As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Blessy Barbara W. Buwule (Uganda)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author tried to convey in the book is the ‘Power of Positive Thinking’ as James says in chapter 1 of Thought and character that ” man is made or unmade by himself in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy , strength and peace. 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 best. between these two extremes are all the grades of character and man is their maker and master.’
What we think literally affects every aspect of our lives. everything that comes outwardly is the manifestation of our inner being of the mind. The author emphasizes positive thoughts as opposed to negative thoughts because the key to happiness and joy of our lives to success is through positive attitude and thinking despite the challenges we face each day. more so , the way we think, is the way we end up being. good or bad.” as the bible says that what yo sow, is what you will reap.”
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why?
One of the ideas that is personally most important to me is the idea that am the ”lord of my own thoughts,” i hold the keys to every situation and have the power to control my thoughts. Many times, I have let my thoughts rule over me instead of me being lord of my thoughts. This book has uplifted me to another level of thinking and doing things differently. I have leant that my thoughts are the engine of my whole being, be it physical, health wise, spiritual, it depends all on my thoughts
Secondly, the idea of being weak and letting my weakness rule over me thus through my weakness and degradation, am the foolish master who govern my own household. but when I begin to reflect upon my condition, and to search diligently upon which is good and established, then i become the wise master, directing my energies with intelligence and fashioning my thoughts to fruitful issues. so i should not tolerate negative thoughts in my mind since i have the power to control them.
Thirdly the idea of my character being the complete summation of my thoughts thus ”every man is where he is by the law of his being” (James Allen), that is the thoughts which I do build into my character will put me into that particular position of thinking where by in the arrangement of life, there is on element of chance. but all is the result of a law which I can not err.
The forth idea is the idea of ‘ a man’s vision can become reality simply through the power of thought’. due to the circumstances i have always gone through many times, i have put my dreams and vision on the shelf thus letting the thoughts and circumstances rule me than me being in charge and moving on positively. But through this book, my eyes have been opened and motivated me to take another level of thinking despite the prevailing circumstances thus focus more positively on my thoughts for pursuing my dreams and in due time the dreams will become a reality. This idea has greatly motivated me to continue pursuing my dreams in spite of anything but keep on pressing hard till the reality comes to pass.
The fifith idea is the idea of monitoring my thoughts 24hrs not once when i get there and let go but keep on track all through the journey. The law of reciprocation should be at work in regard to my thought patterns. it should be a daily discipline that i should develop and maintain if am going to live to the fullness of my potential and dreams though at times life gets so busy and crowded with a lot of deadlines to meet but I just have to make it a point in life ,to watch out what goes through my mind on a daily basis.
The sixth idea is to learn to train myself and exercise daily to think positive at all times despite any situation. if am to achieve anything I ought to sacrifice because every good thing has a price tag attached on it that needs to be paid before you get it. so as they say ‘practice makes perfect,’ the more i learn to train myself to think positive, the greater, higher and bigger it will get for me in every aspect.
And lastly the idea of my thoughts affecting not only my physical being and social aspects of life but my spirituality as well; was very touching. All along I knew my spiritual being and physical do work together but never took it so sincere but after reading this book, i got so much sense out of it. from now on I have to be very careful with every thought i do hold because my spirit is being affected in one way or another thus being a spiritual being, my spirit and body should be guarded so well for a better, successful well being and happy life It all begins with my thoughts, for i can be anything or reach for any high calling, if only i would learn to take good care of my thoughts because what will make a difference a few months or years to come tomorrow, is the diligence with which I will have worked at achieving this goal because this will be the out come of my thoughts and life.
3. How will these ideas help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world?
These ideas are going to help me in mentoring and nurturing other people. They are going to help me become a better person, a great mother, wife and employee. Positive thoughts are going to groom my character, my efficiency and effectiveness at home, work, as a student, wife and mother as well as my ability to influence and impact the lives of those in my area of influence so that at the end of the day, many will be changed, blessed, happy lives and better living through positive thinking.
This book has made a u- turn in my life and i know in due season, each day as i refocus more and more on positive thinking in every area of my life, the sky will be the limit for me. As a mother, I intend to influence my children at an early age to think positively at all times and I know at the end of the road, they will turn out to be one of the greatest leaders and positive thinkers for their country and the whole world.
And more to that, I intend to influence everyone I can in my area on influence to encourage them think positive and i know as many lives are changed through positive thinking, the world will be a better place to stay. I also intend to share this information with my cell members fellow students and relatives to make the world a better living place.
4. Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention?
Yes, quite a number of them but will mention a few as stated below.
