It is difficult to keep the motivation and enthusiasm of a new start going. Ezekiel 18:31 says, “Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” With a new heart and a new spirit you get an objective, a purpose. And what ever that spirit is is what you will be. NVP says, “Get and objective, build it into your consciousness, feed motivation, enthusiasm and positive ideas into your attitude. Don’t teach your consciousness negative lessons.

Dr. Peale spoke with a man before giving a speech one night. He claimed to have a life or death problem. NVP gave him three things for advice. 1.) Hang in there. 2.) The prayer-think formula. 3.) Be thankful that God has entrusted you with the responsibility of a great big tough problem. He saw the man later and he told NVP how well his advice had worked, so he made a sermon out of it.

Dr. Peale tells the story of a friend of his who was very poor as a child. He walked by the office of a big newspaper and visualized himself as editor one day. NVP says the image was formed then. He is now the editor of a big newspaper. Dr. Peale says take it up with Christ and pray about what you want to be. Get that goal into your life with Jesus and you will achieve your goals. Everyone should be motivated and visualize themselves as they want themselves.

Dr. Peale says when anybody really gets with Jesus Christ it does something to their mind. It makes a brilliant person out of them. If you get your life changed so that you move away from what you are to what you can become, then you enter into a power that is really tremendous. Romans 12:2 says, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Dr. Peale quotes William James who said, “Belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that will guarantee the success of any venture.” A believer is a tremendous person who sweeps everything before him or her because their mental attitude and grasp on life are full of power. The magic word is called, belief!

Dr. Peale quotes Freud’s words, “The chief duty of a human being is to endure life.” NVP says, “The chief duty of a human being is to master life, to rise above it. I John 5:4 says, “This is the victory that overcomes the world…” and John 10:10 says, “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Dr. Peale says, that is the secret of health, happiness and life itself.

Progress is the law of God and therefore of a wonderful life. Dr. Peale says that, “Progress toward realizing yourself fully, to reach your full potential, peace of mind, serenity of heart and good health are key.” He tells sales conventions he speaks to that, “How you start your day sets the tone for the day. Sing in the shower, shampoo out negative thoughts.”

Dr. Peale tells his listeners at Marble Collegiate Church that whatever their trouble they have come to the chief power center in the world for dealing with trouble, the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest scientist, He can enter the complexities of our lives and change them for the better. The Gospel is full of power it tells us that “As many as received Him to them He gave power…”

Dr. Peale tells us that worry is a habit we acquire, we aren’t born with it. He says he preaches on worry at least twice a year because it is a pernicious disease which has been called the great modern plague. How do you get rid of the worry habit? Mark 5:36 says, “Be not afraid, only believe.” Substitute worry with faith. If you truly believe that Jesus is with you always, you’re not going to worry or be afraid.

NVP says that energy is the “IN” word these days. The lack of it in all forms is discussed in the news media. But he isn’t concerned about this lack, he feels peoples ingenuity will find a solution. He is more concerned with the lack of personal energy. God gave people illimitable energy, so if you are running out, it means you’ve been cut off from the source of supply. Isaiah 40:31 says “ They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles…” Dr. Peale offers a formula for putting this into practice. First think energy, secondly act energy and in the third place draw energy, if you do you will have energy.