Book summary: The Power of positive thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale

What you get in this post: in this post, I have covered all chapter’s lessons

So, stay tuned till the end.

For just 1 page summary you can click here.

Why do you have to read this book summary?

Reason:

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN to suggest techniques and provide examples that show you don’t have to be defeated by anything, and that you can have peace of mind, better health, and an endless flow of energy.

In short, your life can be full of joy and fulfillment.

Benefits:

You can allow challenges to dominate your thoughts to the point where they take precedence and take over how you think.

You can overcome challenges that would typically be your downfall by developing the ability to cast them from the mind, refusing to become mentally obedient to them, and channeling spiritual power through your thoughts.

Want to know how?

Favorite quote: “Attitudes are more important than facts.”

Let’s get started.

Chapter 1: Believe in yourself.

AGREE WITH YOURSELF! Have confidence in your skills! You cannot achieve success or happiness unless you have modest but reasonable confidence in your own abilities.

But you can succeed if you have strong self-confidence.

Your hopes can’t be realized if you feel inadequate or inferior, but self-confidence promotes self-realization and successful achievement.

Due to the significance of this mental attitude, this book will assist you in developing self-belief and letting your inner powers shine.

It’s possible to get past it if the right steps are taken. You can grow your own original, justified faith in yourself.

It’s crucial to first identify the cause of your powerless feelings. It will take time to analyze that.

The adage “Attitudes matter more than facts” is worth saying again and again until its truth sinks in. Any fact we must face, no matter how challenging or even seemingly hopeless, is not as significant as how we choose to respond to it.

Before you take action, how you perceive a fact might cause you to fail. Before dealing with a fact effectively, you might let it mentally overwhelm you.

On the other hand, a positive and upbeat thought pattern can change or completely displace the fact.

Therefore, if you feel defeated and have lost faith in your ability to succeed, take a seat, grab a piece of paper, and make a list of the things that are working in your favor rather than those that are working against you.

If you, I, or anyone else constantly consider the forces that appear to be working against us, we will give them far more power than is appropriate.

They will project an intimidating strength that they do not actually have.

Contrarily, if you mentally affirm, reaffirm, and visualize your strengths and keep your thoughts there, emphasizing them as much as possible, you will overcome any challenge, no matter what it may be.

Chapter 2: A Peaceful Mind Generates Power

A shift in perspective is the essence of the secret. It is necessary to learn to think differently in order to live differently, and while this requires effort, it is much simpler than continuing to live the way you currently do. Life under strain is challenging.

The simplest kind of existence is one that is filled with harmony and inner peace.

The main challenge, then, is changing your way of thinking so that you can accept God’s gift of peace with a relaxed attitude.

Emptying the mind is a key technique for achieving a peaceful mind.

The author suggests mind emptying at least twice daily, and more frequently if necessary. Emptying your mind of fears, hates, insecurities, regrets, and guilt feelings is something you should definitely practice. Just the act of consciously trying to clear your mind tends to feel relieving.

Have you ever felt a sense of relief after confiding in someone you can trust about worrying issues that weigh heavily on your heart?

Chapter 3: How to Have Constant Energy

The way we actually feel physically is definitely influenced by how we think we feel. If your mind indicates that you are tired, your body’s mechanisms, nerves, and muscles will concur.

You can continue doing something for as long as your mind is truly engaged in it.

Religion is a system of thought discipline that operates through our thoughts. It can increase energy by giving the mental attitude of faith.

By implying that you have ample support and power resources, it enables you to accomplish prodigious activity.

The human body is built to produce all the energy required over an incredibly long time.

If a person takes reasonable care of his or her body—including eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and not abusing it physically—the body will produce and maintain amazing energy and maintain itself in good health.

Energy can be saved if he pays the same attention to maintaining a healthy emotional life.

However, he will be depleted of life force if he permits energy leaks brought on by inherited or self-imposed emotional reactions of a crippling nature.

When body, mind, and spirit are in perfect harmony, a person’s natural state is one of constant replacement of the required energy.

Chapter 4: Try Prayer Power

Prayer is frequently used in therapy by experts in physical health and well-being.

A lack of inner harmony may lead to impairment, tension, and related issues.

It is amazing how prayer can bring back the body and soul’s harmonious coexistence.

The author uses an example: My physiotherapist friend once told a nervous client: “God works through my fingers as I try to relax your physical body, which is the temple of your soul.”

 I want you to pray for God to be at peace inside while I work on your outer being.

The patient was unfamiliar with the concept, but he was in a receptive frame of mind at the time, so he tried running some peaceful thoughts through it.

He was astounded at how this made him feel at ease.

Jack Smith, the owner of a health club frequented by many notable individuals, believes in and practices prayer therapy.

