Well, in due course he discovered how to draw upon that
Higher Power, and it changed everything for him. Now he is
a healthy, happy man.
The advice given at the golf club is really very wise.
There
are many people today who are unhappy and depressed and
just not getting anywhere with themselves or with
conditions. And they do not need to be that way.
Really they
271
don't. The secret is to draw upon that Higher Power. And
how is that done?
Let me tell you about a personal experience. When quite
young I was called to a large church in a university
community and many of my congregation were professors in
the university as well as leading citizens of the city.
I wanted
to justify the confidence of those who gave me such an
outstanding opportunity and accordingly worked very hard.
As a result I began to experience overstrain.
Everyone should
work hard, but there is no virtue in overtrying or
overpressing to such an extent that you do not work
efficiently. It is somewhat like making a golf shot.
Try to
"kill" the ball and you execute the shot poorly.
You can do
likewise in your job. I began to get rather tired
and nervous
and had no feeling of normal power.
One day I decided to call on one of the professors,
the late
Hugh M. Tilroe, a great friend of mine. He was a wonderful
teacher, and he was also a great fisherman and hunter.
was a man's man, an outdoor personality.
I knew that if I did
not find him at the university he would be out
on the lake
fishing, and sure enough there he was. He came ashore
at my
hail. "The fish are biting — come on," he said.
climbed in
his boat and we fished awhile.
"What's the matter, son?" he asked with understanding.
I told
him how hard I was trying and that it was getting me down
nervously. "I have no feeling of lift or power," I said.
He chuckled. "Maybe you're trying too hard."
As the boat scraped the shore he said, "Come in the house
with me." As we entered his cabin he ordered, "Lie down
there on that couch. I want to read you something.
Shut your
eyes and relax while I find the quotation."
I did as directed, and thought he was going to read me some
272
philosophical or perhaps diverting piece, but instead
he said,
"Here it is. Listen quietly while I read it to you.
And let these
words sink in. 'Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of
the ends of
the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no
searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the
faint;
and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even
the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they
shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not
faint.'" (Isaiah 40:28-31) Then he asked,
"Do you know from
what I am reading?"
"Yes, the fortieth chapter of Isaiah," I answered.
"I'm glad you know your Bible," he commented. "Why don't
you practice it? Now relax. Take three deep breaths —
and
out slowly. Practice resting yourself in God. Practice
depending upon Him for His support and power. Believe He
is giving it to you now and don't get out of touch
with that
power. Yield yourself to it — let it flow through you.
"Give your job all you've got. Of course you must do that.
But do it in a relaxed and easy manner like a batter
in a big-
league ball game. He swings the bat easy-like, and doesn't try
to knock the ball out of the park. He just does the
best he can
and believes in himself because he knows that he has
lots of
reserve power." Then he repeated the passage again. "
They
that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.' "
That was a long time ago, but I never forgot that lesson.
He
taught me how to draw upon that Higher Power, and believe
me, his suggestions worked. I continue to follow my friend's
advice, and it has never failed me in the more than twenty
years that have passed since then. My life is crowded with
activity but that power formula gives me all the strength I
need.
273
A second method for drawing upon that Higher Power is to
learn to take a positive, optimistic attitude toward every
problem. In direct proportion to the intensity of
the faith
which you muster will you receive power to meet your
situations. "According to your faith be it unto
you," (Matthew 9:29) is a basic law of successful living.
There is a Higher Power, and that Power can do everything
for you. Draw upon it and experience its great helpfulness.
Why be defeated when you are free to draw upon that Higher
Power? State your problem. Ask for a specific answer.
Believe that you are getting that answer. Believe
that now,
through God's help, you are gaining power over your
difficulty.
A man and his wife who were in real trouble came to see me.
This gentleman, a former magazine editor, was a
distinguished figure in music and artistic circles.
Everyone
liked him for his geniality and friendliness. His wife was
held in similar high regard.
She was in poor health and as a result they had retired
to the
country where they were living in semi-seclusion.
This man told me he had experienced two heart attacks,
one
quite severe. His wife was in a steady decline and he was
deeply concerned about her. The question he put was this:
"Can I get hold of some power that can help us recover
ourselves physically and give us new hope and courage
and
strength?" The situation as he described it was a series of
discouragements and defeats.
