April 16, 2018

April blogging #A-Z 2018- N

This post is written for the April blogging #A-Z 2018.
I have chosen the theme Books and Authors for this year.

N -Norman Vincent Peale


While thinking about the letter N – I could not think of any book, neither author, so I cleaned my cupboard and took out all my old books to see if I can get a book with NJ or an author with this letter. I found Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Living” and another one “Why some Positive thinkers get Powerful Results.

I was so happy to find these two old books, I dusted it and tried just briefly scanning through some pages and I found some places I have underlines and marked in pen.  This book came into my life when I was an adolescent very insecure, with  poor self concept and victim of my own circumstances and situations, somehow I never believed in myself and always thought that I was not beautiful and always compared myself with others and used to feel miserable.

I started reading this book and was very impressed with Norman Vincent Peale’s personal experiences of how he came out of his shyness and how the professors helped him to believe in himself and have faith in God. I started believing in God, trusting in his goodness and gradually developed self confidence. I was also very motivated with some of the letters Norman Vincent Peale shared about people who have written personal letters, appreciating him for the help they got from him and his books.

This is a small book with 250 pages with 15 chapters and every chapter has a heading focused on how positive thinking works, being a believer and achiever, knock the “T” off from can’t and so on. At the end of every chapter there is a sum up of the chapter in few main points to remember. I liked a few points below:

Beyond positive thinking is positive living
A thought can ruin you, but a thought can also make you.
Believe in people –don’t use them.
Replace negative attitudes with constant affirmation and optimism
Have faith that what you need will be given to you
Get rid of low self esteem – believe in yourself.
We believe what we think”
Be self confident, have faith and persevere
The last page also has a summing up in points

I kept this personal copy carefully so that whenever I used to feel low, sad, I would just pick up this book and  read and I would feel much better and very positive . Towards the ending Norman Vincent Peale suggests a simple exercise of listing down assets…and to keep adding thus increasing the enthusiasm and excitement. On the other side of paper list down debits, with wit and humor adds another way to be enthusiastic is to act “as if” the principle was described by Prof. William James, one of the early leaders in psychology. Wherein the person wishing to cultivate a better way of thinking with acting out in faith long enough to become acted.

I feel happy to have read both the books and also another book by Norman Vincent Peale. He did make a difference to my thinking style. He died at the age of 95 and am grateful for all that I have learnt from his books.

Thanks for reading my post. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Be Blessed & Be happy J

4 comments:

  1. Have not read his books but love the inspiring and uplifting thoughts that you have shared from his books. Thanks Genevive!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Norman Vincent Peale was quite popular in my youth days and these were the earliest books that I have read and it used to be making a great impact on my mind and influenced me positively:) Thanks for being here shilpa, appreciate you for your prompt and disciplined posts and comments ... I need to learn so much from you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Constructive thoughts for a better and positive world. We all need them!

    ReplyDelete

Recent Comments

Recent Comments Widget