you experience stress, it can manifest as physical pain. Sometimes when you have a physical illness, it’s not the body at all that’s the problem, but the mind. Vincent Peale was a Christian minister and he believed that the teachings of the Bible can build a foundation for our thoughts and actions, helping us to change our lives for the better. By trusting in a higher power, you’re better able to truly believe in your positive convictions about your health. Positive thoughts can lead to healing and health, but only when those thoughts are genuine. You have to believe in your own physical and spiritual healing, and that requires faith. You can turn to prayer, which can help release negative energy and lead to creative ideas. Think about your problems from a bird’s eye view through prayer, then you have a better vantage point from which to see solutions. But your faith can only guide you to these solutions if the success you seek is morally, spiritually, and ethically right. Vincent says, If the success you want is wrong in the essence it is bound to be wrong in the result.
So, in summary, no matter how big your problems are, they can be overcome by the power of positive thinking. By getting rid of worrying and focusing on positive outcomes, you can almost face any problems. And faith in a higher power usually helps us in our quest for positive thinking.