Frankly I felt that he was a bit too sophisticated
to permit
himself to adopt and utilize the simple trust that
would be
necessary if faith were to rehabilitate him. I told him
I rather
doubted he had the capacity to practice simple faith
enough
to open the sources of power according to the techniques
of
Christianity.
274
But he assured me he was in earnest and was open-minded
and would follow any directions given. I saw his honesty
the real quality of his soul and have had a great affection for
him ever since. I gave him a simple prescription.
He was to
read the New Testament and the Psalms until his mind was
saturated with them. I gave him the usual suggestion of
committing passages to memory. Principally I urged him
to
utilize the formula of putting his life in the hands
God, at
the same time believing that God was filling him
with power,
and his wife also, and that the two of them were
to believe
unfalteringly that they were being guided in even the most
commonplace details of their lives.
They were also to believe that in co-operation with their
physician, whom I happened to know and admire, that the
healing grace of Jesus Christ was being given them. I
suggested that they picture the healing power of
the Great
Physician as already working within them.
Seldom have I seen two people who became more gloriously
childlike in their faith and whose trust was more complete.
They became enthusiastic about the Bible and would often
telephone me about "some wonderful passage" they had just
found. They gave me fresh insights into the truths of the
Bible. It was a truly creative process working with
this man
and his wife.
The next spring Helen (that is the wife's name) said,
"I have
never experienced a more wonderful springtime.
The flowers
this year are the loveliest I have ever seen,
and have you
noticed the sky with its extraordinary cloud
formations and
the delicate colors at dawn and sunset? The leaves seem
greener this year, and I have never heard the birds
sing with
such ecstasy and melody." When she said this there was an
ecstatic light on her face and I knew she had been
reborn in
the spirit. And she began to improve physically, regaining a
large share of her old-time strength. Her native creative
275
power began to flow forth once again and life took on new
meaning.
As for Horace, there has been no more heart trouble, and
physical, mental, and spiritual vigor mark him as
extraordinarily vital. They have moved into a new
community and have become a center of its life. Wherever
they go they touch people with a strange uplifting force.
What is the secret which they discovered? Simply that they
learned to draw upon that Higher Power.
This Higher Power is one of the most amazing facts in
human existence. I am awestruck, no matter how many times
I have seen the phenomenon, by the thorough-going,
tremendous, overwhelming changes for good that it
accomplishes in the lives of people. Personally, I am so
enthusiastic about all that the Higher Power can do for
people that I am loath to bring this book to a close.
I could
recite story after story, incident after incident of those who
by laying hold of this power have had a new birth of life.
This power is constantly available. If you open to it,
it will
rush in like a mighty tide. It is there for anybody
under any
circumstances or in any condition. This tremendous inflow
of power is of such force that in its inrush it drives
everything before it, casting out fear, hate, sickness,
weakness, moral defeat, scattering them as though they had
never touched you, refreshing and restrengthening
your life
with health, happiness, and goodness.
For many years I have been interested in the problem
of the
alcoholic and in the organization known as Alcoholics
Anonymous. One of their basic principles is that before a
person can be helped he must recognize that he is an
alcoholic and that of himself he can do nothing; that
he has
no power within himself; that he is defeated. When he
accepts this point of view he is in a position
to receive help
276
from other alcoholics and from the Higher Power — God.
Another principle is the willingness to depend upon the
Higher Power from whom he derives a strength which he
does not himself possess. The working of this power in men's
lives is the most moving and thrilling fact in this world. No
other manifestation of power of any kind is equal to it.
Materialistic power achievement is a romantic story. Men
discover laws and formulas and harness power to do
remarkable things. Spiritual power also follows laws.
Mastery of these laws works wonders in an area more
complicated than any form of mechanics, namely, human
nature. It is one thing to make a machine work right.
To
make human nature work right is something else. It requires
greater skill, but it can be done.
I sat one day under swaying palm trees in Florida
listening to
the story of a demonstration of Higher Power activity
in the
life of a man who narrowly escaped tragedy.
