Pushpa Priya

Positive thinking develops antibody and boosts the immunity system in our body, especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conquering the second wave of the pandemic is more challenging compared to the challenges we had faced when the first wave of the pandemic had spread.

Preventive Measures
However, the dreaded pandemic can be triumphed by adopting some effective preventive measures along with practising methods that aim at connecting us to the divine light of consciousness while performing every task.
When the divine light blooms within us through the practice of meditation, yoga or any selfless service, life ensures us with a meaning to live a life in a fearless state that is the source of peaceful existence.
At this crucial juncture, what guided me to pick up this issue is heart-wrenching stories being displayed every day on social media. It is very hard for us to witness the sufferings of our compatriots, many of who have lost their lives and loved ones.
Reading different inspirational books might help in healing the level of stress. This write-up intends to discuss a short review and recommendation of the book entitled "The Power of Positive Thinking" written by Dr Norman Vincent Peale as it fills one's mind with strength and courage through believing in positive thoughts and divine connection.
Norman Vicent Peale is one of the most influential clergymen of his time and the writer of forty-six books. The book "The Power of Positive Thinking" has a very powerful influence on many in terms of shaping the mind in a positive direction through Peale's powerful message of faith and inspiration.
It comprises seventeen chapters each focusing on imbibing self-confidence for self-realization and satisfying achievements through many illustrations. Countless people on this planet are not able to enjoy this short life that is what moves the author to write this book. Dr Peale demonstrates the power of faith in determining happy and successful life.
Life fluctuates where encountering defeat in every day’s life is a common facing problem among many people since they are unknown to the strategies to get rid of them. In this book, the author has emphasized method and spirit that can help readers to get out of these daily problems in form of struggles.
Improvement
The book is a personal improvement manual by which readers may be several benefitted in the context of assuring them with a calm, composed, contented and happy life. The author has used very simple, lucid and understandable language to make the readers fully grasped the contents. He has advised the readers to take a great initiative in overcoming the riddles of life. Fulfilling of one's dreams, aspirations and ambitions with divine connectivity are other tips of the writer.
The readers of this book can learn numerous things like self-belief, faith in healing self, power of a peaceful mind and prayers and ways to break bad habit.
Also included in the book are tips such as how to be kind to oneself, how to create own happiness, power to solve personal problems, relaxation for easy power, ways to improve personal and professional relationships, controlling your circumstances and, most importantly, developing the power to reach the goals of new positive thoughts in remaking you.
Peale's scientific and simple principles of achievement, health and happiness shape the well-being of an individual. He believes consistent repetition of any habit makes second nature and this concept is very well demonstrated in the book.
Inferiority complex in form of self-doubt is one of the major hindrances in the path of succession; the author has very well interpreted to fill the mind to overflowing faith in God that works miraculously. It emphasizes practising faith techniques. Specific formulas of prayer are also the subject of discussion; that is scientific and comes up with proven results.
He suggests driving prayers deep into doubts, fears and inferiorities through praying deeply that will result in powerful and vital faith. Diligently practising thoughts of confidence and courage will imbibe self-confidence to achieve the best in both personal and professional life.
The ideas like remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can defeat you. Believe that you can receive power from him is the very powerful message the author has given to the readers in the very first chapter of this book.
He has directed how one can replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts, and guiding one to make a true estimate of one's abilities to develop wholesome self-respect that trains the subconscious mind. The author has very well described the way to create own happiness in chapter five of the book.

Important Idea
It has given the readers an important idea to generate happiness within through practising a formula for happiness. He has stated that happiness is developed by simply practising happy thinking. For this, a mental list of happy thoughts should be made and inserted into the mind several times every day. If unhappiness thought should enter your mind, immediately stop, consciously eject it, and substitute with a happy thought.
Every morning happy thoughts should be diligently practised to make the whole day refreshing. In addition, the author has very well directed the readers on the ways to break the worrying habit in chapter nine of the book.
For this, he has presented the perspectives of different personalities like psychologists, neurologist and surgeons. A very relevant message is delivered in this chapter about eliminating the thoughts of anxiety and fear. The last five minutes of going to sleep are of extraordinary importance as these thoughts deeply engraved in our subconscious mind.
I highly recommend the book, "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale to everyone who desires to live a healthy, contented, successful, peaceful and happy life.
The book is a great inspiration as it helps in overcoming the riddles of life that the future has planned for us like COVID 19, pandemic. The readers may benefit from a positive mindset that is the basic source of happiness.

(The author teaches English at a college)