INTRODUCTIONPositive Thinking is a Bunch of Crap and Crap Makes Great FertilizerA positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoyenough people to make it worth the effort.Herm AlbrightAt some point in your life, youve probably heard about the power of positivethinking. Basically, this is a theory that contends if you believe good things willhappen to you, there will be some sort of cataclysmic shift in the energiessurrounding you which will actually cause good things to happen to you. For asmany people who believe in the power of positive thinking, there are many more whobelieve its all a bunch of New Age pop psychology drivel or sugar-coated Peter Panplatitudes.Heres the kicker: theyre all right.You see, positive thinking is a system of beliefs. So if you believe it doesnt workthen, of course, it wont work. And if you believe it does work...well, you get the idea.For non-believers, using positive thinking is like trying to get a job after high school.You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get the experience. It can bedifficult to know where youre supposed to start. But just like any other process, thekey to making positive thinking work for you is to start small. Plant seeds, if you will,and then learn how to tend and cultivate those seeds until you have a mental gardenthat bears a phenomenal crop, year after year. Anything is possible with positive7thinking...even if you do believe its all a bunch of crap.Norman Vincent Peale, the father of positive thinking, once said: If you have zestand enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind. This isthe essence of positive thinking. Its not so much a theory as it is a contagiousdisease. Just as anger and negativity spread quickly from person to person, so dohumor and happiness- only good feelings spread far faster. Think about it: have youever noticed that the quickest way to ease a tense situation is to make a joke? Theinstant someone laughs or smiles, a sense of relief spreads through everyone in thevicinity. Even if the angered parties dont feel better, they are at least able to discussthe problem in a detached and objective way, and get on with their lives instead ofdwelling on negativity. For that same reason, solo drivers who get cut off in traffictend to remain angry for at least the rest of the drive- because there is no one elsenear them to send out good vibrations and break the tension. Makes sense, doesntit?If youve picked up this book and read this far, the seeds of belief are already there.Your next step is to clear your minds garden of doubt and get ready to plant. Youlllearn how to take all that negativity and mulch it down into fertilizer that will letyour possibilities grow.Now grab your shovel, and lets head in to the garden.