As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Ernestina Kabukour Kateye (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
That the disposition of a man is a representation of his thoughts. The circumstances of his life are a reflection of the thoughts he nurtures and these thoughts, are the templates upon which his habits are formed and his character established. Ill thoughts of fear, anxiety, despondency and all other forms of negativity create habits established in fear and anxiety and character built around the same; ill begets ill. On the other spectrum, thoughts filled with hope, laughter and the radiance of positivity creates a life full of light and abundance; good begets good.
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.
i. Thoughts develop human behavior/character.
The thoughts we allow gain firm grounds in our minds form strongholds, mindsets, patterns of thinking be they good or evil, that subconsciously control our behavior as humans. Thus, human behavior and subsequently, circumstances peculiar to an individual, are the effect of a pattern or train of thoughts that he or she secretly harbors. Cause and effect are absolute in our patterns of thinking and human is a growth, a product of these thoughts.
ii. The strength of man’s efforts determines the results he will produce.
The more effort the man puts to achieving his goals, the more progress he will make; the results of a man’s life (his talents, possessions be it material, intellectual or spiritual possessions) are a measure of the efforts he put into making them manifest, the time, energy, sacrificing temporary pleasure for future gains and careful planning he put into making them become a reality. Not chance, but efforts creates results. To achieve greater results and to receive exceeding rewards, one must invest greater amounts of efforts; the intensity of efforts one puts into accomplishing a task should therefore match the level of results one hopes to produce. In essence, you will only receive that which you earn, no more and no less.
iii. An unexamined life is not worth living.
If a man will be mindful of his thoughts and properly examine his life, he will unerringly yield power of himself to do and to will what he wills to be; by virtue of this power he yields, he will undoubtedly search every experience and every occurrence in his life no matter how trivial or insignificant and he will undoubtedly unravel every error he must erase, the wrong he must make right and the broken he ought to make amended; he will use every experience in his life to obtain intimate understanding and wisdom of himself. He will mould for himself, a life no man can unmould; develop a character of agility unfazed and a manner of resilience no man can intimidate; and build a destiny only he possesses the keys to and only he can alter whenever he so desires because then he will realize, his very destiny is his own responsibility to create.
iv. Self-control is strength and this strength is acquired by having mastery over your thoughts which produces a calmness called power.
As the mind is the steering wheel of the body, so will the thoughts it harbors determine the direction the body inclines to; be it to self-sabotage or to self-preserve, the latter been the basis of self-control which creates a rhythm of serenity that allows the individual live life undisturbed, unperturbed except by the alterations he alone chooses to make by responding to events outside of himself, beyond his control.
v. Man attracts what he is.
Man attracts what he secretly loves, man attracts what he secretly fears; man attracts the exacting of who he truly is in the realm of the unseen (his thoughts and desires) and by these, his circumstances are formed. The secrets of a man inadvertently becomes the un-ravelings of his life: what his mind creates, his life will produce; what his heart longs for, his life will manifest and what he shrieks to speak of, his life will resound with the same rhythms so that, that which was once known only to himself, his life will make known to the world through the circumstances he creates, the actions he takes, the character he forms and the habits he becomes.
vi. Circumstances reveal man to himself.
By man’s thoughts he creates these circumstances and by these circumstances; he becomes more aware of self and the actions he must take to achieve a higher self. Once, when my life was ruled by dreadful fear and I say this not as an understatement, because my fear of what could go wrong and my fear of making mistakes as a result of my unexamined thoughts caused me to take unexamined decisions and experience so many failures, mistakes and disappointments; I have been reminded to choose uplifting thoughts to create pleasing circumstances.
vii. To keep my peace, I must first make peace with my thoughts.
I must be vivacious in my searching of self beginning with my thoughts; I must choose to only embrace thoughts that up-light and spark an atmosphere of calmness and align with these thoughts until I become this calmness and protect them by establishing my life decisions on them, the only things I can truly control to erode any form of worry or anxiety.
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?
On my path to achieving personal growth and development, I have to learn to let go of worry, anxiety and fear, although I am still learning; I have discovered that choosing the thoughts to allow has opened doors to opportunities that I might not have had the privilege to explore if I did not learn to conquer the thoughts of failure, disappointments, the bad and terrible thoughts that had held me back in the past.
