Dr. Peale asks, “Do you ever feel hopeless?” He says, we all must admit to having that problem at times. Even he has felt that way. But right away we suggest that it is possible to drop that hopeless idea because it is entirely unnecessary. You can deal with any situation and the formula is stated clearly and precisely in Luke 24:49, where it says, “…be endued with power from o high.” So never forget that you do not need to feel hopeless ever.

Dr. Peale says that inner peace is a component of joy. Without peace there can be no joy. Without joy there can be no peace. The two of them together lead to healing, to greatness, to long life, to worthwhile life. Dr. Peale shares several stories of those who have found that peace which leads to joy. He says, Personally I’ve never been able to find it in any other place than Jesus. It is true that wondrous peace may be found in the world and its beauty. But Jesus explained that the peace of the world, while it possesses wonderful healing power, will not stay with you permanently. ‘Not as the world giveth,’ is His peace.

Dr. Peale says that the smartest way to outwit a problem is to help someone else with their problem because it takes your mind off your own and gives you the satisfaction of helping someone else. When you return to your own problem, somehow it just doesn’t seem as bad as it was when you started. Christianity and practical matters go together. Trust in the Lord and He will bring it to pass and get you on top of your problems.

Dr. Peale says, you can program yourself for more successful living. And this is what every person should do who wants to live a more successful life. By a more successful life we mean that a person becomes a whole, well organized, well integrated individual, in control of life’s circumstances, doing his or her job with skill and an adequate amount of perfection. Dr. Peale shares a formula by which any person can achieve this level of success in life.

Dr. Peale says, John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may and that they may have it more abundantly.” A new version of the Bible gives that verse in a different way that may be even better, “ I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.” Do you have life in all its fullness? Something can happen to you right now that will make you so enthusiastic and excited that you will have life in all its fullness. The thing in getting a life of this quality is to turn it over to God and let Him do what he wants with it.

Dr. Peale shares the “Law of Attraction.” Like attracts like, birds of a feather flock together. Thoughts of a kind have a natural affinity, so if you constantly send out negative thoughts, in the very nature of the case you will activate the world around you negatively and you tend to draw back to yourself negative thoughts and results. But, if you constantly send out positive thoughts you will activate the world around you positively and draw to yourself positive results.

Dr. Peale says that if you live to be eighty years of age you will live only 29,220 days. If you live to be ninety years of age you will live only 32,874 days, counting leap years. That is the total span of a person’s life on earth. Every day should be taken in hand and held there as very precious and valuable. NVP can’t believe that anyone could ever get bored with life. If you think bored, you’ll be bored. If you think sick, you’ll be sick. If you think weakness, you’ll be weak. Think excitement! God gave you a mind so you could think excitedly. If you think excitedly you’ll make an exciting life.

Dr. Peale says we can stand up to any difficulty. We can stand up to any tragedy or sorrow no matter how great it is. We can reach our goals regardless of opposition and setbacks which face us. We can accomplish anything we want to if we have a mind to. The human mind is a powerful instrument. You can conquer by your mind what you can’t conquer by your body. The human mind is filled with faith and it sends out forces that activate the universe around it and that moves the universe in a positive and victorious manner. No one should underestimate the power of the mind.

NVP says that by the grace of God anything that needs changing can be changed. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone be in Christ they are new creature; old things have passed away; behold all things are become new.” When a person becomes new in Christ, old things, old fears, anxieties, complexes, faults and the like are passed away. On returning to tough old situations that previously defeated one, the situation can be changed because the person is changed.

Dr. Peale says that God planted dreams in your heart and God makes dreams come true because He puts His Spirit in you and helps you to live. He says, “Get a goal and believe in it and trust God to help you and never let it go and you’ll attain your goal.”