THURSDAY THOUGHTS - The Power of Positive Thinking

I'd like to share some quotes by Norman Vincent Peale with you today. I think each of these quote can and does relate to our cancer journeys. It is my hope that you'll read something here today that will help you in some small way...

(Norman Vincent Peale was a prominant minister in New York, a radio personality, and much more. He is perhaps best know as the author of "The Power of Positive Thinking".)

"Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all. "

As we move forward as survivors, and we start to help others, we will build the self-confidence that might have been damaged as a result of our cancer diagnosis.

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."

Having happy thoughts really does help!

"Drop the idea that you are Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders. The world would go on even without you. Don't take yourself so seriously."

Don't think that you can't stop and take care of yourself. Things will still go on working without you for awhile. Focus just on you and getting better.

"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 up obstacles in your imagination."

You CAN make it through your cancer journey. Just take it one day at a time.


"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."

Sometimes, after surgeries and treatments change our appearance, it's hard to get used to the "new" you - but if you'll try to get to know that new person, you'll find the old you hiding in there somewhere!

"Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are."

I've heard this saying - Cancer is a word, not a sentence. And I think that the fact that you have cancer doesn't have have to be a bad thing. If you can think of cancer not as a terrible thing you have to go through, but as a chance to be molded into a different, even better person, you'll see your cancer journey through different eyes. Attitude really is everything.

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."

It's going to be ok. You'll make it through this. You'll come out better than before. You ARE amazing!

Go out and make it a great day!

-Kara