Positive Thinking

A man once telephoned Norman Vincent Peale, (a famous positive thinker). He was despondent and told the reverend that he had nothing left to live for. Peale invited the man over to his office. "Everything is gone, hopeless," the man told him. "I'm living in deepest darkness. In fact, I've lost heart for living altogether."
Norman Vincent Peale smiled sympathetically.
"Let's take a look at your situation," he said calmly. On a sheet of paper he drew a vertical line down the middle. He suggested that they list on the left side the things the man had lost, and on the right, the things he had left. "You won't need that column on the right side," said the man sadly. "I have nothing left, period."
Peale asked, "When did your wife leave you?"
"What do you mean? She hasn't left me. My wife loves me!"
"That's great!" said Peale enthusiastically. "Then that will be number one in the right-hand column—Wife hasn't left. Now, when were your children jailed?"
"That's silly. My children aren't in jail!"
"Good! That's number two in the right-hand column—Children not in jail," said Peale, jotting it down.
After a few more questions in the same vein, the man finally got the point and smiled in spite of himself. "Funny, how things change when you think of them that way," he said.
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