As a Man Thinketh is another good read in the self-help books genre. Written by James Allen, the book stresses on the point that “You are the only maker of yourself and its your thoughts which limit or frees you”.
Summary Read Time: Less than 4 minutes
Actual Book Length: 96
First Published in: 1903
Below is a quick summary for you to understand what the book is about and save your time.
1: Thought & Character
The law of cause and effect exists in the world of thought, not just the natural world. A God-like character is the result of God-like thoughts. A bestial character is the result of groveling thoughts. Man is made or unmade by his own thoughts, which can destroy him or build him up. Man becomes master of his “household” of thoughts, by application, self-analysis and experience.
Gold and diamonds are found only by much searching and mining. Similarly, a man must dig deep in the mine of his soul to find every truth connected with his being.
2: Effect of Thought on Circumstances
A man’s mind is like a garden – cultivated or uncultivated. The cultivated part produces flowers & fruit, while the uncultivated produces weeds. A man must continuously weed-out all wrong, useless, and impure thoughts and deliberately cultivate right, useful, and pure thoughts.
As long as a man believes he is a creature of external conditions, he will be controlled by those conditions. When he practices self-control and self-purification of thought, and remedies his defects of character, he finds that his circumstances will change.
3: Effects of Thoughts on Health & Body
The body is the servant of the mind. With unlawful thoughts the body sinks into disease and decay. with glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness & beauty.
The habits of thoughts will produce their effects – good or bad – upon the body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation. Make the fountain’ pure and all will be pure.
To think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to find the good in all — such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven.
4: Thought & Purpose
Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment. Aimlessness is a vice. They who have no central purpose in their life fall prey to worries, fears, troubles and self-pity, which lead to failure and loss.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force.
5: 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. A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own and not another man’s. They can only be altered by himself. His sufferings and his happiness are evolved from within.
A man can only rise, conquer and achieve by lifting up his thoughts.
6: Visions & Ideals
Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. The greatest achievements were at first and for a time a dream. The Oak sleeps in an acorn. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.
You will always gravitate toward that which you secretly love most. You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant aspiration.
7: Serenity
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. A calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.
Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace. Be still”.
