As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Adesola Yaqub (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea conveyed by the author in his book is the power of thought. He made us realize that is the strongest possession of a living man and that everything we do and or refuse to do, is as a result of our thoughts. The author is of the opinion that both oppressors and slaves are cooperators in ignorance and I agree totally with him. We can liberate ourselves from poverty, hunger, sorrow, ill-health, war and killings, only if we can mould our thoughts into a direction of positivity, a direction of success, a direction of victory, a direction of good health and in a direction of peace. Everything we do or refuse to do, is as a result of the thoughts that we engage our minds.
2. What are the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a. Vision
The author was very clear in his mention of vision and how a very clear and properly defined vision can lead to reality and achievement. He mentioned to his readers that this is attainable through “the power of thought.” I am in total agreement with the author because I have identified a couple of clear vision in my journey in life and I struggle everyday to ensure I move an inch closer to achieving them.
b. Character
One other very important idea that the author the author iterated was Character. The strength of a man’s character is the main measure of his success or otherwise in life. When a man identifies his vision but refuses his mind to be a habor of good thought and character, such a man is highly likely not to succeed. “A man is literarily what he thinks”. The author also says that “a noble and God-like character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with God-like thoughts.” He goes further to say “an ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.” A man with a questionable character cannot go far climbing the ladder of success, this is because, even if he is able to con people the first time, his true character will soon be exposed and he may not go far, as noble people will avoid him like a virus.
c. Thoughts
This is the loudest message of the book. The author was convinced that with poor thinking a man is not strong and he may remain poor. All that we exhibit outside are a reflection of our thoughts from inside. We are made or unmade by the power of our thoughts. When you engage your mind with the thought of negative engagement and impossibilities, your action will definitely reflect such. When one thinks from within a positive thought, his actions will be positive and as such will earn success, peace of mind, good health etc.
d. Health
The body is the slave of the mind and the mind dictates the state of one’s bodily health. A good thought bears good fruit while a bad thought bears bad fruit. The state of our health is as we picture it from our minds. A man who feels and thinks ill always will definitely not be healthy and there a little or nothing that the doctor can help him with. According to the author, “circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.” Change of diet will not change a man who will not change his thought.
e. Purposefulness
Success is not by chance. Success is a well thought of process and it requires a life of purpose to be attained. A man who engages his mind in purposeful thinking is will leave a life of purpose. A man who leaves a life of purpose will succeed at the end. No one freelances to success and even if they do, they are very negligible. Purpose driven life brings out good results and a sweet end. The book also thought me that to attain success we must sacrifice and we must have self control and discipline. We also be careful of bad and negative influences, especially what we allow our mind to accommodate. With purposefulness success is guaranteed.
f. Mastery
The mind is strong while the body is weak and easily influenced by the environment. Engaging the mind positively and keeping to good character and well being requires good mastery of strength of character, self discipline, patience, and positive thought. The body is the slave while the mind is the master. Once we master the art of positive thought, the body will obey and we will leave a fulfilling life.
g. Calmness of mind
We understand from the author that “calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom”. As a people on a mission to success, we should try hard not to allocate big space of our minds to things and issues that reduce our pace of movement or that can even stop us from moving at all. When we have self control we have strength. Right thought is mastery and calmness is power.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
Lessons learned by reading the book are enormous and is greatly impacting in my daily life. The Author was very emphatic in his mention that everything originates from thoughts going on in the minds of men. I have been so challenged so much so that I filter what I feed my mind with. I engage in positive thoughts as, I have realized that my thoughts will define my action and my action, in turn shall determine my success and happiness. Another impact on me after reading the book is the fact that I am now moving up in bits in the pursuit of my vision, than the sluggishness I was experiencing in the past.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
There are a couple of very interesting statements by the author mentioned in the book. They are my favorite quotes because they actually talked to me directly. They made me feel like I was standing before James Allan while he gave inspiring advice. Few of them are:
“A man is literally what he thinks.”
“Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.”
“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results.”
“Change of diet will not change a man who will not change his thoughts.”
“Oppressors and the slaves are cooperators in ignorance.”
“Dreams are the seedlings of realities.”
“Self control is strength.”
There are other very provoking quotes in the book but these ones hit me directly in the chest and they got me fired up for action and impact. I love them.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, and if so, why?