He told me that
he started drinking at the age of sixteen,
"as it was the so-
called smart thing to do." After twenty-three years,
beginning as a social drinker, he "came to the
end of the road
on April 24, 1947." A growing hatred and bitterness toward
his wife who had deserted him and toward his mother-in-law
and sister-in-law culminated in his decision to kill these three
women. I relate the story as he told it to me, in his own
language.
"To strengthen myself for this gory task I went into a bar. A
few more drinks would give me the courage to commit this
triple murder. As I entered the bar I saw a young man
by the
name of Carl drinking coffee. Although I had hated Carl
from boyhood I was utterly astounded to note his
immaculate
appearance, and I was also astonished to see him drinking
coffee in a bar where he had spent on an average of $400 a
month for drinks alone. Also I was mystified by what
seemed a strange light on his face. Being fascinated
by his
277
appearance, I approached Carl and asked, 'What happened to
you that you are drinking coffee?'
"'I have not had a drink for a year,' Carl replied.
"I was utterly amazed, because Carl and I had been on many
drinking bouts together. A strange incident in this affair is
that even though I hated Carl I was strangely moved.
I could
not help but listen when he asked, 'Ed, did you ever want
to
quit drinking?'
"'Yes, I have quit a thousand times,' I replied.
"Carl smiled and said, 'If you really want to do something
about your problem, get sober and attend a meeting at the
Presbyterian Church at nine on Saturday. It is a meeting
of
Alcoholics Anonymous.'
"I told him I had no interest in religion, but that maybe
I
would come. I was unimpressed, but still I could not get
that
light in his eyes out of my mind.
"Carl did not insist that I attend the meeting, but
repeated
that if I wanted to do something for myself he and his
associates had an answer to my problem. After making that
statement Carl left and I stood up to the bar to order
a drink,
but somehow it had lost its appeal. So, instead, I went
home,
the only home I had remaining, my mother's home.
"May I explain that I had been married for seventeen years to
a very fine girl, but being an impatient person and having no
faith in me due to my drinking, she finally decided upon
getting a divorce, so not only my job and all my material
assets but my home also were completely lost.
"Upon getting to my mother's home I wrestled with a bottle
until 6 A.M., but still could not take the drink.
I kept thinking
of Carl's appearance. So on Saturday morning I went
to Carl
278
and asked him what I could do to keep from taking a drink
until nine o'clock that night when the meeting would
be held.
"Carl said, 'Every time you come to a bar or whisky
sign or
beer garden, just say one little prayer — "Please, God,
get me
past this place,'" and then he added, 'Run like hell.
That will
be cooperating with God. He will hear your prayer and
the
running will be your part.'
"I did exactly as Carl told me to do. For many hours,
anxious
and shaky, accompanied by my sister, I walked around the
streets of the town. Finally at eight o'clock
my sister said,
'Ed, there are seven drinking joints between here
and the
place where you are to attend the meeting. You go by
yourself, and if you don't make it and come home drunk
we
will still love you and hope for the best, but somehow
I feel
that this meeting will be different than any you ever
attended. 1 With God's help I got by those seven places.
"At the church entrance I happened to look around
and the
sign over one of my favorite drinking places glared me
straight in the eyes. The battle to decide whether
to go into
that bar or into the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting
is one I
shall never forget, but a Power greater than myself
pulled me
to the meeting.
"Upon entering the meeting room I was utterly astounded to
receive the firm handshake of my ex-hated friend,
Carl. My
resentment toward him was disappearing. A round of
introductions began to many men in all walks of life —
doctors, lawyers, bricklayers, millwrights, coal miners,
construction workers, plasterers, laborers —
all types were
there. I had been drinking with some of these men
the last
ten to twenty-five years and here they were all sober
on a
Saturday night, and, above all, they were happy.
"What happened at that meeting is rather vague.
All I know
is that a rebirth had taken place. I felt different
deep within.
279
"Happily leaving the meeting room at midnight,
I went home
with a glorious air-lifting feeling and slept peaceably
for the
first time in more than five years. Upon awakening
the next
morning, I recall something clearly saying to me,
'There is a
Power greater than yourself. If you will turn your will
and
your life over to the care of God as you understand Him,
He
will give you strength.'
