Chapter 9 How to Break the worry habit

What is one tool that Dr. Peale cites as a great way to rid oneself of worry?

Practise emptying the mind daily. This should be done preferably before retiring at night to avoid the retention by the consciousness of worries while you sleep. During sleep, thoughts tend to sink more deeply into the subconscious. The last five minutes before going to sleep are of extraordinary importance, for in that brief period the mind is most receptive to suggestion. It tends to absorb the last ideas that are entertained in waking consciousness.

How can silencing the mind help to strengthen one's faith, as mentioned in the chapter?

What does Dr. Peal mean when he uses Imagineering?

‘Imagineering’ is the use of mental images to build factual results, and it is an astonishingly effective procedure. Imagination is not simply the use of fancy. The word imagination derives from the idea of imaging. That is to say, you form an image either of fear or of release from fear. What you ‘image’ (imagine) may ultimately become a fact if held mentally with sufficient faith.

Therefore hold an image of yourself as delivered from worry and the drainage process will in time eliminate abnormal fear from your thoughts. However, it is not enough to empty the mind, for the mind will not long remain empty. It must be occupied by something. It cannot continue in a state of vacuum. Therefore, upon emptying the mind, practise refilling it. Fill it with thoughts of faith, hope, courage, expectancy. Say aloud such affirmations as the following: ‘God is now filling my mind with courage, with peace, with calm assurance. God is now protecting me from all harm. God is now protecting my loved ones from all harm. God is now guiding me to right decisions. God will see me through this situation’.

Can you provide an example where you combatted fear and worry and found success?

Ten rules for eliminating hurry

1. Say to yourself: “Worry is just a very bad mental habit. And I can change any habit with God’s help.” 2. You became a worrier by practicing worry. You can become free of worry by practising the opposite and stronger habit of faith. With all the strength and perseverance you can command, start practising faith.

3. How do you practise faith? First thing every morning before you arise say out loud. ‘I believe’, three times.

4. Pray, using this formula: ‘I place this day, my life, my loved ones, my work in the Lord’s hand. There is no harm in the Lord’s hands, only good. Whatever happens, whatever results, if I am in the Lord’s hands it is the Lord’s will and it is good.’

5. Practise saying something positive concerning everything about which you have been talking negatively. Talk positively. For example, don’t say: ‘This is going to be a terrible day’. Instead, affirm: ‘This is going to be a glorious day’. Don’t say: “I’ll never be able to do that.” Instead, affirm: ‘With God’s help I will do that’.

6. Never participate in a worry conversation. Shoot an injection of faith into all your conversations. A group of people talking pessimistically can infect every person in the group with negativism. But by talking things up rather than down, you can drive off that depressing atmosphere and make everyone feel hopeful and happy.

7. One reason you are a worrier is that your mind is literally saturated with apprehension thoughts, defeat thoughts, gloomy thoughts. To counteract, mark every passage in the Bible that speaks of faith, hope, happiness, glory, radiance. Commit each to memory. Say them over and over again until these creative thoughts saturate your subconscious mind. Then the subconscious will return to you what you have given it, namely, optimism, not worry.

8. Cultivate friendships with hopeful people. Surround yourself with friends who think positive, faith-producing thoughts and who contribute to a creative atmosphere. This will keep you re-stimulated with faith attitudes.

9. See how many people you can help to cure their own worry habit. In helping another to overcome worry you get greater power over it within yourself.

10. Every day of your life conceive of yourself as living in partnership and companionship with Jesus Christ. If He actually walked by your side, would you be worried or afraid? Well, then, say to yourself: ‘He is with me’. Affirm aloud: ‘I am with you always’. Then change it to say: ‘He is with me now’. Repeat that affirmation three times every day.