Although, I found some of the language usage in the book to be a bit of the old, I have a good grasp and comprehension of its contents and I got the messages very clearly. I am also not in disagreement with the ideas of the book; rather, the book has assisted me in realigning my thoughts and also changed my approach of how I see this world. I now work hard to keep good health, to be positive in my thinking and also not to keep malice with friends and family. As such, I notice I am getting more productive at work, in the pursuit of my dreams and even lot happier.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No. The book did not contain exercises for the reader to complete.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No. There wasn’t anything that I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Adsola Yaqub (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author of the book touched a couple of ideas in the book but the main idea is about maximizing our potentials and confronting limitations, especially, self-designed limitations. This was clearly discovered in the adventure of the main character of the narration, in person of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and in all his ordeals to discover his full potentials and the price paid.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a. Self discovery/believe
Life is of purpose and is it worthless if an individual is unable to discover his essence of existence. It becomes apparent that you struggle very hard to discover your passion and also believe in yourself that you can do it. Jonathan Livingston Seagull pushed hard when he realized that life is a competition and it is only the fittest that survives. He realized that “to succeed you need to break norms and rules. He believed in himself, he stood out by refusing to follow the crowd as he realized that most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again.” For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. Self discovery worked for me and the moment I identified what I love doing, I have not held back, even with all odds and obstacles. I believe in myself and I always tell myself it is summon-table.
b. Determination
Self discovery and self belief are not enough ingredients to success, one needs determination. With determination, one will not give up midways irrespective of the challenges and blocking stones. After identifying what you love, you need to be determined to learn the skills required to excel in such a calling. According to the author of this book, “even parents may rebuke you during the process of trials and struggle. As a Nigerian, I identified a huge leadership deficit in our system and I am determined, with a very strong patriotic zeal, not to just sit and cry fouls. I want to be a solution to a problem that has cost us a lot as a nation. Since I have identified my passion as an advocate of leadership development and excellence, I am determined to seek knowledge so as to impact on my immediate community, the nation and humanity at large, reason why I enrolled at the International institute of Global Leadership (IIGL), to receive knowledge, mentoring, motivation and impact. I am a great leadership development enthusiast and I am determined to create an impact on my generation. According to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, “people don’t want you to change the old way but you need to persist and seek knowledge.”
c. Vision
Without vision, no dream comes through. To succeed in life one needs to clearly define his vision. Clear enough for others to see without any difficulty. Jonathan Seagull had a clear vision and through goal and target setting, he delivered his vision, with time, he learnt more about speed “than the farthest gull alive”. He believed that constant practice makes perfect and within a short time, Jonathan Livingston Seagull had “set a world speed record for seagulls.
d. Knowledge and Practice
The book laid so much emphasis on knowledge and constant practice. This reflected in Jonathan’s adventure on how knowledge traversed him from one level to another higher one at every given point in time. Seeking knowledge gives us the opportunity to come in contact with people who are better than us and affords us the opportunity to learn. Knowledge is the foundation in which we build our imaginative possibilities and with practice, we improve on what we do till we attain perfection and excellence. I could be very jittery speaking to a large audience. I sought a way out and I met a great opportunity in Toastmasters International and the story has greatly changed for good. Through constant practice and exposure to the required knowledge, as a certified competent communicator, I now conveniently stand before any crowd and deliver speeches confidently.
e. Service:
Knowledge is a waste if it is not of benefit to humanity. The only way for knowledge to be impactful is through service. When you give service in the confine of your coverage and environment, humanity is improved upon and you, as the instrument of service become even happier. The core essence of leadership is service; a leader is expected to leave his life as a journey of service to his people or country. Jonathan Livingston Seagull realized this when he said in page 10 of the book, “we should wish to share our knowledge.” I have always availed myself for volunteering in community development activities and faith-based outreach and services. I have visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. In 2012, I have co-convened the 1,000-Man Peace Rally in Igboho, Oorelope Local Government Area of Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria. In 2014, I Chaired the NASFAT Youth Conference on Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development Agency (SMEDAN), the Nigerian government agency with the sole mandate of growing and developing entrepreneurs in the country. I am also a member of the #BringBackOurGirls group, the pressure group advocating and campaigning for the unconditional release of Nigerian secondary school girls illegally abducted by the Boko-Haram terrorists in the small town of Chibok, Borno State, North-eastern Nigeria and all other related social challenges. Without service, life is worthless.
