[Jackie07]

I remember the inspiration I got from reading (the Chinese translation of) Norman Vincent Pearle's "The power of positive thinking' while a teenager. While I was reading the book (given by a cardiologist's wife in town - both of them my NTU alumni) entitled 'Head first: the biology of hope and the healing power of the human spirit' by Norman Cousins before my 23-hour brain (tumor) surgery in the summer of 1990, the physiological link to 'positive thinking' was explained to me [with scientific evidence such as the effect of 'endorphin' on our immune system.]

We have three of Dr. Dyer's books at home: Change your thoughts, change your life: living the wisdom of the Tao . Inspiration: your ultimate calling. and The sky's the limit.

After watching his programs on PBS, hubby decided it would be cheaper and more effective to buy and read his books than to go to the therapist through our health plan. Of course this was after he had already benefitted from a couple of the therapy sessions.

The therapist thought hubby was totally 'sane' having gone through his wife's 4 major surgeries and numerous job losses, his Mother's Alzheimer's, his Dad's two hip surgeries, and his own 'stents' procedure.

Many of the 'Taoist' sayings are common phrases used in the daily life of most Chinese over the centuries. Besides 'Lao Tsu', we study 'Chuang Tsu' (another figure in the same school of thoughts - 'the thoughts of Lao-Chuang') in our Chinese Literature class in junior high and high school. More advanced studies are offered in most colleges. In Taiwan, many 'temples' put the statues of taoist deities ([not]surprisingly, Lao tsu and Chuang Tsu are usually not among them) alongside with buddha (and there are many different kinds of buddhas who possesses different kind of 'specialized' power) and other historical figures that are revered for their good deeds. In some temples the statue of Confucius - who was a humanist and vehemently against deifying 'people' in his teaching - are displayed.