I would like to share this very good book about improving one’s self, how to get rid of the negative vibrations and how to always stay positive. This book helped me a lot in overcoming my inferiority complex, it taught me how to pray properly and how to always have a positive outlook in life.
Here’s the summary of the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. I hope you readers would be able to learn a lot and apply it in your personal lives.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF - …I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME...(DO THIS WITH AN ATTITUDE OF FAITH)…THE GREATEST SECRET FOR ELIMINATING THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX OR DEEP AND PROFOUND (INTENSE) SELF DOUBT IS TO FILL YOUR MIND TO OVERFLOWING WITH FAITH. DEVELOP A TREMENDOUS FAITH IN GOD AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU A HUMBLE YET SOUNDLY REALISTIC FAITH IN YOURSELF.
HOW TO ACQUIRE FAITH: STUDY THE SCRIPTURES AND USE LOTS OF PRAYERS.
THE SCRIPTURES SAY: ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH, BE IT UNTO YOU…THE BIGGER YOUR PROBLEM, THE BIGGER YOUR PRAYER SHOULD BE.
ANOTHER WAY TO BUILD SELF CONFIDENCE IS BY SUGGESTING CONFIDENCE CONCEPTS TO YOURSELF…REPETITION OF CONFIDENT IDEAS…FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE DEPEND UPON THE TYPE OF THOUGHTS THAT HABITUALLY OCCUPY YOUR MIND.
NEVER TAKE COUNSEL OF YOUR FEARS…THOUGHTS ARE THINGS, THEY ACTUALLY POSSESS DYNAMIC (FULL OF ENERGY) POWER…HUMAN BEINGS CAN ALTER THEIR LIVES BY ALTERING THEIR ATTITUDES OF MIND…
A MAN IS WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT ALL DAY LONG…AS YOU THINK, SO SHALL YOU BE…
IF CONFIDENCE AND HAPPINESS ARE WHAT YOU WANT, FLUSH OUT ALL YOUR OLD, TIRED WORN OUT THOUGHTS. FILL YOUR MIND WITH FRESH NEW CREATIVE THOUGHTS OF FAITH, LOVE, AND GOODNESS.
ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL CURES FOR SELF DOUBT IS THE THOUGHT THAT ALMIGHTY GOD IS ACTUALLY WITH YOU AND HELPING YOU. THAT HE WILL BE YOUR COMPANION, AND WILL STAND BY YOU, HELP YOU AND SEE YOU THROUGH ALL ADVERSITY (HARDSHIPS AND SUFFERINGS).
TO PRACTICE THIS BELIEF, SIMPLY AFFIRM: GOD IS WITH ME, GOD IS HELPING ME, GOD IS GUIDING ME…
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY…MAKE A MENTAL LIST OF PLEASANT THOUGHTS AND PASS THEM THROUGH YOUR MIND SEVERAL TIMES EACH DAY. IF AN UNPLEASANT THOUGHT SHOULD ENTER YOUR MIND, IMMEDIATELY STOP, CONSCIOUSLY REJECT IT AND SUBSTITUTE A PLEASANT THOUGHT.
EVERY MORNING, BEFORE ARISING, LIE RELAXED IN BED FOR A FEW MINUTES, LET PICTURES OF EACH HAPPY EXPERIENCE YOU EXPECT TO HAVE DURING THE DAY PASS ACROSS YOUR MIND, SAVOR THEIR JOY. SUCH THOUGHTS WILL HELP CAUSE THE EVENTS TO TURN OUT THAT WAY.
TOMORROW WHEN YOU ARISE, SAY OUT LOUD THIS PHRASE: THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT…3X IN A STRONG CLEAR VOICE WITH A POSITIVE TONE AND EMPHASIS.
I BELIEVE THIS IS GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL DAY. I BELIEVE I CAN SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT WILL ARISE. I FEEL GOOD PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY. I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT I HAVE HAD, FOR ALL THAT I NOW HAVE, AND ALL THAT I SHALL HAVE. THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO FALL APART, GOD IS HERE AND HE IS WITH ME AND HE WILL SEE ME THROUGH. I THANK GOD FOR EVERY GOOD THING.
THE WAY TO HAPPINESS: KEEP YOUR HEART FREE FROM HATE, YOUR MIND FROM WORRY, LIVE SIMPLY, EXPECT LITTLE, GIVE MUCH. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH LOVE, SCATTER SUNSHINE, FORGET SELF, THINK OF OTHERS, DO AS YOU WOULD BE DONE BY.