Now, my enligtened self looks back and wonders how much better life would have been if I had so much as taken consistent leaps of faith to discover what could have been on the other side of those fears by taking responsibility of my own thoughts; and through those not so good experiences however, I have discovered fierce determination to examine negative thoughts and to cut them off before they ever become negative life patterns.
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.
“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he; A person is literally what she thinks, her character being the complete sum of all her thoughts.”
To live a blameless life, I must indulge blameless thoughts or otherwise, concede with such alone by meditating and not worrying; where meditation is a pondering over of live-giving thoughts and worrying, a pondering over of ill, life-draining thoughts.
“He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
To create the destiny I desire, I must choose my thoughts by patiently examining and refining them to influence the self that will align with this destiny. My life has immensely catapulted as a servant leader because of this realization which undoubtedly helped me develop a growth mindset; and because of this mindset, several opportunities for growth and learning have been opened to me. The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart–this you will build your life by, this you will become.
iii) Acquiring a higher level of education was by dint of believing, hoping and praying that I could and surmounting the obstacles that made it almost impossible was a result of the same; consistently believing, hoping and praying so that although it looked impossible, because of my acceptance of this hope by the thoughts I nurtured, my dream of achieving higher education came to pass.
“A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.”
In the latter days of pursuing my undergraduate studies, I developed a growth mindset when I realized my life could be more empowered and should not be limited by the scope of ‘traditional’ classroom content, that I could outlive my age in years and be more than just ‘normal’ (and I discovered this through volunteering), my life radically shifted when I decided to put in great efforts to live an empowering life to become empowered life and I am, living an empowered life now because of this.
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 do not completely agree with the statement, ‘to desire is to obtain; to aspire is to, achieve’. To obtain and to achieve, you must strive to believe the desire and aspiration and you must respond to this believe by putting in the right effort.
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 exercises.
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 is nothing I would like to comment on.
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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Ernestina Kabukour Kateye (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
There is a great cost for greatness called long suffering, man must travel the road less travelled, the road that lead to greatness. To discover new territories and to break new ground; man must be willing to forego temporal pleasures however tempting. To stand out and become extraordinary; man must seek knowledge of himself and when he finds it, thrive to help others find themselves too. To survive the cost of greatness, man must relish every experience worth reliving and acknowledge every pain, hurt or disappointment as of been prepared and refined into a greater self.
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.
i. Knowledge precedes an understanding called wisdom.
To learn is to gain knowledge, to gain knowledge is to seek understanding of self as an evolving been to which is wisdom. The more man learns, the more hungry he becomes to gain an understanding of self and the wiser he becomes. When man seeks enlightenment, he transforms himself into the plethora of wisdom he sought. When man learns from his circumstances and experiences, good or bad, his perceptions of the systems of the world are sharpened and better informed decisions, and he realizes his power to create his own destiny.
ii. Vision informs man’s ideal self.
To become great, man believe that he already is; man must picture what greatness looks like for him and define what it means to him. When he cherishes this vision he has created, he will take bolder steps to become the self of excellence and perfection he has envisioned; he will plan diligently to become this self, he will learn only what is relevant to become this self, he will be intentional about the decisions he makes, he will commit to creating his ideal self.
iii. Purpose begins with a burden for change.
Purpose begins as a desire, an idea, a burden to create a change that if existed, our lives and that of others will be transformed for the better. When man embraces this burden and seeks ways to create this change, his perspectives gain clarity that informs his purpose of how it can be made manifest.
iv. Limitations are finite and knowledge is infinite.
Knowledge of self and of the world is infinite, limitations are man’s ignorances that it is not; the more knowledge man seeks, the less his limitations become. Limitations are our own imaginations of not what could be but rather, what should be. Limitations are perceptions of the old that have become standards to model the new, they can be raised to match our ideal. Limitations are the expectations of success ill informed by the victories of the past as a road map for the present and the future, man has the freedom to create his own expectations of who and what he wants to become, and nothing can stand in his way.
v. Practice is a measure of man’s level of understanding of self.
