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The Power of Positive Thinking: 10 Traits for Maximum Results
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An international bestseller with over five million copies in print, The Power of Positive Thinking has helped men and women around the world to achieve fulfillment in their lives through Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s powerful message of faith and inspiration.
In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You’ll learn how to:
· Believe in yourself and in everything you do
· Build new power and determination
· Develop the power to reach your goals
· Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
· Improve your personal and professional relationships
· Assume control over your circumstances
· Be kind to yourself
In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You’ll learn how to:
· Believe in yourself and in everything you do
· Build new power and determination
· Develop the power to reach your goals
· Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
· Improve your personal and professional relationships
· Assume control over your circumstances
· Be kind to yourself
Azioni libro
Inizia a leggereInformazioni sul libro
The Power of Positive Thinking: 10 Traits for Maximum Results
Descrizione
An international bestseller with over five million copies in print, The Power of Positive Thinking has helped men and women around the world to achieve fulfillment in their lives through Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s powerful message of faith and inspiration.
In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You’ll learn how to:
· Believe in yourself and in everything you do
· Build new power and determination
· Develop the power to reach your goals
· Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
· Improve your personal and professional relationships
· Assume control over your circumstances
· Be kind to yourself
In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You’ll learn how to:
· Believe in yourself and in everything you do
· Build new power and determination
· Develop the power to reach your goals
· Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
· Improve your personal and professional relationships
· Assume control over your circumstances
· Be kind to yourself
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Recensioni
I don't often read these motivational texts, but this one I found absolutely inspiring. The author leads by example, and I did find that by following some of the simplest tips I felt a lot better. 'You will suddenly find you love everyone!' enthuses Dr Peale. I must admit I did feel a lot more positive towards others whilst following his advice, and for a crabby old hermit like me that was definitely progress!
This book had a life-changing impact on me. Well worth a read if you are struggling with life answers
You can tell this book is from a different era, but the message still applies. It's a good tool to help me put into practice remembering that God won't let me down, that with His help I can accomplish and get through anything. And that my everyday seemingly ho-hum life is much richer than that.
This is essentially a work for Christians. But here is what I gleaned from it:
- "Prayerise, picturise, actualise" (pp. 63-5).
- "Do you ever 'fume' or 'fret'?" (p. 96).
- "Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-correction" (p. 241).
- "easy power" and "correlated power" (p. 243).
Peale mentions dozens of famous people, including Marcus Aurelius and Edison, and endless examples of faith and positive thinking based on his own experience. His argument is that faith is scientific, and will be proven so. The work reflects many of the conversations I have had with Christian psychologists. It is difficult to be pessimistic when surrounded by such optimism. In the words of my late great-grandmother, "Think positive. Always think positive".
- "Prayerise, picturise, actualise" (pp. 63-5).
- "Do you ever 'fume' or 'fret'?" (p. 96).
- "Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-correction" (p. 241).
- "easy power" and "correlated power" (p. 243).
Peale mentions dozens of famous people, including Marcus Aurelius and Edison, and endless examples of faith and positive thinking based on his own experience. His argument is that faith is scientific, and will be proven so. The work reflects many of the conversations I have had with Christian psychologists. It is difficult to be pessimistic when surrounded by such optimism. In the words of my late great-grandmother, "Think positive. Always think positive".
Most amazing book and amazing man. Loved it..awesome book.
Despite the concern this book may put too much emphasis on positive thinking itself rather than God, it played a critical role in me becoming a Christian 30+ years ago. I figured if all these powerful life changing principles are in the Bible, it must be inspired by Someone.
I've enjoyed reading this book, because it gave me different insights on practical issues a man might to handle in his lifetime.
This is book is a brilliant guide to self-hypnosis and censoring the world to make it fit into your expectations. It propagates arguable ideas that your physical health depends on your thoughts, that the environment doesn't matter, and that anger is a harmful emotion. It is the epitome of powerless thinking of people who lost any hope in their abilities to change anything in the world and, thus, retired to the fantasy realms of flying ponies and positive thoughts attracting positive results.
