As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Chukwuma Uchechi (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The power of thought.
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. A noble and God-like character is not a thing of favor or chance.
Character is not an inheritance it is something you build through decision and constant self evaluation. As a growing child fortunately I am from a home where everyone believes so much in me. So quite early in life I had that knowledge of to him who much is giving much is required, I building a character of a winner, of a princess knowing that am a special child of God and in my everyday activity am conscious of myself and overtime that attribute has become mine that I unconsciously exhibit them even if you wake me up in the midnight. Character is like a growing child, that grows with what he is feed with, it may not be easy but the moment you decided to do things right the grace to carry through is always available and sufficient to everyone.
B. Man is made or unmade by himself
Quite agree with this phrase, what we become in life is a function of what we did and did not do. Early this year, a friend came to me with this business proposal on the internet, normal am very careful when it comes to investment but the proposal was so juicy that I throw all caution to the wind. I cleared my account and even borrowed to buy some of the shares in the company, after three months I had mine first earning, I re-invested it and that was the last I heard from them till today and I can assure you I have not recovered from the load that business placed on my shoulders. I had no one to blame because it was what I did. And also I remember when we are in the university and there was this particular course that use to give people extra year in school, so most student go to the back and do some unnecessary things in the bid to scale through. After some group of classmate told me about the sorting arrangement they had with the lectures cousin, whom he will go bring out their exam sheet and they will re-write and attach it back then the boy will take it back. Yes as a human even though I know I really prepared for the exam but you the flesh will always push for gratification but after sleeping over the whole thing, I made a decision not to get involved. After they have given back their second answer to the boy, in the process of taking back the script he was caught and all the people involved carried over that course. When the result came out I actually made a B. I was happy and proud of myself for making that great decision and I have always kept to it by the grace of God and I have never been disappointed not even once.
C. By right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the divine perfection
Every day we are faced with a lot of choices on how to live our life, quite agree. I made a choice to be a contented and dependable person, it has not been easy because most times I stand alone and my colleagues are getting rich on daily bases but are happy because I have peace like a river and I thank God for that.
D. Only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the door of the temple of knowledge
No great man walked into greatness rather they worked into greatness, to me knowledge is one of the major measure of greatness. I know how much I have invested in education; it has never been easy paying all the money but surely am already enjoying the benefit. And the quest for knowing should be an attribute for anyone who wants to contribute and make meaningful impact in their generation.
E. I am a product of mine thought
Actually I have a missed feeling on this particular point, I partly agree and disagree. As an individual I know the thoughts I have and it has always played out that way. I wrote for a job and deep down me I was so convinced that I will get the job, infant I went to the extent who buying some of the things that I need for it. My whole thought was geared towards it. Funny enough till today they have not called me to mention but a few. It has happened in many occasion me thought are always positive and very optimistic and beside I also do the work part of it because faith without work is useless but it does not turn out that way. I am not disappointed and will never relent in my pursuit for excellence.
F. With those who lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful and softly mellowed, like the setting sun:
Yes my grandmother is a clear living example at above 100 years all parts of her body are intact and functions perfectly well. I always when I think back on my knowing her I cannot remember anything wrong about her, she never opened her mouth to curse anyone I know. Whenever I think about her I have no choice but to decide to live a righteous life.
G. The importance of introspection and self analysis
There is no stage you will reach and say I am perfect. Introspection and self analysis are tools that help one grow in self knowledge and wisdom. For me it has helped me a lot because whenever I engage in it I come out a better and stronger person. If one lives a life devoured of self evaluation there is no possibility of growth. When we look within, we will definitely see that we have all it takes to live a successful and peaceful life. It is only through self evaluation that a man can applies him to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress and possibly reach the height of its aspirations.
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?
Knowledge is the key to power, like the holy bible said in proverbs 24:4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
24:5 – A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
I will guide my thought diligently and do all within my power and by the grace of God I will live a righteous life and bless all that I come across.
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.
“Man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.”
“He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
“Thought and character are one.”
“Then he becomes the rightful master of himself.”
“A man cannot directly choose his circumstances but he choose his thought.”
“By the right choice and true application of thought ,man ascends to the divine perfection.”
“The law of growth and adjustment obtains everywhere.”
“A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life.”
“Justice, not injustice is the soul and substance of life.”
“Righteousness, not corruption is the molding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world.”
“At the biding of unlawful thought the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.”
“With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun.”
“Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.”
“The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.”
“Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge.”
“He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failures.”
“Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force.”
“A strong man cannot help the weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped.”
“One man is an oppressor because many are willing to be slaves; let us despise the slaves.”
“They can be no progress or achievement without sacrifice.”
“Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations.”
“Victories achieved by right source can only be maintained by watchfulness.”
“Many give way when success is assured and rapidly fall back to failure.”
The quotes above are important to me because I have been living with them and know the usefulness of each one of them. And also some of them serve as a word of advice especially on the verge of victory.
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 will say the book is great one, a lot of things to of learn, but I think most of the ideas expressed are idealistic not realistic.
6. Did the book contain any exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment or that is not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
None.
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? 6
B. How helpful were the contents? 6
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 7
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 6
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Chukwuma Uchechi (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The evolving of a great leader.
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. Standing Alone
This ideas means a lot to me because I have been in a lot life situation where I stood, worthy of mention was in my 2nd year in the university when I declared my intention to contest my faculty Vice Presidency, everyone saw me as a big joker, in fact all my friends deserted me because constitutional am not qualified for the position .Yes it did not work out that particular year but it actually paved way for other numerous political positions I held in school and finally the next year I got the position.