RULES TO FOLLOW TO BUILD UP YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE:
1- CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE OF YOURSELF SUCEEDING. HOLD ON TO THIS PICTURE TENACIOUSLY (NOT EASILY PULLED APART) NEVER PERMIT IT TO FADE. YOUR MIND ALWAYS TRIES TO COMPLETE WHAT IT PICTURES, SO ALWAYS PICTURE SUCCESS NO MATTER HOW BADLY THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING AT THE MOMENT. WHENEVER A NEGATIVE THOUGHT CONCERNING YOUR PERSONAL POWERS COME TO MIND, DELIVERATELY VOICE A POSITIVE THOUGHT TO CANCEL IT OUT.
2- DO NOT BUILD UP OBSTACLES IN YOUR IMAGINATION, MINIMIZE THEM INSTEAD. PROBLEMS SHOULD BE SEEN FOR WHAT THEY ARE, AND NEVER INFLATED BY FEARFUL THOUGHTS.
3- DO NOT BE AWE (AN EMOTION COMPARABLE TO WONDER BUT LESS JOYOUS) STRUCK BY OTHER PEOPLE OR TRY TO COPY THEM. REMEMBER THAT MOST PEOPLE DESPITE THE CONFIDENT APPEARANCE ARE OFTEN AS SCARED AND AS DOUBTFUL OF THEMSELVES AS YOU ARE.
4- TEN TIMES EACH DAY, PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING AFFIRMATION, REPEATING IT OUT LOUD IF POSSIBLE: I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.
5- PUT YOURSELF IN GOD’S HANDS. TO DO THAT, SIMPLY STATE: I AM IN GOD’S HANDS, THEN BELIEVE YOU ARE NOW RECEIVING ALL THE POWER YOU NEED. AFFIRM THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE FORM OF ADEQUATE POWER TO MEET ALL OF LIFE’S DEMANDS. REMIND YOURSELF THAT GOD IS WITH YOU AND NOTHING CAN DEFEAT YOU.
A PEACEFUL MIND GENERATES POWER
BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND…CHANGE THE PATTERN OF YOUR THOUGHTS TO ACHIEVE A PEACEFUL STATE OF MIND.
PRACTICE EMPTYING THE MIND – CLEARING THE MIND OF FEARS, HATE, INSECURITIES, REGRETS AND GUILT FEELINGS….DAILY PRACTICE OF SILENCE…15 MINUTES…
TRANQUILITY – (A STATE OF PEACE AND CALM)…LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU, LET NOTHING FRIGHTEN YOU, EVERYTHING PASSES AWAY EXCEPT GOD. GOD ALONE IS SUFFICIENT.
PRAYER CAN FRESHEN YOU UP EVERY EVENING AND SEND YOU OUT RENEWED EACH MORNING. AND IF PRAYER IS DRIVEN DEEPLY INTO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS, YOU CAN RECEIVE GUIDANCE IN YOUR PROBLEMS. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO KEEP YOUR REACTION CORRECT AND SOUND. PRAYER CAN STIMULATE YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS. WITHIN THE MIND ARE ALL OF THE RESOURCES NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING. WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED AND PROPERLY EMPLOYED, THESE IDEAS CAN LEAD TO THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF ANY PROJECT OR UNDERTAKING.
THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU. MEANING, THAT GOD HAS LAID UP WITHIN OUR MINDS AND PERSONALITIES ALL OF POTENTIAL POWERS AND ABILITY WE NEED FOR CONSTRUCTIVE LIVING. IT REMAINS FOR US TO TAP AND DEVELOP THESE POWERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS POWER, PERHAPS YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES IN PRAYER.
FOLLOW THIS FORMULA: PRAYERIZE, PICTURIZE, ACTUALIZE
PRAYERIZE – WHEN A PROBLEM ARISE, TALK IT OVER WITH GOD VERY SIMPLY AND DIRECTLY AS IF HE IS WITH YOU. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. DISCUSS WITH GOD ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE DEALTH WITH EACH DAY UNTIL GOD’S PRESENCE FINALLY DOMINATE YOUR CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS THINKING.
PICTURIZE – A PERSON WHO ASSUMES SUCCESS TENDS TO ALREADY HAVE SUCCESS. PEOPLE WHO ASSUME FAILURE, TEND TO HAVE FAILURE. TO ASSURE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE HAPPENING, FIRST, PRAY ABOUT IT AND TEST IT ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL, THEN PRINT A PICTURE OF IT IN YOUR MIND AS HAPPENING AND HOLD THE PICTURE FIRMLY IN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. CONTINUE TO SURRENDER THE PICTURE TO GOD’S WILL, THAT IS, PUT THE MATTER IN GOD’S HAND AND FOLLOW HIS GUIDANCE. WORK HARD AND INTELLIGENTLY, THUS DOING YOUR PART TO ACTUALIZE YOUR PRAYER. PRACTICE BELIEVING AND CONTINUE TO HOLD THE PICTURE FIRMLY IN YOUR THOUGHTS. DO THIS AND YOU WILL BE ASTONISHED (SURPRISED) AT THE STRANGE WAYS IN WHICH THE IMAGE BECOMES A REALITY.
