There are people who firmly believe that their thoughts have the ability to change the direction of their lives, and there are others who think such beliefs are based on fairy tales. I am convinced that there is no other single factor that can alter the course of your life and your business more than learning to control your thoughts. As a general rule, negative thoughts bring negative results, and positive thoughts bring positive results.

In 1952, Norman Vincent Peale wrote a book that has had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people. “The Power of Positive Thinking” has been translated into 41 languages, and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. The information he presented in his little book over 50 years ago is now being backed up by scientific research. Norman Vincent Peale believed that if you change your thoughts, you can change your world.

The problem that many people have with the whole idea of positive thinking is, they tried it — once — didn’t see an immediate change in their circumstances, and abandoned the idea claiming that it didn’t work. Think about it. How many years did it take you to get where you are today? Why then would you expect your circumstances to change overnight? Think of your thoughts being like the rudder on a big ship. You turn the rudder, but the ship doesn’t make an instant, sharp turn in the water. However, the ship has changed course, and gradually, the change in course will become apparent. Your thoughts work the same way. They will begin to change the circumstances of your life and your business, but it will likely take some time to see dramatic results.

The problem is you can’t change all of your circumstances with one new thought when there are 50 other negative thoughts overpowering it. Most of us have heard so-called “facts” about business, money and success for so many years, that we have accepted these as true. Well, I’m going to let you in on a secret: facts are not necessarily truth. Think of facts as a temporary set of circumstances that is subject to change. Think of truth as a future potential.

“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.”

– Norman Vincent Peale

The fact is, you may not be a successful network marketer today, at this very moment. But, the truth is, you can be a successful network marketer. But, it will take a change of thought and some time and effort on your part.

In part two of this series, we’ll talk about weeding and feeding the garden of your mind.