B. Do not be contented with the status quo.
Get down! Seagulls never fly in the dark! Such promises are only for the gulls that accept the ordinary, I totally concurred to this statement. When we understand our stand as human we will come to learn that laws sometimes should not prevent us from thinking outside the box, it only when you think outside the box that you will be extra ordinary. In my leadership roles as a growing individual I respect the laws but not a slave to it. I work with the law not for the law.
C. The benefit of training, trying and learning.
The story of the seagull is clear case of practice makes perfect. The benefit of consistent learning, trying, practicing and training cannot be over emphasized. In my high school although a special science school I knew I was not an expert in anything that has to do with calculation. So all through I just made sure I had no reason to repeat any calculation course. Getting in to the higher institution to study psychology I was thinking that I will be doing purely biology, I was shocked on seeing my course syllabus that for the four years I will be doing minimum of two calculation courses in each semester for the three years. I just told myself that I have no option but to become an authority in calculation, I started going for private lessons, meeting those that I know are good and also private personal studying. Yes I achieved my aim because the only time I had a B was in the first year, after that I was a straight A student in calculation in fact I had enough gut to question one of my lecturer in 2nd year, when I scored a B in his calculation course, because I knew I am good at that stage in fact most of my classmate became my student too .Nothing can take the place of practice, once you stop learning you start dying.
D. Finding solution within ourselves.
What a fool I’ve been! This is a very powerful statement, if every individual can take time once in a life time, am sure we will find that the solution to our entire problem has been lying at our feet but we refuse to see them. Have I been in a situation where I made this statement! Many times but it has worked more in my relationships, it makes know when it is time to move on with my life.
E. We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creature s of excellence and intelligence and skills and we can be free! We can learn to fly.
Limit in life is a function of personal decision. Before I ignorantly had this belief that I have to avoid anything confrontation with anybody, to me then it was the only to keep a relationship going until I met a friend who made me understand that what destroys a relationship is not disagreement but been disagreeable. So that knowledge lifted me from that stage of ignorance and since then I have had better and healthier relationships.
F. Always wish for the best.
Hope is the one of the important attribute of an achiever, because our thoughts most times translate to reality. In my 3rd year in the university I contested the Vice presidency of my faculty again and by then I was already the Vice president of my State Association and of my club. It looks impossible because my other two opponents were also strong; in fact they had more financial backing than I do. I worked with God he showered me with wisdom and hope, I invested on the masses, tried my best to reach out to the political God fathers and the school authority. I did all I had to do and hoped for the best. I got the best.
Yes it is not always that we get what we hope, like in first election but when you live with hope you have more strength to carry on, fight on and live on.
G. When we are willing to learn the teacher will always appear and the teacher will not be around forever.
As a child I was very curious and I noticed that I have never lacked someone to put through anything in life. My mother was the best teacher I had and sometimes I feel this woman is seriously expecting a lot from me not minding my age. I did not she was preparing me for the journey ahead until I lost in my early teenage age. That was when I came to the realization that the teacher will not be around forever and this story refreshed my memory again.
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 import of most of the ideas gotten from the story cannot be over emphasized. In everyday activities we are always faced with situations that what determines how we react to them is the knowledge we have. The departure of my beloved mother taught a very big lesson that whenever I have the opportunity to learn a new thing, I never joke with such because I do not know how long the opportunity will last both for me and the teacher. I never fail to let anyone I come across to be aware of the pains of wasted years and time.
Also with the knowledge that I do not need to be a bird to fly, I now know that I have inside of me all it takes to create the world I desire.
Jonathan exhibited an attitude that is only peculiar to leaders, a leader always tries to reach out to others, that was why after he became so competent and extra ordinary he went back to his former life to save the others. He was not contented being the only teacher he understood that what makes a great teacher is his ability to have others who can take up the mantle of leadership in his absence. A good leader never give up on his followers no matter the situation that knowledge of who he/she is will always release the strength to carry on.
These lessons some new and others refreshing will surely me especially in my leadership roles both in the home, church, community and society at large.
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.
“I am limited by nature.”
This statement is peculiar to failures and not an achievers word.
“My father was right: Most of us live our life for our significant others.”
“You shall learn that irresponsibility does not pay.”
To me this may serve as an advice depending on the context of usage.
“If you were meant to fly in the dark, you will have the eyes of an owl, you have charts for brains.”
A clear example of a distorting thought process, one that will make you not to move forward.
“Break the chains of your thought and you break the chains of your body.”
A very insightful statement.
“Do not believe what your eye is telling you, they are all limitation: Yea sometimes the eye can be deceptive; most things are not as they look.”
“Such promises are only for gulls that accept the ordinary.”
I totally concur.
“But the speed was power, and the speed was joy, and the speed was pure beauty.”
This is a feeling I also have on the verge of success.
“His thought was triumph.”
This is positive thinking.
“And with these gone from his thought, he lived a long life indeed.”
In our thought lies our life span.
“Perfection has no limit.”
There is no points in life, when someone stops to learn or knows it all.
“Life is the unknown and the unknowable.”
This statement got me into very deep thinking.
“Centered for shame? Impossible! The breakthrough! They can’t understand! They‘re wrong, they‘re wrong.”
The thought just invoke smile from my heart, because I have been there.
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?
The book contains ideas that are practically real. I enjoyed reading every page of it and am sure I will still go through the pages over and over again and there will be more to learn.
6. Did the book contain any exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
No.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that is not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
These are still part of the ideas I got from the pages of the book, but I had to elaborate on the seven:
The power and challenge of being in the midst of people of same mind and higher experience
Positive thinking
Faith without work is useless
Power of self realization
Turning our talent to skills and competence
Using our gift to bless others
Having the spirit of forgiveness.
A leader must not give up on others
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? 8
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? 8