Power Of Positive Thinking

?So,? I said, ?suppose we take a piece of paper and write down the values you have left.?

?There?s no use,? he sighed. ?I haven?t a single thing left. I thought I told you that.?

I said, ?Let?s just see anyway.? Then asked, ?Is your wife still with you??

?Why, yes, of course, and she is wonderful. We have been married for thirty years. She would never leave me no matter how bad things are.?

?All right, let us put that down?your wife is still with you and she will never leave you no matter what happens. How about your children? Got any children??

?Yes,? he replied, ?I have three and they are certainly

wonderful. I have been touched by the way they have come

to me and said, ?Dad, we love you, and we?ll stand by you.? ?

?Well, then,? I said, ?that is number two?three children who love you and who will stand by you. Got any friends?? I asked. asked.

?Yes,? he said, ?I really have some fine friends. I must admit they have been pretty decent. They have come around and said they would like to help me, but what can they do? They can?t do anything.?

?That is number three?you have some friends who would like to help you and who hold you in esteem. How about your integrity? Have you done anything wrong??

?My integrity is all right,? he replied. ?I have always tried to do the right thing and my conscience is clear.?

?All right,? I said, ?we will put that down as number four? integrity. How about your health??

?My health is all right,? he answered. ?I have had very few sick days and I guess I am in pretty good shape physically.?

?So let?s put down as number five?good physical health. How about the United States? Do you think it?s still doing business and is the land of opportunity??

?Yes,? he said. ?It is the only country in the world I would want to live in.?

?That is number six?you live in the United States, land of opportunity, and you are glad to be here.? Then I asked, ?How about your religious faith? Do you believe in God and that God will help you??

?Yes,? he said. ?I do not think I could have gotten through this at all if I hadn?t had some help from God.?

?Now,? I said, ?let?s list the assets we have figured out:

?1. A wonderful wife?married for thirty years.

?2. Three devoted children who will stand by you.

?3. Friends who will help you and who hold you in esteem.

?4. Integrity?nothing to be ashamed of.

?5. Good physical health.

?6. Live in the United States, the greatest country in the world.

?7. Have religious faith.?

I shoved it across the table at him. ?Take a look at that. I guess you have quite a total of assets. I thought you told me everything had been swept away.?

He grinned ashamedly. ?I guess I didn?t think of those things. I never thought of it that way. Perhaps things aren?t so bad at that,? he said pensively. ?Maybe I can start all over again if I can just get some confidence, if I can get the feel of some power within me.?

Well, he got it, and he did start all over again. But he did so only when he changed his viewpoint, his mental attitude. Faith swept away his doubts, and more than enough power to overcome all his difficulties emerged from within him.

This incident illustrates a profound truth which is expressed in a very important statement made by the famous psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger. He said, ?Attitudes are more important than facts.? That is worth repeating until its truth grips you. Any fact facing us, however difficult, even seemingly hopeless, is not so important as our attitude toward that fact. How you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You may permit a fact to overwhelm you mentally before you start to deal with it actually. On the other hand, a confident and optimistic thought pattern can modify or overcome the fact altogether.

I know a man who is a tremendous asset to his organization, not because of any extraordinary ability, but because he invariably demonstrates a triumphant thought pattern.