Quotes from Norman Vincent Peale

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.

America has become so tense and nervous it has been years since I have seen anyone sleep in church - and that is a sad situation.

It takes struggle, a goal and enthusiasm to make a champion.

All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do.

Age-based retirement arbitrarily severs productive persons from their livelihood, squanders their talents, scars their health, strains an already overburdened Social Security system, and drives many elderly people into poverty and despair. Ageism is as odious as racism and sexism.

Live your life and forget your age.

It is of practical value to learn to like yourself. Since you must spend so much time with yourself you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship.

All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do.

Life's blows cannot break a person whose spirit is warmed at the fire of enthusiasm.

If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.

Never talk defeat. Use words like hope, belief, faith, victory.

Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.

Understanding can overcome any situation, however mysterious or insurmountable it may appear to be.

If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.

If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm.

There is a real magic in enthuiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.

Lots of people limit their possibilities by giving up easily. Never tell yourself this is too much for me. It's no use. I can't go on. If you do you're licked, and by your own thinking too. Keep believing and keep on keeping on.

The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have

Think excitement, talk excitement, act out excitement, and you are bound to become an excited person. Life will take on a new zest, deeper interest and greater meaning. You can think, talk and act yourself into dullness or into monotony or into unhappiness. By the same process you can build up inspiration, excitement and surging depth of joy.

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.... Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture ... Do not build obstacles in your imagination ... Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.

Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture.

Whena person applies enthusiasm to his job, the job will itself become alive with exciting new possibilities.

Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving,and of families united.

A masterful retreat is itself a victory.