Jack Smith, a fitness expert for men, thinks prayer is just as important as working out, taking a steam bath, and getting a massage—if not more so. It is essential to the process of releasing power.

Nowadays, more people pray than in the past because they believe it increases personal effectiveness.

Through prayer, they can access resources and use the strength that would not be otherwise possible.

Chapter 5: How to Create Your Own Happiness

WHO DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL BE HAPPY? That’s right, you do!

If you want to, you can choose to be unhappy. It is the simplest task in the entire world to complete. Simply decide to be unhappy.

If you constantly tell yourself that nothing is going right and that nothing is satisfying, you can be certain that you will be unhappy.

But tell yourself, “Everything’s going great. It’s a good life. I choose happiness, and you can be certain that you have a choice, too.

Boys and girls were asked to make a list of the things that brought them the most joy.

Their responses were quite heartfelt. The boys’ list is as follows: “A swallow flying, looking into deep, clear water, cutting water at the bow of a boat, a fast train rushing, a builder’s crane lifting something heavy, and my dog’s eyes.”

What the girls said made them happy is as follows: Street lights on the river, red roofs on the trees, chimney smoke, red velvet, and the moon in the clouds are all described. These things partially express but nonetheless convey, a certain aspect of the universe’s beautiful essence.

Have a pure soul, eyes that see romance in the ordinary, a child’s heart, and spiritual simplicity to become a happy person.

Many people create their own unhappiness. Of course, not all unhappiness is self-inflicted; in fact, many of our problems are caused by social circumstances.

However, it is a reality that, in large part, through our thoughts and attitudes, we extract for ourselves either happiness or unhappiness from the ingredients of life.

Chapter 6: Stop Fuming and Fretting

Many people unnecessarily complicate their lives by wasting their power and energy on complaining and worrying.

How often do you “fume” and “fret”? If you do, please see a photo of yourself below. Fume is a verb that means to boil up, blow off, emit vapor, be agitated, be upset, or seethe.

The fret is another descriptive word. It sounds like a whiny, petulant half-cry of a sick child in the middle of the night. It stops before restarting.

There is a penetrating, grating quality to it. Although the word “fret” is childish, it accurately captures the emotional state of many adults.

Reduce your pace, or at least the tempo of your pace, as a first step. We are not aware of how quickly our lives have become or how quickly we are driving ourselves.

At this rate, many people are destroying their physical bodies, but what is even more tragic is that they are also destroying their minds and souls.

Our thoughts and personalities determine their pace.

If we are not to experience severe effects from the overwhelming overstimulation of modern life, the pace of life must be slowed down.

The body develops toxic poisons as a result of this overstimulation, which also causes emotional illness. We become exhausted and irritated as a result, whining and worrying about everything from our own problems to the state of the country and the world.

What must this emotional unrest’s impact be on the soul, the deep inner essence of the personality, if its physical effects are so strong?

If the pace is being accelerated so feverishly, it is impossible to have inner peace.

You can start by slowing down on your own to contribute to easing the tension that seems to permeate our people everywhere.

You must calm down and slow down in order to accomplish that.

Do not scream.

Don’t worry.

Practice remaining calm.

Chapter 7: Expect the Best and Get It

Author by using an illustration I recently couldn’t help but be in awe of this dynamic man at the height of his power during lunch.

You’re amazing, I said. You were failing at everything a few years ago. You have now developed a wonderful business out of an original idea.

Your community looks to you as a leader.

Tell me about this remarkable change you’ve undergone.

Really, he said, “it was quite simple. “I simply discovered the power of believing. I learned that if you expect the worst, that’s what you’ll get, and if you expect the best, that’s what you’ll get.

But it wasn’t at all miraculous.

Actually, what had happened was that he had discovered how to apply one of the most potent laws known to psychology and religion alike: changing your mental habits from disbelief to belief.

Learn to anticipate instead of doubt. By doing this, you open the door to all possibilities.

Chapter 8: I Don’t Believe in Defeat

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING defeat, I implore you to stop thinking about it because when you think defeat, it tends to happen. Adopt the mindset of “I don’t believe in defeat.”

The first step in overcoming an obstacle is to take a stand against it rather than whine about it or complain about it in the face of it.

Don’t stoop to your knees and scurry through life defeated. Face your challenges head-on and take action to overcome them.

You’ll discover that they are not nearly as strong as you believe.

When you have faith—faith in God and faith in yourself—you can accomplish this. The main quality you require is faith. It suffices. In actuality, it is ample.

You can create this type of strong faith in God and in yourself if you follow the businessman’s suggested formula.

You’ll gain knowledge of your own capabilities and willpower.

The mastery touch will come to you to the extent that your attitude changes from one that is negative to one that is positive.

Then, with confidence, you can say to yourself, “I don’t believe in defeat,” in any situation, and really mean it.