This classic which was copyrighted in 1952 according to the edition I borrowed from the library is still extremely popular; I wasn’t allowed to renew the book since several potential readers were queuing up for it.The author provides us with techniques by which we can improve our lives, together with case histories of those who have been helped.Rev. Peale apparently travelled around the country (USA) holding talks and so on and constantly met up with people who told him their success stories by using his methods.His favourite affirmation, which is from Philippians 4:13, is “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Not being a keen Bible reader myself, I find this archaic language challenging (and my computer programme Word objects to it too, but I understood it to mean “Through Christ I can do everything that strengthens me.”Peale advises those who feel they lack power and confidence to repeat the sentence several times after getting into bed at night and then three times in the morning before getting up. This should be done with an attitude of faith.One man reported that this formula did wonders for him.The author quotes the psychiatrist Dr Karl Menninger as saying “Attitudes are more important than facts.” He also quotes Emerson as stating “They conquer who believe they can.”We are given many valuable precepts to follow, for example:1)Form a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.2)Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal powers comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel it out.3)Ten times a day repeat “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)4)Put yourself in God’s hands. Simply state “I am in God’s hands.” Then believe you are NOW receiving all the power you need. Feel it flowing into you.5)Practice emptying your mind of fears, hates, insecurities and guilt feelings. Do this at least twice a day. This will give you relief.Practice thinking peaceful thoughts, focusing on words such as “tranquillity” and “serenity”.One of the author’s main pieces of advice is to start to read the Bible.He also recommends “a daily practice of silence”, at least 15 minutes of absolute quiet every twenty-four hours. He quotes Thomas Carlyle as stating “Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves”.He gives us a chapter about how to have constant energy and one about trying “prayer power”.Some negative aspects of the book were as follows:1)At one point Peale rails against communism. “No one has more contempt for communism than I have”. What has that to do with anything?2)Though most of Peale’s clients seem to have been women (nothing has changed there), he addresses the readers as though they’re all men, sometimes advising us to say affirmations or the like while gazing into the mirror in the morning while shaving.I realize that this latter characteristic of the author’s writing was a sign of the times. Everyone was presumed to be male, males after all being the absolutely more important gender (Satire!)Other outdated uses of words were the continual reference to “fine” meaning “good” persons. Catherine Ponder uses this word frequently too. There are also many “gay” people” though the meaning here is the original one, not the one we nowadays attribute to the word.But, to sum up, the book, though markedly dated (and it can’t help that) is well-written, inspiring and filled with effective life-improving spiritual techniques.
Writing: 5.0; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.5; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.0; I believe this is the first book by Dr. Peale that I have read. I love his writing style. He writes in a very conversational tone with interesting anecdotal stories throughout. He certainly shares a very positive message with many Bible verses (KJV). My biggest problem with Peale's writing is that he didn't take a strong stand for Jesus Christ being the only hope of salvation. He shares the message of Christ, but with a very watered-down concept. I have read in other places that while Dr. Peale believes that the individual's only hope in this life and the life to come is a relationship with Christ, he doesn't completely share that message in the writing in this tome. He also has stated that he believed that God wanted him to share a more positive message rather than one that stressed sin and hell. I don't believe you can fully share the message of Christ without dealing with sin, repentance, and faith in Christ alone. This I don't believe Dr. Peale accomplished. Recommend with the above caution. ***September 7, 2019***
Execellent and knowledgable for anyone who is willing to learn and take wisdom.
Because of its influence on American society, this book is of great historical importance. Its influence reaches into the 21st century: President Donald Trump attended Peale's church in Manhattan with his parents, and he and his sisters were both married in the church. Business Insider accurately credited Peale's philosophy of positive thinking with Trump's record of succeeding at everything he set his mind on. (https://www.businessinsider.com/influence-norman-vincent-peale-book-power-positive-donald-trump-2017-1?op=1)
I gave this book two stars (down from three) because I did not find the words, "Love thy enemies." There is advice to send prayers in the direction of strangers in the United States. These two conditions for loving others are significant in that they show Peale's tribalism, his Pauline Christian belief in loving only those one considered to be "brethren" or on the same "team." Praying for a stranger allows one to imagine that person shares one's views, in Peale's case, anti-communism, a dislike of trade unions, Christianity, etc. Nowhere in the book does Peale say that we should love every person in every nation regardless of his or her political views, social practices or religion.
Peale was far less pious than one would think from reading his books. He had no faith that God would direct human political, economic, social and religious affairs on Earth according to His will, and from this lack of faith he became a spokesman for conservative and anti-communist groups. He used his pulpit in Manhattan to repeatedly attack President Roosevelt as he struggled to lift the country out of the Depression, and he chaired a committee which opposed the election of President Kennedy solely on the grounds that he was a Catholic. (https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-true-mission-of-donald-trumps-pastor)
As a friend and supporter of President Nixon, Peale apparently didn't believe that "Thou shalt not kill" applied to killing soldiers and civilians of third-world countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, nor to overthrowing and assassinating foreign leaders who were not viewed as cooperative with U.S. business interests, such as Salvador Allende.
