Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) was an American clergyman, author, and public speaker. He is considered the father of positive thinking and is one of the most read inspirational writers of all time. His best-known self-help book, The Power of Positive Thinking (1952,) contended that the only thing required for success is a positive attitude.
Born in central Ohio to a Methodist family, Peale received divinity training from Boston University and was ordained by the United Methodist Church in 1922. Starting in 1932, for over 50 years, Peale was the pastor of New York City’s Marble Collegiate Reformed Church, where he preached “applied Christianity” and the power of affirmative prayer. In his sermons, lectures, and published works, he persuaded church adherents to think positively. His other notable books include The Art of Living (1937) and The Art of Loving (1948.)
Peale remained popular throughout his life and reached millions of followers through his lectures and writings. He played a principal role in the American religious revival of the 1950s.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Norman Vincent Peale
If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Enthusiasm
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Integrity, Criticism, Praise, Adversity
The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Thinking, Thought, Thoughts
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy…. Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture … Do not build obstacles in your imagination … Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Mind, Success, Power, Helpfulness, Belief, Confidence, Believe, Imagination, Happy, Self Confidence, Happiness
The one person who most blocks you from a full, happy, and successful life is you. He is therefore wise who makes himself an asset. We can be our won worst enemy or best friend. We can be a source of trouble or a cure for trouble. So if you feel empty, as many do, start by getting free from yourself as a first stop to vibrant living.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Being True to Yourself
Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Resentment or grudges do no harm to the person against whom you hold these feelings but every day and every night of your life, they are eating at you.
—Norman Vincent Peale
You can have peace of mind, improved health and an ever-increasing flow of energy. Life can be full of joy and satisfaction.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Life, Living, Satisfaction
Joy increases as you give it, and diminishes as you try to keep it for yourself. In giving it, you will accumulate a deposit of joy greater than you ever believed possible.
—Norman Vincent Peale
It is of practical value to learn to like yourself. Since you must spend so much time with yourself you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Self-love, Satisfaction
When every physical and mental resources is focused, one’s power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Difficulty, Challenges, Obstacles
We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Simplicity
Live your life and forget your age.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Aging, Age
Faith supplies staying power. … Anyone can keep going when the going is good, but some extra ingredient is needed to keep you fighting when it seems that everything is against you.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Faith
It’s always too soon to quit!
—Norman Vincent Peale
What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Adversity, Problems
Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Happiness
Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Self Confidence, Serenity
The first step is to fill your life with a positive faith that will help you through anything. The second is to begin where you are.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Faith
Cushion the painful effects of hard blows by keeping the enthusiasm going strong, even if doing so requires struggle.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Adversity
Always remember, there is more strength in you than you ever realized or even imagined. Certainly nothing can keep you down if you are determined to get on top of things and stay there.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Strength
When you pray for anyone you tend to modify your personal attitude toward him.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Prayer, Forgiveness
Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Belief, Attitude, Business, Desires, Goals, Adversity
There is no sound basis upon which it may be assumed that all poor men are godly and all rich men are evil, no more than it could be assumed that all rich men are good and all poor men are bad.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Wealth
Always remember that problems contain values that have improvement potential.
—Norman Vincent Peale
When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Be interesting, be enthusiastic… and don’t talk to much.
—Norman Vincent Peale
Topics: Speakers, Speaking
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