f. Persistence
“Jonathan had minimal fear for learning.” The antinodes to his fear was obtained from persistence. He took risks and he got himself into some moments of pain, but he did not quit. Jonathan believed that “we choose our next world through what we learn today. He did not give up on learning and practice until he got to a new high “heaven” where there are instructors” to make learning interesting and simpler. To him, heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect. Only persistence will deliver perfection. This is a fact in all our endeavors as there are no short cuts to success.
g. Courage
In 2015 I engaged in a courageous adventure by availing myself for service as a contestant into the seat of Oorelope constituency, in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Oyo State of Nigeria. I did not go beyond the primaries but a lot of lessons were learnt. It was a step in the direction of my dream and I never nursed a doubt about its actualization. I am now more dedicated to learning the trade under people and institutions that are more experienced in the very complicated business of leadership and service. While, doing this, I established Speakinfluence Africa Consult, an organization that is out to assist young Africans in leadership development and public speaking, through motivation, tutoring, inspiration, training and mentoring. It is a courageous adventure because, as the CEO of the organization, every delicate and difficult decision of the organization rests on my desk. Courage is the very ingredient required to confront an ugly status-quo. Jonathan Livingston Seagull was courageous and this made the elders to label him as an Outcast, but he was not perturbed, to him, outcasts are people with determination to learn and the courage to do the extraordinary.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The ideas obtained from the thoughts of the author are very helpful in a practical way, both to my personal life and in helping me to create a better world. As an individual I have been thought that all limitations are mere creations of my mind and if I choose to, I can confront and surmount all obstacles and attain success. The ideas thought me the benefit of learning in achieving perfection and it stays permanently in my mind after reading the book, that to succeed there are prices to pay. This is also applicable to my perception of creating a better world. The teachings of the book have assisted me in performance enhancement and increased productivity. It has also thought me the need to give back to the society no matter how small. As displayed by Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he did not mind the elders who castigated him, rather, he created a better world by “teaching the younger birds the art of flying.”
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“You know nothing till you prove it.”
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation.”
I am particularly moved by these two quotes above because they spoke directly to me. I think I am far from giving out my best and the reason is because I most often believe what my eyes are telling me. These two quotes have taken me out of my own self-built shelves of limitation and I have started making new moves that will be of great impact to me in the pursuit of my dream.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
I have a good understanding of most of the content of the book. However, I have a little disagreement to the author’s position about what heaven is. The author believes heaven is not a place and it is not a time. He says heaven is being perfect. That negates the teachings of my religion as a Muslim. Heaven is a place of absolute perfection and comfort but it is said aside for believers and adherents of God Almighty.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No, the book did not contain any exercise for completion by the reader.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No. there was nothing I read in the book that I would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Adesola Yaqub (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author of the book is particularly trying to convey workable and practicable idea on self-improvement and success. Maxwell Maltz did a very deep job and this is seen in revelations made in the book. He delved on several topics ranging from wakening the automatic success mechanism within us, de-hypnotizing oneself from false believe, succeeding with the power of rational thinking, unlocking one’s real personality and even more.
2. What are the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
After reading the book, I found some ideas personally most important, due to how they directly affect me in real life daily engagements. The ideas are:
i. Self Consciousness
Getting more self conscious is one virtue preached by the author, most often, we get so disturbed about the impressions of other on us, so obsessed we get that we allow such thinking to determine our decision line, this leads to the path of failure, deception and self-ruin. The book has assisted me in growing up bolder about keeping to my thought, decision and action.
ii. Mental Picturing:
The mind is the greatest asset of a man. The author iterated how important it is for us to engage our minds in very deep mental engagements. “The automatic success mechanism within you-a highly complex automatic goal-seeking machine that steers its way to a target or goal by use of feed-back data and stored information, automatically correcting course when necessary- can operate in only one way”, picturing a journey, an event or a circumstance, mentally in our minds lays the foundation for ability to deliver or accomplish it real life. The book thought me that I must first clearly see a thing in my mind before I can do it. I am applying this idea and it is really working for me real good. A good example is the registration and operations of my leadership development organization, Speakinfluence Africa, that had laid down for too long, after getting so provoked by the teachings of this book and all the energy it provided me, I acted and we swiftly commenced activities and we are already impacting.
