In his My Life autobiography, Willie Nelson reflects on a particularly turbulent period of his life, when his marriage to Martha Matthews was approaching its tumultuous conclusion.

Nelson and Matthews were married for ten years, from 1952 to 1962, and in his book, the ‘Red Headed Stranger’ hitmaker reflects on his infidelity and “low-consciousness thinking” of the late 50s. This, however, would change when Nelson stumbled across a book by Norman Vincent Peale, titled The Power of Positive Thinking.

Nelson begins by quipping, “My marriage to Martha was unpredictable as a Texas twister”, before admitting that he was struggling to stay faithful amidst his newfound stardom.

The ‘Always On My Mind’ trailblazer goes on to reflect, “When I was scrambling around Texas in the 1950’s, for instance, I happened to pick up a book by a pastor named Norman Vincent Peale. The title intrigued me: The Power of Positive Thinking””.

Nelson explains how Peale utilised a combination of philosophy and Biblical wisdom to convey the point that a lot of people get in their own way through cycles of negative thinking. Peale argues in favour of the famous Law of Attraction, which dictates that the energy we put out into the world is reflected back at us. Broadly speaking, this means that if we're approaching the day with positivity and gratitude, we will be far more likely to receive more reasons to be positive and grateful.

He paraphrases, “Many people make life unnecessarily difficult for themselves by dissipating power and energy through fuming and fretting”, wrote the minister before quoting Scripture, John 14:27: “Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”.

Nelson reflects, “I soon saw that the book was about peace of mind - peace that can be realized by replacing a negative thought with a positive one”. Of course, even within this philosophical system, many catastrophes and tragic events remain outside our control. But this approach is more intended for optimising our day-to-day experience, where minor inconveniences blossom into opportunities for growth, and little moments of satisfaction are elevated into causes for celebration.

As Nelson again paraphrases, “When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind”, said Peale, “Which by a law of attraction tends to bring the best to you”.

The ‘Whiskey River’ singer-songwriter warmly muses, “I loved the pastor's attitudes and took them to heart. A peaceful mind generates power. A relaxed attitude receives peace. To be in tune with the infinite is to embrace His positive energy. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions. And there's nothing more positive than love”.

He emphasises how this accidental encounter with Peale's 1952 opus helped him overcome a number of the hurdles that were awaiting him in the late 1950's and early 1960's, “The message of the book never left my mind, even - and especially - during times when I might be thinking in a negative way. Just like that, I brought myself back to Peale and his message of inner peace. That attitude got me through a whole bunch of career roadblocks, not to mention domestic wars”.

Nelson has indeed become synonymous with his laid-back, optimistic approach to life, with the country legend still embarking on tours and recording new music, seemingly with the same vigour, verve and excitement he had when he was starting out.

Whether or not you subscribe to the more mystical and spiritually-minded elements of the Law of Attraction and manifestation, it's no secret that we have a tremendous ability to influence and shape our perception of reality, depending on whether we approach certain events with a positive or a negative frame of mind.

Nelson remains a fantastic ambassador for a positive worldview founded upon love, peace and acceptance, with many fans and aficionados choosing to take a leaf - or a different part of a particular plant - from his relaxed, joyful and herbally-infused book.

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