‘ Men do not attract that which they want but that which they are’, I have realized that it’s an invisible law at work and the only way is to work at the inner change which ends up into the visible. many times I have found myself doing the things i don’t want but from this book, i have learnt to continuously work upon my inner man daily to avoid the many mistakes i have fallen into due to my foolish thoughts.
Another statement is ‘ Men imagine that thoughts can be kept secret, but it can not’. I always thought that no one knew my thoughts , other than God and myself but with this book , I have come to realize , that it’s all a lie, my thoughts are very vivid through my character and life style where every one can read them thus i have learnt to be very careful with all that i keep in my mind, because before long it will come to pass and on display for every one to see. Because through thoughts, springs character, then habits which turn into behaviors and others traits. Therefore think positive and reap good thus affect others with your refreshing character and life full of joy and happiness.
Circumstance does not make the men, it reveals him to himself’. , How amazing ! ,i should not wait for things to happen but always pave way how to deal with them, so that when they happen, my inner strength is strong enough and ready to manifest thus leading me into victory. Because i always thought that i had no control over what happens to me but after reading this book, i know i can determine my reactions and the end result, is the kind of thoughts i hold during those circumstances.
‘Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplished anything and never can, they always lead to failure’. Life is a choice to make it what you want it to be. if i choose wrong thoughts, failure is at the door waiting and if i perceive good thoughts, the doors of joy, peace and happiness await for me, because wrong thoughts kill every little strength left for you to achieve anything.
‘As he thinks, so he is, as he continues to think, so he remains’.’ There can be no progress , no achievement without sacrifice, that’s a man’s worldly success will be in the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts and fixes his mind on the development of his plans’ . The higher you lift your thoughts, the more manly, upright and righteous you become and the greater will be your success and the more blessed and enduring will be your achievements.
‘He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little, and he who would achieve much must sacrifice much, and he who would attain highly, must sacrifice greatly. so every achievement depends on the measure of your sacrifice.’ The cost incurred, is the reward you achieve.
‘Dreams are the seedlings of realities’, I should never give up my dream because if i keep on going, that dream would be accomplished in due time by becoming a reality.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are there ideas which you disagree with and if so why?
None
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?
None
Rating
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the over all rating you would give it? 10
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Blessy Barbara W. Buwule (Uganda)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main emphasis of the book is ‘Aiming for excellence’. It is one idea that runs through the whole book and more especially through Jonathan’s statement when he says; ‘there is a higher purpose for life. For a thousand years we have scrabbled after fish heads but now we have a reason to live, to learn, to discover, to be free! We can learn to fly!’. Jonathan had determination and never gave up thus never settled for anything less than excellence, a skill he passed onto his students.
When Jonathan was in ‘heaven’, he notice one common thing about all the seagulls that were there, he thought to himself “the most important thing in living for each seagull was to reach out and touch perfection and in that, they loved to do so much.”. if you have a drive to become the best at what you do, you ought to be determined, reaching out for perfection thus aiming for excellence in all you do like Jonathan Seagull in all his endeavors.
“There is more to life than eating or fighting for power in the flock… our purpose for living is to find that perfection and show it forth”; stated one of the successive Seagulls during a conversation with Jonathan. This breakthrough of camp from the usual and ordinary is the aim of excellence. It is like reaching out for the divine, supernatural thus a touch or a glimpse into the divine reality and yet it remains real for all those witnessing you.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why?
Be positive and eager to learn thus change to any circumstance or environment. One thing I have learnt from Jonathan is that he never stopped learning. At every point in life, there was always something new to learn which he would need to go to his next level in life. If you are to achieve your goals in life, you ought to have a humble, willing and teachable spirit. A good student listens, is open minded, eager to learn by observation and keen to see how things are done so as to be able to try them out. I believe that if you are to become someone in life, you must be proactive, willing to try and fail but never failing to try. Aim higher than your abilities so as to exceed the ordinary.
Never quit; when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Through personal experience, there have been moments that were like hell on earth and I almost wanted to give up but like Jonathan who had to stay longer so as to understand the discouragement that had clouded his judgment, I chose to hang in there. He felt so alone and forsaken which is the same thing that happens to us during the dark night of the soul. There are those moments when no one is there to encourage you or help pick up your broken pieces but only yourself and you must learn to pick yourself up during such moments and choose to move on. Giving up is not one of my options and more so for any one who would like to excel in life. There are many hindrances, obstacles, mistakes, failures but if you can use each of them as a stepping stone, the there is no limit to how far you can go.
Everything is possible if you only believe; to those who believe all things are possible. I have come to a point in my life where I realize that my knowledge can not take me anywhere but if I apply my inner man to fully believe for the impossible, the impossible truly do happen. For me to attain my goals in life, I must believe in my potential and capabilities as well as have a deep determination to accomplish the things that I set out to do despite the set back.