iii. Inferiority Complex
The author identified inferiority complex as a handicap to success and happiness. Ironically, it is just a feeling; we planted it in our mind believing that such persons are better than we are, without any examination or an ordeal. What inferiority complex does is to weaken us from within and get us hypnotized. The author recommended a correctional approach, whereby, he submitted that we should deviate from that pattern of thought and embrace positive thoughts that can deliver positive energy unto us. There is no debating the fact that some people are better than us in some skills, it is also true that we are better than some others in other things we are greatly skilled about. We are encouraged to have self esteem and then mutual respect for others. This cures inferiority complex.
iv. Rational Thinking
The author submitted and I agreed that it is by conscious rational thoughts that automatic reaction pattern can be changed. Irrational thinking is a Siamese twin with inferiority complex, then work hand in hand and the cumulative result is depression, sadness and drop in productivity. Initiating the process of rational thinking and positive self-assessment can go a long way in altering the negative reaction pattern. I have applied this concept and it has worked for me in many occasions. It gives positive results.
v. Happiness
The idea of happiness a cardinal code to fulfillment and success was deeply analyzed by the author. I am in total agreement with his position because “happiness helps us to express ourselves creatively and fulfill ourselves in helping others.” This book let me realize that happiness is derived in being needed, seen as being competent and important to assist others. What this means, is that we should strive harder in learning and adding values, after which we should help others by teaching, informing and educating them. This simple act is of benevolence generates so much happiness. It is when we are happy that we can help out the unhappy.
vi. Course-Correction Feedback
The idea of course- correction feedback mentioned by the author is very apt. Most often our fears are self-imposed. We build a restriction on ourselves thinking we do not have what it takes to deliver or excel. Being in an environment or in the midst of people who assist us with mild corrections, encouragements and ‘celebrations’ for all minor steps we take, can have a great impact and positive result on us. Their feedbacks assist us to know where our weaknesses lie and what we need to do improve on them. They also create a warm and enabling environment that accommodate mistakes and willingly give corrections. The morale in my local Toastmasters club has been high since I joined. There has been tremendous improvement on my public speaking skills and also I have successfully completed my “competent communications” manual, getting ready for the ACC course. The author identified this very wonderful idea of self-development and fulfillment.
vii. Pattern Interrupt
By pattern interrupt, the author referred to a deliberate force from within to truncate the direction of negative flow of an event or a habit. Our ability to halt the pattern and staying firm on the new ground goes a long way to help us in coming out better and stronger. This approach has really worked for me each time I applied it in my daily life and on unwanted attitude. I sought the help of my wife in putting an end to sugar consumption and together we are keeping to it. Sometimes, it can be very difficult to keep, so I discovered two approaches that make it work for me, (1) I involve my wife because she prepares most of my meals and she knows immediately I want to renege, (2) I set my eyes on the result that I want to achieve and I fathom the beauty and fulfillment that it brings forth, doing this, I derive the energy to interrupt an ugly pattern. It pays.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The ideas and lessons have already been helping me in practical terms in realizing my goals and aspirations in life. I now have a clearer understanding of what I want to do and how to do them. I get more organized and take prompt actions, moving closer daily to the actualization of my dreams. I now attend conferences and seminars on leadership development, I seek knowledge and information and I also share what I know, impacting through our organization, Speakinfluence Africa (www.speakinfluenceafrica), that is envisioned to teach leadership principles and ethos to young Africans, raising competent, confident and capable young men and women, so as to cover for leadership deficit as seen in Africa today.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Everybody else is composed of individuals, no two of whom are alike.”
“It is conscious thinking that is the control knob of your unconscious machine.”
“It is by conscious rational thoughts that the automatic reaction pattern can be changed.”
“Happiness comes from being and acting unselfishly.”
“Similarly, you cannot possibly help the unhappy by being one of them.” All the above quotes by the author are just like hammers hitting my brain.
The author talked to me directly in each of the statements and I find them very directly related to me and all that I stand for, in believe, in principle and by doctrine.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, and if so, why?
There are a couple of things of course that I do not understand in the book. In the beginning, even up till the end, it sounded so psychological and laden with a lot of medical registers that I had to check the dictionary at times. However, I enjoyed his lengthy narrations and stories about people and events.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
None.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
Nothing else.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it 9