"It was Sunday morning, and I decided to go to church. I
attended a service where the preacher was a man whom
I had
hated from childhood. (The author wishes to comment
at this
point how inevitably hate is associated with emotional and
spiritual sickness. When the mind is emptied of hate,
a long
step has been taken toward recovery. Love is a tremendous
curative force.) This preacher was one of those sedate,
swallowtailed-coat-wearing Presbyterian ministers.
I had no
use for him, but that was my fault. He was all right
really. I
sat nervously through the singing and the collection
taking.
Then the preacher read his Scripture, and his sermon was
based upon the theme, 'Never belittle anyone's experience —
he had it.' I shall never forget that sermon as long
as I live. It
taught me a valuable lesson — never to belittle
an experience
because someone had it, for he and God know the depth
and
sincerity of that experience.
"Later I came to love this minister as one of the greatest,
most sincere men I have ever known.
"Just where my new life began is a matter that is
difficult to
determine. Whether it was when I met Carl in the bar, or
wrestling past the drinking places, or at the Alcoholics
Anonymous meeting, or at the church, I do not know. But I,
who had been a hopeless alcoholic for twenty-five years,
suddenly became a sober man. I could never have done this
alone, for I had tried it a thousand times and failed. But I
drew upon a Higher Power and the Higher Power, which is
God, did it."
280
I have known the narrator of the foregoing story for
several
years. Since becoming "dry" he has had to face some
difficult financial and other problems. But never once
has he
weakened. In talking with him I find myself strangely
moved. It isn't what he says or even the way he says it,
but
one is conscious of a power emanating from this man.
He is
not a famous person. He is an everyday, hard-working
salesman, but the Higher Power is in him, flowing through
him, operating within his experience, and it transmits
itself to
others. It transmitted itself to me.
This chapter is not intended as a dissertation on
alcoholism,
although I will use still another reference
connection with
this problem. I cite these experiences to show
conclusively
that if there is a Power able to deliver a person from
alcoholism, this same Power can help any other person to
overcome any other form of defeat he may face. There is
nothing more difficult to overcome than the problem of
alcoholism. The Power that can accomplish that
difficult feat
can, I assure you, help you to overcome your difficulties
whatever they may be.
Let me give still another experience. I narrate
this incident
for the same purpose, namely, to emphasize that
there is a
Power which can be applied, drawn upon, and used that
mysteriously but surely gives to people who demonstrate
faith the most remarkable victories.
In the Hotel Roanoke at Roanoke, Virginia, one night a man
who has since become a good friend told me the following
story. Two years before he had read my book, A Guide to
Confident Living. At that time he was considered
by himself
and by others to be an utterly hopeless alcoholic.
He is a
businessman in a Virginia town and is of such ability
that
despite his drinking problem he was able to keep going
with
fair success. He had absolutely no control over
his drinking,
however, and evident deterioration was taking place.
281
Upon reading the book above mentioned, the idea was
lodged in his mind that if he could only get to
New York he
could be cured of his difficulty. He came to New York but
was dead drunk when he arrived. A friend took him to a
hotel and left him. He recovered sufficient
consciousness to
call a bellboy and told him that he wanted to go to the
Townes Hospital, a famous institution for alcoholics,
presided over by the late Dr. Silkworth, one of
the greatest
men in the field of alcoholism — now deceased but
never to
be forgotten.
After robbing him of one hundred or more dollars which he
had in his pocket, the bellboy delivered him to the
hospital.
After several days of treatment, Dr. Silkworth came in
to see
him and said, "Charles, I think we have done for you
all that
we can do. I have a feeling that you are well."
This was not Dr. Silkworth's usual practice, and
the fact that
he handled this case in this manner causes one to
sense the
guiding hand of a Higher Power.
Still somewhat shaky, Charles made his way downtown until
he found himself outside the office door of the Marble
Collegiate Church, 1 West 29th Street, New York City. It
happened to be a legal holiday and the church was closed.
(Other than such holidays the church is always open.) He
stood there hesitantly. He had hoped that he might
go into
the church and pray. Not being able to gain entrance,
he did a
strange thing. He took from his wallet one of his business
cards and dropped it through the mail slot in the door.
