The Victory Groove or Throw Your Heart Over the Bar

On my morning walks I love to listen to inspirational audio books. I feel like it is a kind of brain washing--a good kind. I overwhelm any negative and/or anxious thoughts with positive ones. I find that for my daily “treatment”, the sweeter and cornier the book the better. My current favorite is Norman Vincent Peale reading from an abridged version of his classic “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Here is an excerpt:

“A famous Trapeze artist was instructing his students how to perform on the high trapeze bar. Finally, having given full explanations and instruction in this skill, he told them to demonstrate their ability.

One student, looking up at the insecure perch upon which he must perform, was suddenly filled with fear. He had a terrifying vision of himself falling to the ground. He couldn’t move a muscle, so deep was his fright. ‘I can’t do it! I can’t do it!’ he gasped.

The instructor put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and said, “Son, you can do it, and I will tell you how.” Then he made a statement which is of inestimable importance. It is one of the wisest remarks I have ever heard. He said, ‘Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.’…

Heart is the symbol of creative activity. Fire the heart with where you want to go and what you want to be. Get it fixed so deeply in your unconscious that you will not take no for an answer…’Throw your heart over the bar’ means to throw your affirmation over every barrier, throw your visualization over your obstacles. In other words, throw the spiritual essence of you over the bar and your material self will follow in the victory groove thus pioneered by your faith inspired mind. Expect the best, not the worst and you will attain your heart’s desire.”

____Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking.

“The victory groove”…love it. Sounds like a Beat Poem. This book was written in 1952. Check it out…