In Proverbs 23:7, the Bible says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”. The author emphasizes the importance of thought in our day to day lives through this beautiful verse. This is where the title of this book is inspired from. ‘As a man thinketh’ is one of the many self help books written by James Allen, and it is considered by many as one of the best self help books of all time. This book, as he describes it, is the one that will help you to help yourself and describe the way our thoughts impact our lives. We often hear people talk about taking the right action at the right time and stating that our actions are the primary reasons for our successes and failures. But that’s not all. Our mindset is as important as our actions and should be given equal importance to. Here is one of the questions asked to the boxing legend Mike Tyson in a recent interview – “At what point in your life did you think you could be a world champ?”, he was asked. Mike replied, “When I was 14 years old. You’ve got to think like a champion before you become a champion”. That answer gave me goosebumps! A person who is filled with negative thoughts can never see a positive outcome. In my opinion, the first step is always to believe you can, and then put in the work to prove it. Our minds have the power to dictate our lives, and this book shows you the different ways that it can.
“As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills” – James Allen
This book is just slightly over a 100 pages long, but the knowledge you gain is vast. I suggest all of you who read this to purchase this book and have a read. Trust me, this will be extremely useful to you.
Let’s jump right into it. The author has categorized this book into 7 chapters:
1) Thought and character
2) Effect of thought on circumstances
3) Effect of thought on health and the Body
4) Thought and Purpose
5) The thought factor in achievement
6) Visions and Ideals
7) Serenity
Each chapter shows us the different ways in which our thought process impacts our lifestyle. The author teaches us that our characters are a complete sum of our thoughts, and our lives are quite literally what we think it is. He tells us that our thoughts are like seeds that spring forth into circumstances. We’ve got to understand that our circumstances are the result of the type of seeds that we plant in our minds over a period of time, and as we are always taught, we can only reap what we sow, nothing different. Two men go through the same road of struggle, one man ends up building a great character while the other succumbs to the pressure. One man looked at the hope in the future while the other wept over the present. Two different people, placed under the same circumstance, reaped two different rewards because of the seeds they decided to plant. The road that life takes you through may be unpredictable but the seed you decide to plant within yourself is something under your control. We are all gardeners of our lives and our mind is the garden. So what does a gardener do ? He cultivates his plot, keeping it from weeds and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires. Similarly, a man has to cultivate the garden of his mind, weeding out all the impure thoughts and work toward cultivating the right, useful and pure thoughts. The author also compares our minds to a home; we cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless we admit the air and sunshine freely into our rooms; meaning, happiness can only exist if we let the thoughts of joy and goodwill inside. Our thoughts also play a major role in our achievements. As the author so beautifully puts it, “All achievements, whether in business, intellectual or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought”. People who achieve a great amount of success are not only hard workers but are also exceptional and unique thinkers. In fact, the biggest difference between a person who is ‘good’ and a person who is ‘great’ is their mindset. As we strive for success, we also ought to cherish a beautiful vison for our lives. The vision that have is the promise of what we shall be one day. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life serves as an inspiration for millions of people all over the world. He constantly talks about the importance of having a vision in life. His vision, as he says, is what motivated him to work as hard as he can on a consistent basis.
I find this book to be the perfect example of ‘quality over quantity’, because I’m amazed by how the author was able to convey so much using so little ! Here are some of the lessons I learnt from this book :
- You are the master of your fate
The author says that our mind is a tool, a man can either build himself with the help of this tool or destroy himself with the same. By the right choice and true application of thought, man can create for himself a beautiful life. Man holds the key to every situation in life and has the power to make himself what he wills.
2) Thoughts shape your circumstances
A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances. Thoughts of self-reliance, courage and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty and freedom.
3) Your mind determines your health
The author suggests that good thoughts are just as important as good food to maintain a healthy life. He believes that when a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food. Clean thoughts make clean habits.
4) Eliminate doubt and fear
Doubt and fear are the great enemies of success. The first step to success is to have the belief that you can succeed. As confucius said, “He who says he can, and he who says he can’t, are both usually right”.
5) Dreams beget realities
The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. You will build your life by the vision that you glorify in you mind.
6) Calmness of mind is a jewel of wisdom
The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater his success, his influence, his power for good…. The strong, calm man is always loved and revered.
These are some of the great lessons that I learned from this book. Overall, I would rate this book a solid 4/5. You might feel that some of the words are hard to understand (ecspecially if you are not too strong with the language), because some parts of this book is written in a poetic form, otherwise, it is a great read, and I would recommend you to try it out.
Thankyou for reading my blogpost ! Hope you liked it
Wordsbykenaniah 