by Napoleon Hill
Available in 122 free installments
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One thousand two hundred and nineteen deaths in the construction of the Panama Canal! (There were four thousand seven hundred sixty-six additional fatalities during the construction of this project from other
causes.)
Ninety-seven deaths in the building of Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia River Basin Project!
Of course, no one actually knows when tragedy will strike. But it always is better to be prepared. You will be prepared if you have a positive mental attitude. Aunt Kitty was.
When tragedy strikes! Aunt Kitty lost her only son when he was nine years old. Like many good housewives and mothers, she had no business training. But Aunt Kitty did have a strong religious faith. She knew that in spite of her great loss, it was her job to go on living and contributing her share to make this world a better world to live in. But how could she maintain physical and mental health so that she could go on?
Aunt Kitty decided that in order to ease her pain and fill the great void in her life she would have to: keep very busy and do whatever her abilities would permit to make other people happy, since she could no longer do this for her son.
So she got a job as a waitress in a busy restaurant. Her hours were long. Her work made it mandatory to talk with people and to act cheerful. Faith in her religion and a sincere interest in other people, combined with work and time, neutralized her pain and saved her physical and mental health.
Actually, your health may be affected by many internal influences. And some of these influences may be mental figments of the imagination.
High school girl gets pains before examinations! Because of the inter-relationship between the mind and body, the subconscious mind may create apparent bodily disorders induced by emotional disturbances to bring about a specific desired result. A true life experience will prove the point.
A high school girl experienced severe backaches the morning of any day on which she was to take a German or history examination. She didn't like either subject. She wasn't properly prepared. Her pains were so severe that she believed she couldn't get up from bed. She was not pretending. She suffered.
A peculiar characteristic of the pain was that about 3:30 in the afternoon, when school was over for the day, the pain would subside. On the same evening when her boyfriend came to call, the pain would marvelously disappear!
This girl, you probably are thinking, could do with a little psychiatry. She could. She and many others like her have been
helped through religion and psychiatry. The two are not as far apart as many may think. Why?
Religion and psychiatry. Rules and regulations for physical and mental health and a longer life were woven into religion long before words similar to physiology, psychology, and psychiatry became part of any language. This is especially true regarding the application of techniques affecting the subconscious mind.
It is easy to see why psychiatric clinics and counseling services are becoming an integral part of church organizations regardless of their religious denominations.
The minister to millions helps the sick! The Rev. Norman Vincent Peale and Smiley Blanton, M.D., established The American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry, which is now known as the Institutes of Religion and Health. It is a nonprofit, nonsectarian clinic in New York City. Anyone with an emotional problem is eligible for help regardless of race, religion, or ability to pay. Today there is a full and part time professional staff of thirtyfive composed of psychiatrists, ministers, psychologists, and psychiatric social workers.
If you would like information on how to establish a counseling service in your church, write the Institutes.
What lies ahead? Mental and physical health are two great rewards of a positive mental attitude. It is true: a positive mental attitude takes effort, patience, and practice to gain and maintain. But a definite purpose, clean and clear thinking, creative vision, courageous action, persistence and true perception, all applied with enthusiasm and faith will go far to help you achieve and maintain a positive mental attitude.
And what lies ahead as you approach your definite goals?
Happiness lies ahead.
If you are happy now, you will wish to maintain and increase this wonderful happiness which you already have. If you are not happy now, you will want to learn how you can be happy. Let's turn to Chapter 18, entitled "How To Be Happy" to find additional PMA success principles to speed us in our pursuit of happiness.
PILOT NO. 17 Thoughts to Steer By
