You’ve probably read “The Power of Positive Thinking” by the great Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Over 20 Million copies have been published in 41 languages, and even more of his wisdom has appeared in the pages of Guideposts, the wonderful little magazine he and his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale co-founded, which now has a circulation of over 4.5 million, years after their passing. Dr. Peale became very famous for, among other things, his positive thinking -based sermons when he pastored New York’s Marble Collegiate Church. When he arrived in 1932, the Church had a membership of 600. When he retired in 1984, membership had topped 5,000. For over three-quarters of a century, people have been hungry for his common sense wisdom on how to find the solutions to difficult situations. Yet in his youth, this great man, admired by millions, had what he described as “the worst inferiority complex of all”. To help himself overcome this burdensome condition, he developed the system of thinking positively which ultimately became the cornerstone of his life’s work. His deep abiding faith allowed him to believe he could overcome anything by positive thinking.
Recently, Guideposts repeated a wonderful story written years ago by Dr. Peale in which he advised that we be “How Thinkers”, rather than “If Thinkers”. Any situation can be resolved by looking at it as “How can I find a way to make this work?” Conversely, obstacles cannot be overcome with the kind of thinking that dwells on “If I had this advantage, I could . . .” Neither with we find remedies in “If only I had been able to . . .”
I was so delighted by this article that I decided to make this theme my mantra for the coming week: “I’m a How Thinker, not an If Thinker”. Remember that the subconscious mind is our solution finder. When we determine a goal, we do not need to immediately have every step necessary for achievement right at the front of our mind. We simply need to know what we want, write it out in very clear, precise terms, and the subconscious will immediately get to work on finding the answers we need to bring it to reality. Then as we review it in completely positive terms, those answers come to us and we are able to achieve the result we desire.
Sue Christensen
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