As A Man Thinketh

This is a timeless classic by James Allen. In this book he speaks clearly on how thoughts make or break lives of everyone of us. For whose of us who are whining and complaining about what life has been and how unfortunate we are- this book is an eye opener.Stating clearly that we are what we are by our own thoughts and actions that followed which we may not be aware

"By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast." is the point he tries to drive into our minds.A man's character,circumstances,health,achievements are all created by his own thoughts in his own mind. He defines mind as a garden which can grow fruit or weed based on the seeds of thoughts that one plants.

In his own words "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." He furthur explains how our thoughts can create weapons to destroy us or can build tools for constructing our dreams. Truly man is made or unmadeby himself. If our character is what that draws our destiny, thoughts are architects that shape it.

Allen also states that our circumstances are truly what we intended for secretly- listing thoughts become habits and habits solidify into our circumstances.
Below are few- Thoughts - habits -circumstances

1. Impure thoughts -enervating and confusing habits -distracting and adverse circumstances


2. Fear, doubt and indecision -weak, unmanly and irresolute habits -failure, indigence and slavish dependence circumstances


3. Lazy thoughts- uncleanliness and dishonesty- Foulness and beggary


4. Pure thoughts- temperence andselfcontrol -repose and peace


5. Courage ,self-relianceand decision -manly habits -sucess,plenty and freedom


6. Energetic thgts -cleanliness and industry -pleasantness

a man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.

We need to subdue and replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Continue to replace our negative thinking, then we will create a better way of thinking consciously, which will then also become a subconscious habit. We can now realize our world changing.

Our thoughts have a profound effect on our health too.The Body is the servant of the mind.Disease and health, like circumstances are rooted in thought.Thoughts of illhealth and fear attract their kind. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet. We could have seen ourselves some so called 'Medical Miracles' where a patient pronounced to death by doctors survived and lived through by their own wills.That explains what Allen tries to explain here.

All that said, Allen proceeds to emphasis the importance of a purpose in life.Great thgts with no purpose accomplish nothing.They who have no central purpose in life fall an easy prey to petty worries,fears,troubles and self-pityings
which lead to failure,unhappiness and loss for weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.Having conceived his purpose,man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement,looking neither to the right nor left.Doubts n fears should b rigourously excluded.

He who has conquered doubt n fear has conquered failure.Those who dont want to have a great purpose atleast need to fix their thgts upon faultless performance of their duties.A man can only rise,conquer n achieve by lifting his thgts. After completing the book i felt this strange realization that i had such enourmous powers and never knew its existence. Now my test would be how i persist to condition my mind with good thoughts and virtue all the time to see the proof of this great philosophy and unleash my hidden powers.