The instant he did that a tremendous wave of peace came
over him. He had an amazing sense of release.
He put his
head against the door and sobbed l ik e a baby,
but he knew
that he was free, that some tremendous change
happened
to him the validity of which is attested by the fact
that from
that minute on there has been no turning back.
He has lived
in complete sobriety from that moment.
282
There are several features about this incident
which mark it
as impressive. For one, Dr. Silkworth seemed to have
released him from the hospital at the proper psychological,
spiritual, and shall we say supernatural moment,
indicating
that the doctor himself was the subject of Divine guidance.
When Charles told me this story in the Hotel Roanoke two
years after it happened, I had a feeling as he related
it that I
had heard it before in precise detail. But he had
never told
me this story. In fact, I had never previously
talked to him. It
occurred to me that perhaps he had written the story
to me
and I had read it, but he said he had never
written me. I then
asked him if he had told the story to one of
my secretaries,
associates, or any other person who could have
related it to
me, but he said he had never told the story to any other
individual save his wife and I had not met her until
that
night. Apparently this incident had been transmitted
to my
subconscious at the time it happened for now I
"remembered" it.
Why did he drop the card in the mail slot? Perhaps he was
symbolically reporting to his spiritual home,
reporting to
God. It was a dramatic and symbolic separation of
himself
from his defeat and the turning to a Higher Power
which
immediately took him out of himself and healed him.
The incident indicates that if there is deep desire,
intensity of
longing, and a sincere reaching out after the Power
that it
will be given.
In this chapter I have related victory stories
out of human
experience each in its own way indicating the continual
presence and availability of a life-renewing Power,
beyond
but resident within ourselves. Your problem may not be
alcoholism, but the tact that the Higher Power
can heal a
person of this most difficult malady emphasizes the
tremendous truth related in this chapter and
throughout the
entire book that there is no problem, difficulty,
or defeat that
283
you cannot solve or overcome by faith,
positive thinking, and
prayer to God. The techniques are simple and workable.
And
God will help you always, just as the writer
of the following
letter was helped.
"Dear Dr. Peale: When we think of all the wonderful things
that have happened to us since we first met you
and started
coming to the Marble Church, it seems nothing short of a
miracle. When you realize that just six years ago
this month I
was totally broke — in fact thousands of dollars in debt — a
complete physical washout — and had hardly a friend in the
world because of my excess drinking — you can see why we
have to pinch ourselves every now and then to realize that
our good fortune isn't all a dream.
"As you well know, alcohol wasn't the only problem I had
six years ago. It has been said that I was one of the most
negative people you ever saw. That's only a half truth.
For I
was filled with gripes, all sorts of irritation,
and was one of
the most supercritical, impatient, cocky individuals
that you
could have possibly met even in all your travels.
"Now, please don't think I feel I have overcome all these
obsessions. I haven't. I am one of those people
that have to
do a day-to-day job on myself. But gradually,
by trying to
follow your teachings, I am learning to control myself
and be
less critical of my fellow man. And it is like being
released
from a prison. I just never dreamed that life could be
so full
and wonderful. Sincerely, (Signed) Dick."
Why not draw upon that Higher Power?
284
Epilogue
YOU HAVE FINISHED this book. What have you read?
Simply a series of practical and workable techniques for
living a successful life. You have read a formula
of belief
and practice which should help you win victory over every
defeat.
Examples have been given of people who have believed and
who have applied the suggested techniques. These stories
have been told to demonstrate that through the
same methods
you can obtain the same results as they did. But
reading is
not enough. Now please go back and persistently practice
each technique given in this book. Keep at it until
you obtain
the desired results.
I wrote this book out of a sincere desire to help you.
It will
give me great happiness to know that the book has helped
you. I have absolute confidence and belief in
the principles
and methods outlined in this volume. They have been tested
in the laboratory of spiritual experience and practical
demonstration. They work when worked.
We may never meet in person, but in this book we have met.
We are spiritual friends. I pray for you.
God will help you —
so believe and live successfully.
NORMAN VINCENT PEALE
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