Overview
As a Man Thinketh by Jame Allen is our book for October. It is a classic essay published in 1903 on thinking. The book describes how each of us shapes the events around us and shape our lives through our cognition’s.
It is broken into a few main categories.
Thoughts and Character
“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he”
“Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.”
Basically what we think and what we do shapes our lives and the world as we see it. We are nothing else, but what we make ourselves.
Effect of thought on circumstances
“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth.”
“Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.”
“A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”
Effect of thought on health and the body
“The body is a servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind”
“At the bidding of unlwaful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.”
“If you would protect your body, guard your mind”
“There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body”
Thought and purpose
“Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority the bark of thought is allowed to “drift” upon the ocean of life. Aimlessniess is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for himi who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction”
“As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.”
“He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure”
The thought-factor in achievement
“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.
“Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown effort, the diadem of thought.
Visions and ideals
“The dreamers are the saviors of the world”
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.”
“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart– this you build your life by, this you will become.”
Serenity
“Calmeness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.”
“The strong calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm.”
“Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul recline the commanding master; he does but sleep: wake him. Self-control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “peace, be still!””
Wow I don’t know about you, but just rewriting those quotes pumped me up and inspired me to be the best that I can and to protect my thoughts!
Review
While this book/essay was short I will say that I quite enjoyed it. It is a very interesting perspective that our thoughts matter so much in every aspect of our lives. Especially the idea that if you want to live a good and healthy life that you have to have pure thoughts. I never thought that unpure thoughts could wrack as much havoc in our lives as this book suggests. I guess it is true though. If you do not protect the sanctity of your mind then the darkness can creep in and overwhelm us.
This book has some viewpoints that not all of us would agree with, but it was written in 1903 and it does not hurt to see other viewpoints if nothing else than to expand our knowledge and understanding of what other people might believe. I really liked this essay and found a lot of inspiration from it. I am definitely doing more to try and protect my thoughts now than I used to. I think that we should all do our best to think good thoughts, however you define them.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about thought and how our thoughts shape the world around us, regardless of our circumstances.
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