The more practice, the more you become perfect; there is a cost for every achievement in life. If I am to be anybody in life, I ought to pay a price. Just like Jonathan Seagull to fly and became proud of the sacrifices he had made to make it there. At times we tend to want to achieve certain things in a very quick and easy way without paying the price but I have learnt that all good things we desire come with a price tag whether visible or not. One of the things that motivates me and keeps me going is learning to always attach value to what I want to achieve and that is an on going daily lesson. ‘Hard work pays’, in order for me to achieve what I want to achieve in life, I should never lose heart but keep going despite the obstacles and be sensible enough to know when to change tactics if it is not yielding the desired results. Like Jonathan tired to fly using his wings and failed, he soon discovered that there was a better and more appropriate way of doing it. So when he changed the tactic, it worked!
Love covers a multitude of sins; love never fails, it even penetrates to the most stony heart. Joyce Meyer once said that if you are to conquer the world then you must love unconditionally and love even those who hate you. One of the biggest challenges these days and we have so many wars today is that people are so self centered and think a lot about themselves and what they can get out of life. To love is the greatest weapon we can posses in life because everyone wants to be loved and accepted. Love heals all wounds and is the one of the greatest miracles of life there is. It is the most effective transforming agent in the history of the world.
We all need mentors in life; we all add value to each other in one way or the other. My mother has always cautioned us to treat all people with respect because you never know what you could learn from that person which might be the key to unlock your destiny. We all have some thing to offer and something to learn from the people that cross our path in the walk of life. Jonathan as a mentor did something that all leaders and mentors should try to emulate which is to reproduce ourselves in the lives of those we nurture in a more intentional way. Our aim for excellence will help us learn to value and respect that which we desire and covet. We need to be humble, willing and able to learn in order to achieve this.
Leadership; a leader is no leader without followers. A good leader listens, has influence over the people he leads and he presides over all matters wit integrity, transparency and trustworthiness. Jonathan’s students trusted him and took him at his word. Every leader is no better than his word just like a man is no better than his word. A good leader must be a good motivator and lead by example. A good leader always focuses on the potential each has and looks out for the good in each person. A good leader corrects and rebukes in love when things go wrong and stay on truck. Any good leader should be a good teacher so as to be able to pass the skills he has gained to his subordinates. As a leader, I ought to be focused, determined, settled, stable to carry on any challenge that comes along the way on the journey.
3. How will these ideas help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world?
First and foremost these lessons have taken me to another level of thinking and doing things. If I am to be what I aim to be, I ought to learn from those who have been there before me, seek their counsel and inspiration on how they have been able to make it there.
Another thing I have learnt is to be very consistent and persistent in everything that I set my heart to. The race is not to the swift nor does bread come only to the strong but time and chance happens to us all. We all have 24 hours in a day and what makes the difference is what we choose to do with our time and given talents/ inner abilities. I purpose to put to use the skills and knowledge that I have acquired so as to be a better person.
As a mentor, I have learnt that I need to be patient and realistic in my approach as well as set the right example for those I mentor. More than what I see, people will learn from how I live my life. I must learn to walk the talk even as I expect others to do the same.
I have also learnt that every minute and moment in life counts, I just have to be focused, to aim higher and do a lot of practice. I must choose to move on no matter the obstacle and to over look them and move on. I know that I will get there if I do not give up.
4. Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention?
“There is a reason to life. We can list ourselves out of ignorance; we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence. Skills can be acquired” It is one statement that uplifts me from my comfort zone. It shows me that actually I can choose to be different from the ordinary work as I aim higher I will soon get there. It inspires me to move on with life no matter what may come my way. It has encouraged me not to just read but to understand, learn and be able to master the skills which I am going to pass on to my children and generations to come after me.
“Our purpose for living is to find that perfection and show it forth”; it is one statement that encouraged me a lot in that there is more to life than just passing through. I am challenged to be faithful in little and much will be entrusted under my care. It has inspired me to start living life more purposefully and intentional.
“You have to practice and see the real gull, the good in everyone of them and to help them see it in themselves”; there is good in everyone no matter how bad that person would be. There is good hidden on the inside of all of us if we only choose to seek it out we will find it. If you focus on the good in a person, even the bad tend to vanish in thin air thus empowering that person to be the best they can be. When you believe in someone, you give that person reason to carry on and do better.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are there ideas which you disagree with and if so why?
I disagree with the idea of being perfect as the lead line to excellence. No man is perfect apart from God. We can only be better never perfect because of our human nature. Perfection therefore can not be equated to excellence.
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?
None
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the over all rating you would give it? 10