Book Review: As A Man Thinketh

Our thoughts and the way we shape them determine the kind of life we will lead. Our life can be happy, just satisfactory, or sad based on the nature of our thoughts. Change your mind change your life, and train it to accommodate only positive thoughts and emotions. Being happy and optimistic will generate a feeling of dizzying to dazzling sensation. We can change our thoughts and attitudes and try to adjust with the people or situations we do not admire or agree with. The book “As A Man Thinketh” which make us to understand that the Purity of mind leads inevitably to purity of life, to the precious love and understanding that should control our everyday acts and attitudes towards human being.

The book “As A Man Thinketh” written by James Allen is an essay and self-help classic, which argues that the key to mastering our life is harnessing the power of our thoughts and helps us to cultivate the philosophy and attitude of a positive, successful person. The author, in the book has very briefly and lucidly explained the blueprint for success by merely emphasizing on the Power of Thought. The Author opines that the mind is a master weaver of character and circumstances. One can weave in ignorance, pain, enlightened and happiness. The author , has bifurcated the Power of Thought into -07-broad areas, which are as under:Thought and Character: Herein, it is emphasized that a man is literally what he thinks: his character is the complete sum of his thoughts. Based on the thoughts whatever action taken, are the result of thought, joy suffering. The Author states that

By the right choice and true application of thought, man leads himself to perfection and vice versa i.e. a man is his own maker and master. In short, a man holds the key to every situation. Effect of Thought on Circumstances: Herein, the author compares the mind with a garden i.e., if no useful seeds are put into it than an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein and will continue to produce. Accordingly, a man tends the garden of his mind, must weed out all the wrongs/useless/impure thoughts and cultivate right/useful and pure thoughts. In this process, the man is the master of his soul and director of his life. To achieve the author has suggested to practice selfcontrol self-purification. Fine tuning of circumstances in the ratio of one’s unaltered mental condition. In short, good thoughts bear good fruits and bad thoughts bad fruits.

He also states that circumstances do not make the man, but it reveals him to himself. Thoughts take the shape of habits and habits lead to circumstances. So, good thoughts create habits of grace and kindness. A man cannot choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts which in turn, would shape his circumstances.

Effect of Thoughts on Health and Body: Our body is servant of our own mind. It obeys the operations of our mind. Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace (clean thoughts make clean habits.)

Thoughts and Purpose: Thoughts should be linked with purpose else there is no intelligence accomplishment. A physically weak person can make himself strong by training. Likewise, a man of weak thoughts can make himself strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

The Thought Factor is Achievement: Achievement/Dis achievement in a man’s life is directly resultant of his own thoughts. The author has also bifurcated achievements into: Intelligent Achievement: which is the result of knowledge while the Spiritual Achievement: which is based on the holy aspirations. Achievement in any kind is the crown of efforts.

Visions and Ideals: The author says that the dreamers are saviors of the World. He also says: To desire is to obtain, to aspire is to achieve. If one dreams lofty dreams, so shall one become as dreams are the seedlings of realities. The vision that one glorifies in one’s own mind, the ideal that one enthrones in one’s own heart, will build one’s life. (By this one will become)

Serenity: The author herein, says that calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom which is based on patient effort in self-control. To become calm, one has to understand oneself and in turn govern oneself i.e. how to adapt oneself to others. A strong calm man is always loved (and revered). Converse to this, there are people who savor their lives by their bad temper and in the process, destroy their poise of character.

In our life we come across instances where we observe that there are:

• Some people who make Wonders happen

• Some people see Wonders happen &

• Other people Wonder what happened.

One can shape his/her own life provided he/she changes the texture of their thoughts and if one does so his entire life would change. The Future is not something we await. It is something we create. One should plan their future in advance because that is where one would spend the rest of their life. In short, one can conclude that the man is the sculptor, the stone, and the chisel.

The author beautifully concludes that the Self Control is Strength, Right Thought is Mastery, Calmness is Power for which one should not sleep but remain awake.

“Change your thoughts, Change your life”!