The Power Of Positive Thinking

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I'm a Christian, so I wasn't opposed to the religious content; it just wasn't what I thought I'd find. With that said, I didn't like how Peale pushed the "health and wealth" gospel. Rather than showing the Christian faith as primarily focused on the spiritual life, Peale described how to use prayer and your relationship with God to succeed materially. A physician friend of mine told of a patient he had who was suffering with severe stomach pains. He told that patient: "the bible says; What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” That man went on to become the top salesman at his company! I have always considered myself to be optimistic and positive. I’m the one in the group that always find inspiration in the bright side, sometimes annoyingly so to everyone else. I had high hopes for The Power of Positive Thinking when I started reading the book, but no matter how hard I tried to stay positive I just could not get passed how ridiculous I felt for reading it. Don’t get me wrong, I pride myself for my positivity in adverse situations, but this book seriously made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.

It might seem strange, but it is easier and seems to require less effort to be negative and think negative thoughts. People are usually not born with a positive mindset. In his book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy explains the mind-focusing techniques that remove the subconscious obstacles that prevent us from achieving success.

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Psychologist Martin Seligman, former APA president and founder of positive psychology, also condemned Peale's methods in his book, Authentic Happiness. He writes that, “positive thinking often involves trying to believe upbeat statements such as 'Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better,' in the absence of evidence, or even in the face of contrary evidence.” [11] Seligman continues his critique saying, “if you can manage the feat of actually believing these sorts of statements, more power to you. Many educated people, trained in skeptical thinking, cannot manage this kind of boosterism.” [11] a b c d CHANDLER, RUSSELL (December 26, 1993). "Norman Vincent Peale, 'Minister to Millions,' Dies: Religion: Mixing faith and psychology, author of 'The Power of Positive Thinking' spread inspiration worldwide". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035 . Retrieved April 17, 2018. Forte AJ, et al. The impact of optimism on cancer-related and postsurgical cancer pain: A systematic review. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.09.008. What drove me nuts about this book was that Peale repeatedly says that he’s offering some solid steps for living a better life, yet he doesn’t really say anything other than, ‘think about it, go see a counselor, and pray, pray, pray!” It’s also obvious that Peale believes that mothers are the root of all evil and trauma in life. In this book, Peale references hundreds of anonymous scholars and professionals who all endorse his ideas, but he rarely goes beyond basic namedropping to gain credibility for his ideas. Peale also repeatedly reminds us that thousands of people have had good results by using these proven methods for better living, but it sounds so vague and braggadocios that it’s hard to take seriously. Many encounter difficulties, obstacles and problems, and tend to focus on them, thereby, maximizing their effect.

During the following years, many new books have appeared on this topic and about the importance of a constructive and positive mindset for achieving success. 7 Positive Thinking Books to Read In this article, I would like to mention a few positive thinking books which you should read. To get a greater benefit from these books, you need to read them several times, imbibe their meaning, and strive to follow what they teach. 1. The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale If you like the quotes, you have just read, imagine how inspiring this book can be. Positive thinking is a skill that you can learn. Make that learning enjoyable and comfortable by reading the Alchemist. Another criticism is that Peale's philosophy is not accomplished through his techniques presented. R. C. Murphy writes that Peale's teachings “endorse the cruelties which men commit against each other” which encourages readers to “give up [their] strivings and feel free to hate as much as [they] like”. Murphy argues that by teaching others to destroy all negativity, Peale is, in fact, fostering negativity and aggression. [8] Harvard scholar Donald Meyer presents a similar criticism in his article "Confidence Man" written in 1955. Meyer writes that The Power of Positive Thinking provides partial awareness to the limitations of the readers, but does not supply the necessary self-confidence to overcome those limitations. He proceeds to compare Peale to a con man saying that the problem with Peale lies in the “paltriness of the confidence he preached. He did not really try to fool you into thinking you could do much, or be much, or live much. He did not make you aware of greater heights any more than of greater abysses.” [10] The truth is that men can have several sorts of pleasure. The true pleasure is the one for which they abandon the other.”

Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life – Spencer Johnson Kim ES, et al. Optimism and cause-specific mortality: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2016; doi:10.1093/aje/kww182. The book asserts that desire, faith, and persistence can propel one to great heights if one can suppress negative thoughts and focus on long-term goals. Dale Carnegie teaches you in this book (“How to stop worrying and start living”), where is the thin line between worrying responsibly and worrying excessively:

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Oct. 20, 2021. Optimism means to project into the future your wishes for a positive outcome. In other words, optimism is hope. Discover in this article, 22 of the best positive thinking books so that you can change your mind and take more advantage of the splendors of life. Gale CR, Mõttus R, Deary IJ, Cooper C, Sayer AA. Personality and risk of frailty: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Ann Behav Med. 2017;51(1):128-136. doi:10.1007/s12160-016-9833-5 If nothing else, there is practical advice for the aid of sleeping, clearing your mind and reducing your level of anger in tense situations. Additionally, I think anyone would be happier and be more pleasant to be around when they shift their thinking to a more positive mindset. This gives exercises to help accomplish that goal.Positive thinking means to keep your mind in the present momentand choose to notice the beautiful things that surround you, giving them more importance.