PRAYER IS A SENDING OUT OF VIBRATIONS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER AND TO GOD.
10 RULES FOR ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE RESULTS FROM YOUR PRAYERS:
1-SET ASIDE A FEW MINUTES EACH DAY, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING, SIMPLY PRACTICE THINKING ABOUT GOD.
THIS WILL MAKE YOUR MIND SPIRITUALLY RECEPTIVE.
2- PRAY OUT LOUD USING SIMPLE NATURAL WORDS, TELL GOD ANYTHING THAT IS ON YOUR MIND. TALK TO GOD IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE, HE UNDERSTANDS IT.
3- PRAY AS YOU GO ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY, ON THE SUBWAY OR BUS OR AT YOUR DESK. UTILIZE MINUTE PRAYERS BY CLOSING YOUR EYES TO SHUT OUT THE WORLD AND CONCENTRATING BRIEFLY ON GOD’S PRESENCE.
4-DO NOT ALWAYS ASK WHEN YOU PRAY BUT INSTEAD, AFFIRM THAT GOD’S BLESSINGS ARE BEING GIVEN AND SPEND MOST OF YOUR PRAYERS GIVING THANKS.
5-PRAY WITH THE BELIEF THAT SINCERE PRAYERS CAN REACH OUT AND SURROUND YOUR LOVED ONES WITH GOD’S LOVE AND PROTECTION.
6-NEVER USE A NEGATIVE THOUGHT IN PRAYER, ONLY POSITIVE THOUGHTS GETS RESULTS.
7-ALWAYS EXPRESS WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT GOD’S WILL. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT BUT BE WILLING TO TAKE WHAT GOD GIVES YOU. IT MAY BE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU ASK FOR.
8-PRACTICE THE ATTITUDE OF PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO GOD’S HANDS, ASK FOR THE ABILITY TO DO YOUR BEST AND LEAVE THE RESULTS CONFIDENTLY TO GOD.
9-PRAY FOR PEOPLE YOU DO NOT LIKE OR WHO HAVE MISTREATED YOU, RESENTMENT (ANGER, HATRED) IS BLOCKADE NUMBER ONE TO SPIRITUAL POWER.
10-MAKE A LIST OF PEOPLE FOR WHOM TO PRAY, THE MORE YOU PRAY FOR OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE NOT CONNECTED WITH YOU, THE MORE PRAYER RESULTS WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
THE MAGIC OF BELIEVING: IF YOU EXPECT THE WORST, YOU WILL GET THE WORST, IF YOU EXPECT THE BEST, YOU WILL GET THE BEST.
BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH…CHANGE YOUR MENTAL HABITS TO BELIEF INSTEAD OF DISBELIEF. OUR BELIEF AT THE BEGINNING OF A DOUBTFUL UNDERTAKING IS THE ONE THING THAT ENSURES THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE VENTURE. WHEN YOU EXPECT THE BEST, YOU RELEASE A MAGNETIC FORCE IN YOUR MIND, BY LAW OF ATTRACTION, THIS FORCE TENDS TO BRING THE BEST TO YOU. THINGS GET BETTER WHEN YOU EXPECT THE BEST BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE FREED FROM SELF DOUBT, YOU CAN PUT YOUR WHOLE SELF INTO A PROJECT. NOTHING CAN STAND IN THE WAY OF THE PERSON WHO FOCUSES HIS OR HER ENTIRE SELF ON A PROBLEM. WHEN THE FULL CONCENTRATION OF ALL YOUR FORCES, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL IS BROUGHT TO BEAR, THE CONSOLIDATION OF THESE FIRES AT WORK IS QUITE IRRESISTABLE, SO A MAJOR KEY TO ATTAINING THAT WHICH YOU DEEPLY DESIRE IS TO BE TOTALLY RELEASED FROM DOUBT, SO THAT YOU CAN THROW YOURSELF COMPLETELY INTO YOUR ENDEAVOR. IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING, GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT. HOLD NOTHING BACK, LIFE CANNOT DENY ITSELF TO THE PERSON WHO GIVES LIFE HIS ALL.