Chapter 9: How to Break the Worry Habit

You don’t have to succumb to worry. What is a worry, in its most basic form? It’s just a negative mental habit that causes harm.

You did not develop a worrying habit at birth. You bought it. You can also banish worry from your mind because you have the power to change any acquired habit or attitude.

There is only one appropriate time to start an effective attack on worry, and that is right now. This is because aggressive, direct action is necessary for the elimination process.

So let’s immediately begin to break your worrying habit.

Why do we need to treat the worrying issue so seriously? Dr. Smiley Blanton, a renowned psychiatrist, explains the cause succinctly: “Anxiety is the great modern plague.”

It would appear that the person who worries is less likely to live a long life than the person who learns to deal with his worries.

How Long Can You Live? was an article published in the Rotarian magazine.

According to the author, your lifeline can be measured by the size of your waist. According to the article, you should follow the following guidelines if you want to live a long time:

1) Remain calm.

2) Attend church.

3) Get rid of anxiety.

According to a survey, churchgoers live longer than non-goers, so if you don’t want to pass away young, you should join the church.

According to the article, married people live longer than single people do. Maybe a married couple can share the worry, so that’s why.

You must handle everything by yourself if you are single.

A study of about 450 people who lived to be 100 years old was conducted by a scientist who specializes in life expectancy.

He discovered that these people had the following characteristics and lived long happy lives:

(1) They stayed active.

(2) They exercised restraint in everything.

(3) They consumed light fare.

(4) They enjoyed their lives to the fullest.

(5) They went to bed and got up early.

(6) They were free of anxiety and fear, particularly the fear of dying.

(7) They believed in God and had calm dispositions.

Chapter 10: Power to Solve Personal Problems

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A FEW LUCKY PEOPLE WHO FOUND THE RIGHT SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS.

They implemented a straightforward but extremely useful strategy, and in each instance, the result was a joyful and prosperous one. In no way are these people different from you.

They experienced the same issues and challenges as you, but they discovered a formula that enabled them to correctly determine the answers to challenging questions with them.

You can achieve similar outcomes by using the same formula.

But in order to find the right answers to your problems, you must do more than just believe this; you must also put the concept of presence into practice.

Become accustomed to thinking of God as equally real and present as your wife, business partner, or best friend.

Practice discussing issues with Him; have faith that He is listening and considering your issue. Assume He imprints the appropriate concepts and insights required to address your problems on your mind through consciousness.

Definitely have faith that these solutions will work and that you will be led to take the proper actions that produce the desired results.

Believe that for every problem there is a solution.

Chapter 11: How to Use Faith in Healing

CAN RELIGIOUS FAITH HELP WITH HEALING? There is substantial evidence to support this.

Modern religious practice is placing more and more emphasis on helping people find healing from illnesses of the mind, heart, soul, and body.

This is a return to Christianity as it was first practiced.

We have only recently started to ignore the fact that religion has long been involved in healing.

The word “pastor” itself comes from a term that refers to “the cure of souls.”

However, in modern times, people have mistakenly believed that it is impossible to reconcile biblical doctrine with so-called “science,” and as a result, the healing emphasis of religion has almost entirely been replaced by materialistic science.

However, the connection between religion and health is now more widely acknowledged.

The emphasis on psychosomatic factors in modern medicine acknowledges the link between mental and physical health.

Modern medical practice is aware of and takes into account the close relationship between a man’s thoughts and feelings.

Religion deals with basic attitudes like thought and feeling, so it makes sense that the science of faith would play a significant role in the healing process.

Pray for the physician. Recognize that God aids His healing abilities by using skilled human instruments.

We treat the patient, and God heals him, as one doctor put it. Therefore, ask God to use the doctor as an open conduit for His regenerating grace.

Chapter 12: When Vitality Sags, Try This Health Formula

If your performance is lacking, I advise you to conduct a meticulous self-analysis. If you are holding any malice, resentment, or grudges, be completely honest with yourself and cast them out.

Get rid of them as soon as possible.

They do not harm other people.

Although they have no negative effects on the person you have these feelings for, they are consuming you every day and every night of your life.

Not because of what they eat, but rather because of what is eating them, many people have poor health.

Emotional disorders turn inward on you, draining your strength, decreasing your productivity, and harming your health.

Naturally, they steal your happiness as well.

We now understand how thoughts affect our physical states. We are aware that resentment can cause one to become ill.

We are aware that his sense of guilt can cause him to experience a range of physiological symptoms.

Additionally, fear and anxiety can manifest physically as distinct symptoms.

When the thoughts are altered, we can say that healing has taken place.

Chapter 13: Inflow of New Thoughts Can Remake You

William James, one of the wisest men America has ever produced, said the following, which sums up one of the most significant and impactful things about you.