Practicing to make progress means man realizes that he is gifted and capable of evolving into whoever and whatever he wants to become; practicing means man has realized he can grow, he must grow, he can be more than his present state of self, thoughts and actions.
vi. To create change, man must first become this change.
To allow others become, man must first become. Man must become the influence for this change by learning unlearning and relearning the ideologies that can effect this change. Man must become the example by practicing the ways of the changed.
vii. Love is the reason to live free.
To love is to truly live, to allow others transition into this freedom of been themselves too. To live unbound and unbarred by shackles of whatever form, created by whoever, gives hope to another that what seemed impossible has been done and this hope can be repeated, this freedom can be exchanged for the despair they have for so long embraced and have now become. This is the definition of love; giving hope to the hopeless, sharing freedom with the bound.
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?
These ideas have challenged me to assess the thoughts the thought that inform my decisions and actions; to consistently new knowledge daily to gain understanding of self and the potentials I could develop and the potentials I did not know existed; to diligently add value to myself daily in efforts to become more valuable to the world; to define excellence for myself, the practice of infinite knowledge; to set higher standards to live by, standards that will challenge the status quo and give hope to other youth that what seems impossible is in earnest, possible if only they search far and wide for enlightenment, their dreams can become reality and the lives they once envisioned, become the lives they live.
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.
“We choose our next world through what we learn in this one. Learn nothing, and the next world is the same as this one, all the same limitations and lead weights to overcome.”
Man’s destiny is ultimately a choice he must make, based on the live he has once lived (past experiences) through the lessons he has learn and the circumstances he has faced. Man must realize that, the power to make or unmake himself truly lies within himself and he must gain an understanding of himself and the systems of the world around him to realize this power.
“But overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don’t you think that we might see each other once or twice?”
Living in the present means that I acknowledge the purpose of an experience to transform self for the better; and channeling this experience to stir a deeper passion to become the ideal self so that when it becomes a memory, we hold on to hope rather than despair, we hold on to gain rather than loss, we hold on to the reminder of harmony, peace and love, and what they could become if every man chooses to live purposefully.
“Well, we don’t have to obey the law if we’re not a part of the Flock, do we?”
To stand out means to be set apart to challenge the status quo; to question the limitations of the very norms that made us; to find our true identities on the road least travelled and to find ourselves, we must become outcasts of the enslavements that conditioned us to only become and remain accepted expectations, not exceptional as man should be. Rid of every law that enslaves our mind. Man was made of a law, man was made from a law, man was made by a law yet man has been called into excellence that he can only become except of the idiosyncrasies of this law.
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?
“We’re free to go where we wish and to be what we are,” I somewhat disagree with the above quote. I believe we are free to go where we wish and we must go, if only what we will become when (time) and where (place) we go, is meaningful to the purpose we pursue and the ideal we are becoming, otherwise, time spent going where we wish could become distractions to our vision and alter our path to greatness, an unfulfilling greatness. Time and place are crucial to positioning ourselves to the ideal we want to become.
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 exercises
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 is nothing I would like to comment on.
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? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Keys to Success
Assessment by Ernestina Kabukour Kateye (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Success is not definite however, it is possible for anyone and everyone willing to become successful; it takes great discipline to adhere to tried-and-tested principles and a trying resolve to live outside one’s comfort zone. Define what success means to you and take responsibility for manifesting it.
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.
i. Time management corresponds to life management.
Recognizing that time is a free gift that allows an individual to live intentionally, makes all the difference. An individual will be able to evolve into his or her ideal within a short period of time and also make great positive impact on the lives of others.
ii. Writing down your plan is the first step to manifesting it.
Set goals specific enough to be understood and carried out; measurable enough to make the time for it; attainable enough to have the resources to achieve them; realistic enough to have it within your reach and timely enough such that it corresponds to your current level of development and the level you aspire to reach.
iii. A mastermind alliance will help you build your vision.
Create an alliance with people whom will dedicate themselves to achieve a vision they deeply connect with. Share your vision with a group of people who are affected (moved, entralled) by the stories behind your passion and will run along with your vision as their own. These people may become your core for success.
iv. Your personality can determine your level of success.