Peale's intended intended audience is strictly limited to businessmen and their wives. Although he extols the virtues of successful people getting out into the wilderness and enjoying the peace and quiet of nature, he has a strange passage about how factory workers should adapt themselves to the rhythm and noise of the machines they are working on, because this would give them more energy and make them more efficient workers. He praises another worker, a gardener, who wields his shovel with ease. This is good advice, but Peale doesn't talk to workers himself; rather he talks about them with their bosses, which allows him to imagine that they are anti-union, hate communism, love capitalism, etc.
Peale says in the book that he learned about the power of the mind "many years ago" from a man who had a "vast audience." From Carol George's biography, God's Salesman, this seems to be Elwood Worcester. George traces Peale's influences--William James, Worcester, Emerson, Mary Baker Eddy and Phineas Quimby--and reading any one of these would be a better investment of one's time than reading Peale's philosophical hodgepodge. Or one could simply read and listen to Lester Levenson, who went further than any of them.
I gave this book two stars (down from three) because I did not find the words, "Love thy enemies." There is advice to send prayers in the direction of strangers in the United States. These two conditions for loving others are significant in that they show Peale's tribalism, his Pauline Christian belief in loving only those one considered to be "brethren" or on the same "team." Praying for a stranger allows one to imagine that person shares one's views, in Peale's case, anti-communism, a dislike of trade unions, Christianity, etc. Nowhere in the book does Peale say that we should love every person in every nation regardless of his or her political views, social practices or religion.
Peale was far less pious than one would think from reading his books. He had no faith that God would direct human political, economic, social and religious affairs on Earth according to His will, and from this lack of faith he became a spokesman for conservative and anti-communist groups. He used his pulpit in Manhattan to repeatedly attack President Roosevelt as he struggled to lift the country out of the Depression, and he chaired a committee which opposed the election of President Kennedy solely on the grounds that he was a Catholic. (https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-true-mission-of-donald-trumps-pastor)
As a friend and supporter of President Nixon, Peale apparently didn't believe that "Thou shalt not kill" applied to killing soldiers and civilians of third-world countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, nor to overthrowing and assassinating foreign leaders who were not viewed as cooperative with U.S. business interests, such as Salvador Allende.
Peale's intended intended audience is strictly limited to businessmen and their wives. Although he extols the virtues of successful people getting out into the wilderness and enjoying the peace and quiet of nature, he has a strange passage about how factory workers should adapt themselves to the rhythm and noise of the machines they are working on, because this would give them more energy and make them more efficient workers. He praises another worker, a gardener, who wields his shovel with ease. This is good advice, but Peale doesn't talk to workers himself; rather he talks about them with their bosses, which allows him to imagine that they are anti-union, hate communism, love capitalism, etc.
Peale says in the book that he learned about the power of the mind "many years ago" from a man who had a "vast audience." From Carol George's biography, God's Salesman, this seems to be Elwood Worcester. George traces Peale's influences--William James, Worcester, Emerson, Mary Baker Eddy and Phineas Quimby--and reading any one of these would be a better investment of one's time than reading Peale's philosophical hodgepodge. Or one could simply read and listen to Lester Levenson, who went further than any of them.
Overall, "The Power of Positive Thinking" is a good and decent book. It is a bit aged. The dialog, illustrations, and references are obviously from a bygone era (1950s). But, the overall premise of the book is quite simple and relevant today: Utilizing the art of visualization and having faith in the visual. Believing in what you want in order to succeed and make happen. Peale uses various Biblical text to support the view that you can make happen anything you want to as long as it fits within God's will. In general I agree with this premise. But, Peale seems to place more faith on the visualization itself rather than placing the faith in God alone. And, there seemed to be a high emphasis on achieving great business success throughout the book. But, I enjoyed the relaxation techniques Peale offers throughout this book. And, I like the technique of repetitive self-talk, Scripture memory, and imagery of peace and tranquility in order to sustain harmony and calm in ones life. I also appreciated Peale's encouragement to not let any negative thoughts enter into the mind. The minute it does, put an end to it and immediately replace it with a positive thought. I also appreciate Peale's call to sustain a pure and positive mind, free of worry and anxiety, as it will inevitably lead to a healthy body (healthy mind = healthy body). There were many good Scripture verses and passages scattered throughout the book; verses that offer encouragement, hope, and strength. The one thing that is missing from this book is a general summarization of all the practical techniques mentioned throughout the book. It seems the techniques were a bit obscure and hard to find at times. It would have been nice for Peale to have brought it altogether. Nevertheless, the book is good. I highly recommend it to those who struggle with anxiety and worry like myself. I also recommend it to those who may suffer from low self esteem.
Best book