In 1955, Earl Nightingale recorded a spoken word album that became a bestseller called The Strangest Secret. He asked and answered the question, “What is the strangest secret in the world?”
I heard parts of the recording many years ago. In August 2022, Dan Miller on the 48 Days podcast issued a challenge to listen to the recording for thirty days. I decided to take the challenge. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me!
Here is a link to the original recording:
This last month has turned out to be one of change for my wife and me. She has been offered an amazing opportunity. As a result, we will be moving soon and starting a new chapter in our lives.
The challenge also involved writing how the recording affected me. The following is my response to The Strangest Secret Challenge. I took the challenge. My answers are below.
How am I controlling my thinking to stay positive?
Last month, I listened to Earl Nightingale’s recording each day. I took his advice and wrote down one goal that I desire to achieve this year. Whenever work and other situations have been challenging, I have turned to the card and reminded myself where I am going.
I have also made a solid effort to recognize when my thoughts are negative. I’ve been surprised by how much that occurs and what it does to my motivation. I then turned to the card to read it. It has also been a great help to read Matthew 7:7 on the back of the card.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Matthew 7:7 (KJV)
I am also making a point to have prayer time in the morning with my devotionals. In the past, I’ve leaned towards Bible reading, but minimized my prayer time. I am starting to see that prayer is crucial for me to speak faith to myself and maintain a positive outlook.
Before, my prayers were more whining sessions than words of faith. No wonder I wasn’t excited about it! Instead, Earl’s recording has reminded me to pray my requests with thanksgiving.
What shaped me to be the person I am today?
Before this challenge, if you would have asked me what shaped me, I would have undoubtedly said it was a background of faith. My grandfather was also my pastor. My parents lived faithfully and they built a loving home. All of that, I am grateful for.
But what I didn’t realize was how much worry and anxiety were also a part of me. My grandparents were deeply affected by The Great Depression. They were able to make a living while pastoring a small church. My maternal grandfather farmed, and eventually took a factory job while serving as a bi-vocational pastor. My maternal grandmother did odd jobs and was very frugal in order to stretch a dollar. They got by with faith, combined with a lot of worry and anxiety over making ends meet.
My parents were both professionals. They instilled in us four kids the value of a steady, stable job for security. So it rocked my world when my dad’s employer began issuing layoffs and pushing for early retirement.
Meanwhile, I experienced two layoffs at two employers I thought were secure. Suddenly, steady work didn’t feel so stable. Yet, I still felt the responsible thing to do was find another job with good benefits so my wife and I could raise a family.
My wife came from an entrepreneurial family. When I first met her dad, he was reeling from the farming crisis in the 1980s. He slowly built back his farming business while attempting real estate as well as repairing and selling used cars. I admired his persistence and his hard work ethic. Yet, I also witnessed many financial struggles and the stress that came with them.
All these considerations were in the back of my mind when my wife and I moved from Indiana to Arizona in 2015. My wife was hired as the children’s director and a growing church and I looked for work. It took nine months before I found something that matched my skills.
Even then, I was underemployed. In the middle of it all, the church board rejected the senior pastor’s leadership. We found ourselves back in the Midwest.
Another church hired my wife and I once again began looking for work. I landed at a place that needed my skills. And I took it. Finally! I had a steady job that also supported my wife’s ministry.
What did I do to change the direction of my life?
Today, we are facing another move to a church that is a great fit for my wife. This challenge came at the perfect time for me because it stretched my thinking. I see now that I have struggled the last seven years because my thoughts had centered around fear and scarcity instead of the possibilities God has for my wife and me.
I realized my limited thinking in the past also limited my search for work. Negative thoughts discouraged me and made me timider. Scarcity caused me to believe only a full-time job at an employer with benefits was the way to go.
I see now there are so many other possibilities when I banish thoughts of negativity, fear, and scarcity from my mind. After all, we become what we think about. I see how vital it is to think positive, encouraging thoughts in order to move forward.
What are you doing daily to keep the negatives out of your house and the positive thinking in?
The 48 Days Eagles community has been so helpful to me. I realize if I want positive thoughts and outcomes, I need to be around others that desire and display those qualities. I have listened to Dan Miller’s podcast for at least ten years. It has taken that long for me to see the effects of positive content.
Maybe I’m a slow learner. Or perhaps there is so much negativity in the world, that it takes time and effort to break through a stuck, negative mindset. Regardless, I am glad I took the challenge. After all, what is the strangest secret? We become what we think about!
If you have a stuck, negative mindset, I encourage you to check out the Eagles Community and learn how to master your mindset.
