This article includes Amazon affiliate links.
Hey guys! Thanks for visiting Jas Life Unscripted where we discuss books, personal development, and productivity. If you’re new here, thank you for stopping by! I hope you can take away something from this article that will encourage you to stop by more often.
So today, I wanted to dive into the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. The book was published in (1952) and has become one of the most well known books of the century. According to Peale, he wrote the book with a “deep concern for the pain, difficulty, and struggle of human existence.”
The book also “teaches the cultivation of peace of mind and positive thinking…as a practical application of faith to overcome defeat and accomplish worthwhile creative values in life. It also “teaches a hard, disciplinary way of life…one that offers great joy to the person who achieves victory over himself and the difficult circumstances of the world.”
And that’s just the beginning.
While reading this book, my attitude, my mindset, my entire demeanor and the way I handled situations changed for the better. I began to apply just a few of the different methods Peale suggested in the book and have already noticed my faith in myself and, more importantly, in God has increased. I don’t allow fear to hinder me from the things I want to accomplish; and if I feel a hint of fear or doubt creeping into my thoughts, I apply the methods Peale mentioned in his book to get me through the difficulty.
And I want to share those methods with you so you, too, can cultivate a more peaceful and faith-based way of life. So let’s talk about some of these methods Peale teaches in his book “The Power of Positive Thinking.”
#1 Practice emptying the mind at least twice a day of any negative thoughts and immediately began filling your mind with creative and healthy thoughts.
In the book, Peale emphasizes the destructive process of worrying and how it can be linked to different ailments such as rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, lightheadedness, abdominal pain, indigestion, chest pain, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, GI disorders, and many more. And according to psychiatrist Dr. Smiley Blanton, anxiety is actually considered to be the great modern plague!
As stated by Oxford Languages, worry means to “allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles” and is the “state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.” Merriam-Webster describes it as “an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.” And Peale defines it is as “a destructive process of occupying the mind with thoughts contrary to God’s love and care.”
It is an unhealthy mental habit that is the most “subtle and destructive of all human diseases”. Did you know the term “worry” is an Anglo-Saxon word that actually means “to choke”? When we worry, we are literally choking our spirits! This is why it’s so important to empty our minds of the things that causes us worry and anxiety.
And according to Peale, emptying the mind is not enough. “When the mind is emptied, something is bound to enter” – so filling it with positive thoughts by practicing gratitude, acts of kindness, and engaging in positive social interactions are sure ways to boost your confidence, improve your mood, and promote a sense of well-being. Another way to fill your mind with positivity is by praying and reading the Bible. Focusing on the goodness of God and leaning on Him for peace and direction by taking in His word is a GUARANTEE to fill your mind with positivity. As Peale mentioned, “what comes out of the mind is what you originally put into it”. Practice thinking a series of peaceful thoughts – because to have a mind full of peace, you have to fill it full of Peace.”
A few ways you can practice emptying the mind is by journaling, exercising, censoring the type of content you allow into your life such as the news, negative people, and reducing the exposure of negativity from social media. In his book, Peale suggests making a list of everything that may be burdening you and after listing them – praying for each one. This method helps to reinforce positive thinking and can gradually replace negative self-talk and thoughts.
#2 Prayerize, Picturize, and Actualize!
The Prayerize, Picturize, and Actualize method is a fairly simple but powerful formula that involves praying for something – whether it be something tangible, a solution to a problem, or good health – visualizing that which you’re praying for and watching it actualize into fruition. Peale obtained this method from a small business owner in New York City years ago. The business owner opened his first establishment that he called “a little hole in the wall” that eventually grew to a very successful business. He credits the success of his business to hard work, positive thinking, fair dealing, right treatment of people, and the proper kind of praying.
The first part of this method is to pray without ceasing. Talk everything over with God. And don’t treat God as some “far-off shadowy being” as Peale puts it; instead, talk to Him as you would talk to your parents, your mentor, your friend, your confidant. What we have to remember is that God created us from love so we should expect nothing less of Him. Every day, talk with God about the blessings you’re asking Him for, asking Him for guidance and whether the blessing is according to His will. And don’t just pray for things you want. Pray throughout the day – being sure to pray for others as well as thanking God for keeping you, protecting you and the people you love and care about. Throughout your day, constantly seek direction from God regarding anything that happens during that day. “Every problem can be solved and solved right if you pray.”
