Are you familiar with the teachings of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale?

I first read The Power of Positive Thinking when I was a kid, somewhere between the ages of 10 – 12. I picked it back up again and have been reading it over the past couple of months. Even better is a cassette tape collection that I’ve been listening to; it has the same title as the book, and Norman Vincent Peale speaks on each tape. They’ve been having an excellent effect on my attitude and motivation, and I love the simple exercises Dr. Peale gives you to change your thoughts, which will in turn effect your motivation.

In my experience, it is so much easier to keep your motivation up when you’re feeling great (because you’re thinking great!), compared to when you are thinking negatively. The more negatively based your thoughts are, the more difficult it will be to stay motivated. Of course, we are talking about your motivation to eat well and exercise, however your motivation, inspired by your positive thoughts, will affect every area of your life.

The Power of Positive Thinking also delves into the power of prayer and faith in your life, using prayer to turn many of your negative, self-sabotaging thoughts around. This reminds me that I need to start writing about how spirituality plays a part in your whole, healthy lifestyle. Your well being, body, mind, and spirit are all interconnected after all. 😉

You simply won’t be very motivated to take care of your health if you don’t feel good about yourself, and your feelings are fueled by your thoughts. Get your thoughts in line, focused on the positive in your life, and then you will find it much easier to take the action of eating whole, healthy foods, and maintaining a regular exercise program.

I don’t know if the same cassette program (that I’m listening to) is still available, however I have found a CD version of The Power of Positive Thinking on Amazon. Actually though, I recommend any of Dr. Peale’s works to you.

I firmly believe that the one of the best thing that you can do for yourself to lose weight and shape up is to work on your thoughts, mainly your thoughts about yourself. You could have the healthiest eating and exercise program in your hands, but it’s likely you won’t implement it if your head isn’t in the right place. Or, if you do, you will end up sabotaging yourself.

You deserve to enjoy the best health possible; don’t let yourself, your negative thinking stand in your way!