The greatest discovery of my generation, according to William James, is that people can change their lives by changing their mental attitudes.

You will become what you think. So flush out all previous, drained, and worn-out ideas.

Fill your mind with brand-new, original thoughts of goodness, love, and faith. You can actually remake your life through this process.

According to a well-known psychologist, “Human nature has a deep propensity to become precisely that which you habitually imagine yourself to be.”

It has been asserted that thoughts are actual objects with dynamic power. One can easily accept such an assessment if it is based on the power one wield.

It’s possible to enter or exit situations mentally.

You can make yourself ill with your thoughts, but you can also make yourself well by thinking in a different, curative way.

Think a certain way, and you’ll attract the circumstances that type of thinking suggests. You can produce an entirely different set of circumstances if you think differently.

Much more powerfully than thoughts create conditions, thoughts create conditions.

For instance, when you think positively, you activate forces that result in favorable outcomes.

When you think positively, you create an environment that is favorable to the emergence of positive results.

Conversely, when you think negatively, you foster an environment that is favorable to the emergence of negative outcomes.

Change your thinking in order to alter your circumstances.

Chapter 14: Relax for Easy Power

Using an example by the author: Five hundred patients were examined in a clinic, and 386, or 77%, were found to have psychosomatic illnesses—physical illnesses primarily brought on by unhealthful mental states.

 Another clinic studied a significant number of ulcer cases and found that nearly half of them were brought on by patients’ excessive worry, hatred, guilt, or tension rather than by any physical problems.

Using the easy-does-it mentality is one of the simplest ways to ease tension. Take your time, be less frantic, and don’t put any pressure on yourself.

The key is to practice calm thinking while maintaining mental peace and refraining from any hurried, hectic reactions.

The key to the art is to maintain a slow pace and carry out your duties using the most effective energy conservation techniques.

Adopting one or two practical strategies will help you develop expertise in the use of relaxed and effortless power.

Chapter 15: How to Get People to Like You

We should be honest and admit that we want people to like us.

I don’t care if people like me or not, you might hear someone say. However, you should always assume that he is not telling the truth whenever you hear someone say that.

“One of the deepest drives of human nature is the desire to be appreciated,” said psychologist William James. It is fundamental to who we are that we yearn to be respected, liked, and sought after.

Some high school students were asked, “What do you most want?” in a poll. The students overwhelmingly decided that they wanted to be popular.

The same urge also exists in older people. It’s unlikely that anyone ever gets over their desire to be liked by their coworkers, highly regarded by them, or otherwise respected.

Be artless if you want to master the popularity of art.

If you deliberately pursue popularity, you probably won’t succeed.

But if you develop into one of those exceptional individuals about whom people say, “He certainly has something,” then you can be sure that you are on your way to attracting people who are similar to you.

Chapter 16: Prescription for Heartache

A wise and venerable old country lawyer once told a story that

a woman in sorrow that “to take a picture” is the best cure for a broken heart.

Scrubbing brush, get on your knees, and start cleaning. The ideal treatment

for a man is to get an ax and chop wood until physically exhausted,” he proclaimed.

While there is no assurance that this will completely alleviate your heartache, it does tend to help

to lessen this suffering.

Regardless of the nature of your heartache, one of the first steps is to make the decision to leave behind any defeatist environment you may have created for yourself, even if it is difficult to do so and resume living your life normally.

Assimilate yourself into daily activities.

Pick up your prior affiliations. create new ones. Get moving by walking, riding, swimming, or playing to get your blood pumping.

Get caught up in a worthwhile project.

Your days should be filled with creative pursuits, with a focus on exercise. Use healthy busyness to clear your mind, but make sure it is worthwhile and productive.

As with, for instance, parties and drinking, superficial escapism through feverish activity merely deadens pain temporarily and does not heal.

Giving in to grief is a wonderful and common way to recover from heartache.

There is a ridiculous viewpoint that says it is inappropriate to cry or express one’s emotions through the natural process of crying and sobbing.

This is a denial of nature’s law.

Crying when there is pain or sorrow is normal. It is a stress-relieving mechanism that Almighty God put in the body and ought to be used.

Chapter 17: How to Draw upon That Higher Power

Learning to approach every problem with a positive, upbeat attitude is one way to access that Higher Power.

The amount of faith you muster will directly correlate with how much power you will have to deal with your circumstances.

A fundamental rule of successful living is “According to your faith be it unto you.”

A Higher Power exists, and that Power can take care of everything for you. Make use of it and feel how helpful it is.

Why give up when you have access to that Higher Power? Explain the issue. Request a precise response.

Recognize that you are receiving the response. Believe that you can overcome your challenge right now with God’s assistance.

Thank you for your time.

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