An individual’s personality includes the story he or she tells others about his/herself through character, speech or style, which forms a majority of his/her branding. An attractive personality including being relatable and offering value consistently may keep others more interested and willing to offer their support in achieving your vision than an un-relatable personal brand.
v. Faith over fear.
Faith with action makes the dream work. Choosing faith means holding on to hope that a dream no matter how big, is possible; faith with works means taking the first step, making the first move and setting the pace to building a dream that only you may see. Faith with action produces hope, hope invested in, produces success. Fear limits, fear diminishes, fear drowns the dream until it no longer exists and success seems unattainable.
vi. The extra mile makes the extraordinary man.
The average man wishes to be successful, the extraordinary man works to become successful. The average man dreams about success, the extraordinary man dedicates his resources to become successful. The average man does what everyone else does and follows the path everyone else has the extraordinary man challenges the status quo and creates a path where bridges were burned.
vii. Personal initiative drives advancement.
Personal initiative means doing the things that should be done without been told; personal initiative is not been afraid to stand out in a crowd because you believe in positive change and progress, you believe in making the hardest decisions to create the biggest impacts on the lives of others. Personal initiative means taking personal risks to create opportunities that will transform the ideas, mindsets and lives of the future we envision.
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?
I have been reminded to use my time more prudently. As much as possible, I must weigh the value-adding factor or importance of every activity against the estimated duration for completion and the time available to be spent; in this way, I will avoid engaging in frivolous activities and non-value adding activities or commencing activities I won’t be able to fully commit to. A prudent use of my time will make me a better leader of self, hence, a better leader in the communities I serve.
It will be easier for me to carry out my plans since writing them out on a daily basis will serve as a constant reminder for me to actively work towards achieving them. Writing down my plans will make me more effective as a person and as a leader since I will be better guided on activities to invest my time, efforts and resources in or otherwise.
Success is accomplished by a consistent, combined effort of the ideas, talents and creativity of a team driven by their loyalty to a peculiar vision. As a leader, I must have interest in collaborating with individuals who will contribute their quota of value to realizing a shared vision, individuals who will use their diverse levels of impartations to create varies degrees of impact in society.
Been more relatable while still maintaining healthy boundaries will make me more effective as a leader and enable me impact more lives better. As a leader, I must be more keen on connecting with the communities I lead by sharing personal stories to inform, educate, guide, mentor, coach and encourage others make better decisions in life. As a leader, I must challenge myself to become a better version of myself consistently so that I can share this version of myself with the ones who look up to me.
Facing my fears more often will push me further into discovering strengths I may not have realized I had within, hope I may not have known existed, and a sense of character and identity I may not have refined. Choosing faith over fear is key to helping me overcome the many challenges that I may encounter and maintaining a positive mental attitude that will enable me remain resilient on my journey to success.
To become a great leader, I must be more willing to travel the roads less travelled. I must be intentional about making room for knowledge even when it comes a huge cost. I must be willing to take less value-adding activities (such as watching tv, chit chatting) off my plate to make room for growth-spurring activities (such as reading wholesome books, committing to personal growth and development). I must take advantage of opportunities that will better enhance me to become an asset for the communities I serve.
I have been reminded to invest in building my personal initiative as much as I help build the communities, organizations or institutions I serve. I have been reminded that my personal initiative is a way of giving back to society by creating opportunities that will positively impart and impact the lives of others. I have been reminded to become a transformational leader by paying forward the skills I have learnt by teaching it to others, to empower them too.
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.
“Flexibility means recognizing that your own mental attitude towards a situation determines if it’s a disaster or a boon.”
To become more successful as a leader, I must strive to maintain a calm/flexible disposition that will enable me adapt easily and well to every situation (especially in the face of challenges or emergencies). I have been reminded to see the opportunity in every challenge, to take lessons from them and to take responsibility for the outcome of the challenge to enable me become a better leader because of it. As a leader, I must maintain flexibility in my actions by choosing my response to situations wisely; responses that will create solutions and instill confidence in my team even in the face of trying times and difficulties. I have also been prompted to be mindful of my personality traits and temperaments (phlegmatic and melancholic), and how to better adapt to situations because of them to avoid anxiety and frustration.
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?
No, there is not and I agree to the ideas mentioned in the book.
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, there were no exercises in the book.
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 is not.
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? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9