The Power of Positive Thinking

In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale says there is no problem or obstacle you can’t overcome with faith and a positive mindset. This self-help classic outlines the practical techniques of applied Christianity to help you take control of the events in your life rather than be directed by them.

Norman Vincent Peale was a Reformed minister who served as the pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City from 1932-1984. He was also an influential author and public speaker, largely because of The Power of Positive Thinking's success.

In this guide, we’ll organize Peale’s lessons into three categories: Faith (underlying beliefs), Positive Thinking (mindset), and Practices (good habits and practical techniques). We'll also compare and contrast Peale’s Christianity-based ideas with those found in other schools of thought, both religious and secular. Additionally, we’ll examine ways to put Peale’s suggestions into practice, regardless of your personal faith (or lack of it).

In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale says there is no problem or obstacle you can’t overcome with faith, positive thinking, and prayer. This self-help classic outlines the practical techniques of applied Christianity to help you take control of the events in your life rather than be directed by them. As a result of these methods, Peale says you can enjoy better relationships, a greater sense of well-being, robust health and energy, and a stronger sense of purpose in the world.

Peale was a Reformed minister who served as the pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City from 1932-1984. He was also an influential author and public speaker, largely because of The Power of Positive Thinking's success.

Peale held a Master of Arts degree in Social Ethics from Boston University and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Syracuse University.

While Peale—who was a Christian minister—drew upon his faith for inspiration and strength, you don’t have to be Christian yourself to benefit from The Power of Positive Thinking.

In many ways, The Power of Positive Thinking is comparable to Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was also founded based on Christian teachings and beliefs, but it has expanded to welcome people of all faiths, as well as those who don’t follow any religion.

To do so, AA reframed God and “Higher Power” (both phrases are prominent in the Big Book) to mean any power that you accept as greater than yourself.

Peale’s ideas fall into three categories:

Faith (underlying beliefs)
Positive Thinking (mindset)
Practices (good habits and practical techniques)
Those three categories form the foundation of his system for living a rich, fulfilling life and accomplishing your goals. We’ll begin with Faith, as your underlying beliefs are the basis for everything you do. Next, we’ll discuss Positive Thinking, which is about actively keeping yourself in a healthy, happy, and productive mind frame. Finally, we’ll move on to specific, practical techniques that Peale suggests for putting his ideas into practice.

In this guide, we’ll compare and contrast Peale’s Christianity-based ideas with those found in other schools of thought, both religious and secular. Additionally, we’ll examine ways to put Peale’s suggestions into practice, regardless of your personal faith (or lack of it).

Part 1: Faith
The first part of Peale’s system is Faith—meaning both faith in the religious sense, and faith in yourself. Peale believes that both types of faith are necessary in order to achieve your goals and live your best life.

Have Faith in Yourself
Peale says that faith in yourself is important to a happy and successful life. Self-confidence leads to achievement and self-realization, helping you release your inner power.

However, Peale adds, not everyone has the power to believe in themselves. Too many people are hampered by feelings of inadequacy, often called an “inferiority complex.” To build up self-confidence, he suggests that you understand the root causes of your sense of inferiority and develop faith in yourself through prayer. He also suggests that you discipline your thoughts by filling your mind with “confidence concepts:” positive affirmations that remind you of your own worth and importance. Finally, he advises you to keep an optimistic attitude in the face of difficulties and remember that God is with you.

(Shortform note: Many people find the root causes of their self-esteem issues in their childhood experiences, such as overly critical parents or poor performance in school. However, the same problems can come from an abusive partner, life events like divorce and unemployment, or ongoing medical issues, just to give a few examples.)

Restore Health With Faith
Peale contends that faith can be a powerful factor in overcoming health obstacles. From his readers and listeners, Peale received numerous examples of healing in which the element of faith is present. In each of these instances, the best resources of medical and psychological science are used in combination with spiritual resources.

In the cases of faith-enhanced healing Peale investigated, he found certain factors to be present. First, the patient is willing to surrender their health into God’s hands. Second, they let go of sin and want their soul cleansed. Third, they believe in the combination of medical resources and the healing power of God. Fourth, they are willing to accept whatever answer God has for them. Finally, they have an unquestioning faith that God can heal.

A researcher’s review of scientific studies on faith healing didn’t reach any strong conclusions about its efficacy. Some of the studies showed that faith healing had positive impacts on health, others showed no effect at all, and a few even showed that faith healing had a negative impact on the patient. Furthermore, the author of the review noted that there are a lot of uncontrolled variables, which make the outcomes of any study on faith healing suspect at best.

However, Peale isn’t advocating for faith healing alone—he repeatedly says that faith power should be used alongside science-based medicine. Whether you believe in divine intervention or think that faith healing is just the placebo effect in action (recovering because...