Norman Vincent Peale explores the powerful connection between faith and physical well-being. He argues that faith is not just a spiritual or emotional tool—it has real, tangible effects on the body.

One day, Eli climbed the old hill to escape his thoughts. There, he met three strange travelers: an Old Mind, a Wise Ear, and a Gentle Mouth. They sat beneath a fig tree, calm and bright-eyed.

The Old Mind spoke first:
"What you plant inside, you will harvest in life. Why do you keep sowing weeds of fear?"

Eli scowled. “That’s just the way things are.”

Then the Wise Ear leaned close:
"You listen only to the noise that tells you you’re small and doomed. Try tuning in to truth instead. Listen for hope, not fear."

Finally, the Gentle Mouth smiled and whispered:
"Speak what you want to become. Say strength, and you'll grow stronger. Say gratitude, and joy will come."

Skeptical but curious, Eli returned to the village. That night, instead of complaining, he thanked the stars for giving light. The next day, he listened kindly to a friend, and by noon, his mind had repeated the phrase, “I can change.”

Days turned into weeks. The weeds in his thoughts began to clear. His crops revived. He smiled more often. And the villagers noticed that Eli, once a man of gloom, had become someone you could count on to lift your spirits.

The mind had learned to believe, the ear had learned to filter, and the mouth had learned to bless.

And so, Eli lived not a perfect life, but a hopeful one—guided by the three he met beneath the fig tree.

"The good man wins his case by careful argument; the evil minded only wants to fight." 13:2