The second part of the P.P.A. method is to picturize that which you are praying for. “Print a picture of what you’re asking for in your mind” like it’s already happening. For example, if you want to get in shape, envision yourself being in shape from the six pack abs, strong arms, and toned booty (for my ladies – wink).
There is a deep tendency to become what your mind pictures as long as you hold the picture strong enough in your mind and if the objective is sound – Norman Vincent Peale.
Along with picturing what you’re asking for, Peale states to surrender the picture to God’s will leaving it in God’s hands and allowing Him to guide you. But it doesn’t just stop there. While you’re “picturizing” that which you’re asking God for, do your part in achieving the blessing by taking the proper God-guided steps in obtaining the blessing. You can’t expect God to give you the six pack abs and toned booty if you’re not eating properly nor working out! Know what you want, test it to make sure it is the right thing for you, and change yourself in a manner that it will naturally come to you – and have Faith! You have to do your part, ok?
After a period of prayerizing and picturizing, you will begin to see that which you are asking for began to take shape – which brings us to the third part of the method – actualize. Actualize is pretty self-explanatory. You’ve asked God for the blessings you desire – prayerizing your daily life, living in faith and expectancy; and while you’re prayerizing your daily life, you’re picturizing the thing or things you’re asking God for while doing the action steps necessary to bring your request into fruition; and lo and behold – your blessings actualize into existence. And as Peale emphasizes in the book “Expect the best, never the worst. Let there be no thought that the worst will happen…whatever you take into your mind can grow there. Only take the best into your mind, nurture, concentrate on, emphasize, visualize, prayerize and surround it with faith!” It’s just that simple.
Expect the best, never the worst. Let there be no thought that the worst will happen…whatever you take into your mind can grow there. Only take the best into your mind, nurture, concentrate on, emphasize, visualize, prayerize and surround it with faith!
“So what if what I’m doing all of these steps, but I still don’t get what I’m asking God for” you may ask. “The prayer that you think goes unanswered is a sign that God is preparing something greater…Sometimes God’s greatest gift to you is an unanswered prayer! “- Bishop Dale C. Bronner
So do the work, trust the process, and watch God do the rest.
#3 EXPECT THE BEST AND GET IT.
In his book, Peale states “it is indeed a fact that the person who thinks with positive self-reliance and optimism magnetizes his condition and releases power to attain his goal.” But we all know when attempting to attain goals, obstacles will surely arise. BUT you don’t have to allow those problems to defeat you nor prevent you from attaining the goals you desire. The power to overcome any obstacle is in our minds.
But you may be asking “How are our minds supposed to be strong enough to overcome these obstacles when its literally being ambushed with worry and anxiety that comes directly from these obstacles?” The key is, don’t attempt to address the entire mountain range of all of your difficulties. Learn to attack each problem one by one – committing each one to God and leaning on Him for peace, faith, and guidance to deliver you from the troubles of those obstacles. “Believe that Almighty God has put in you the power to lift yourself out of the the rough by keeping your eye firmly fixed on the source of your power” – which is Him.
Remember, “If God be for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31” God realizes what we need and loves us enough to bless us with what we want as long as it’s according to His will. Anything outside of the will of God we shouldn’t want to participate in anyways because it only leads to trouble. Believe that you can overcome any and all obstacles with the power of faith – and one way to increase your faith is by saturating your mind with the words of the Bible. Peale recommends spending at least 1 hour a day studying the words of God and committing its great passages to memory. Memorizing the words of the Bible provides you with the armor you need to fight off those negative thoughts and feelings that comes from fear and doubting yourself. Remember that “God is our Power Source.” And we can’t get energy from Him if we don’t plug in by studying His word, praising, worshiping, and praying to Him.
Whatever you do, don’t disconnect from the Power!
So there you have it! Those are 3 of the numerous tips I took away from reading “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. Now there are MANY more gems Peale included in this book; but don’t worry, I’ve left a link here so you can get these gems for yourself!