THROW YOUR HEART ( SYMBOL OF CREATIVE ACTIVITY) OVER THE BAR AND YOUR BODY WILL FOLLOW.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART WHERE YOU WANNA GO AND WHERE YOU WANNA BE. GET IT SO DEEPLY FIXED IN YOUR UNCONSCIOUS THAT YOU WILL NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER, THEN YOUR ENTIRE PERSONALITY WILL FOLLOW WHERE YOUR HEART LEAVES. IF YOU THROW YOUR HEART OVER THE BAR, YOUR FATE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SWING UP TO ANY HIGH PLACE YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR LIFE. WHENEVER YOU HAVE A BAR THAT IS TO SAY, A BARRIER IN FRONT OF YOU, STOP, CLOSE YOUR EYES, VISUALIZE EVERYTHING THAT IS ABOVE THE BAR AND NOTHING THAT IS BELOW IT. THEN, IMAGINE IT DEEPLY, THROW YOUR HEART OVER THE BAR AND SEE YOURSELF AS BEING GIVEN LIFT ING POWER TO RISE ABOVE IT.
EVERYDAY AS YOU CONFRONT THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE, I SUGGEST THAT YOU AFFIRM AS FOLLOWS:
I BELIEVE THAT GOD GIVES ME POWER TO ATTAIN WHAT I REALLY WANT.
NEVER MENTION THE WORST, NEVER THINK OF IT. DROP IT OUT OF YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. FAITH SUPPLIES STAYING POWER. IT CONTAINS THE DYNAMIC YOU NEED TO KEEP GOING WHEN THE GOING IS HARD.
THE ROUGH IS ONLY MENTAL…IT IS ROUGH BECAUSE YOU THINK IT IS…IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU MUST FIRST START THINKING DIFFERENTLY. FORM A PICTURE IN YOUR MIND OF CIRCUMSTANCES AS THEY SHOULD BE, HOLD THAT PICTURE, DEVELOP IT FIRMLY IN ALL DETAILS. BELIEVE IN IT, PRAY ABOUT IT, WORK AT IT, AND YOU CAN MAKE IT BECOME A REALITY….BELIEVE AND SUCCEED.
EVERY ACHIEVEMENT IN THE WORLD WAS FIRST PROJECTED AS A CREATIVE IDEA. FIRST, THE IDEA, THEN FAITH IN IT, THEN THE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTING THE IDEA. ALWAYS THINK OF PROSPERITY, ACHIEVEMENT, SUCCESS. DON’T HOLD ON TO MENTAL PICTURES OF DIFFICULTIES AND FAILURES. DON’T THINK LACK THOUGHTS, LIFT YOUR MIND ABOVE THEM, AND VISUALIZE POWERS AND ACHIEVEMENTS. WHEN YOU ELEVATE YOUR THOUGHTS INTO THE REALM OF ATTAINMENT, YOU LOOK DOWN ON YOUR PROBLEMS, RATHER THAN UP AT THEM AND THUS, YOU GET A MORE ENCOURAGING VIEW.
VISUALIZE THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEMS THEN PRAY AND THANK THE LORD FOR GIVING YOU WHAT YOU NEEDED AS IF THE PROBLEM HAD ALREADY BEEN OVERCOME.
AND ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YOU SHALL ASK IN PRAYER BELIEVING, YOU SHALL RECEIVE THEM…THAT MEANS THAT WHEN YOU PRAY FOR SOMETHING, VISUALIZE WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, BELIEVE THAT IF IT IS GOD’S WILL AND IS NOT SELFISHLY SOUGHT AFTER, THAT IT IS AT THAT MOMENT GIVEN TO YOU.
HOW TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES:
1-PUT YOUR PROBLEM IN GOD’S HANDS. IN YOUR THOUGHTS, RISE ABOVE THE PROBLEM SO YOU CAN LOOK DOWN ON IT, NOT UP AT IT.
2-TEST IT ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL, THAT IS, DO NOT TRY TO GET SUCCESS FROM SOMETHING THAT IS WRONG. BE SURE IT IS RIGHT MORALLY, SPIRITUALLY AND ETHICALLY. THEN HOLD IT UP IN GOD’S NAME AND VISUALIZE A GREAT RESULT.
3-KEEP THE IDEAS OF PROSPERITY, ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTAINMENT FIRMLY FIXED IN YOUR MIND. NEVER ENTERTAIN A FAILURE THOUGHT. SHOULD A NEGATIVE IDEA OF DEFEAT COME INTO YOUR MIND, EXPELL IT BY INCREASING THE POSITIVE AFFIRMATION. AFFIRM ALOUD: GOD IS NOW GIVING ME SUCCESS, HE IS GIVING ME ATTAINMENT.
4-WORK DILIGENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. YOU WILL BE AMAZED THAT THE WAY IN WHICH THE MENTAL VISION YOU’VE CREATED AND FIRMLY HELD IN YOUR MIND WILL BECOME A REALITY.
I BELIEVE I AM ALWAYS DEVINELY GUIDED.
I BELIEVE I WILL ALWAYS TAKE THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD.
I BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL ALWAYS MAKE A WAY WHEN THERE IS NO WAY.
