As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Fasiku Raphael (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is trying to convey here is that in life, there is surely good, bad, ugly, perfect situations, circumstances, challenges etc in life but what we make of it determine us. We (Human) are the makers of ourselves. How we handle such challenges or situations determine the outcome or result we get of it which eventually define who or what we are in life. “As a man thinketh, so he is.”
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 example from your own life.
a. Man is always the master even in his weakest and most abandoned state
Man is surely the master even in whatever situation or circumstance he may be cause as he thinketh so he is and the outcome of the situation depends on how it’s been handled by the man initially. The mind of man is the issue from which man become whatever he become and all that continually goes on within the man affects the man’s’ attitude and character. No one is a master over another in respective of who we are. We are lords of ourselves and gods. Being poor or rich never give the room to be a slaves or a master to another. All we do and allows to happens are factors of the choice we make during a time or moment of decision by us. We must remember to be in control of situations and circumstance and never the other way round. Decisions made or taken during critical moment of making choice go a long way to tell and define who we are and who we are going to become. Personal example, sometimes ago at my place of work we have some mechanical challenges whereby most of our major equipment were faulty. It happens to the extent that many of our major customers were discourage and losing trust in us and all eyes are on me to do something positive to revive the image of the company as the manager. This challenge from one to another become so frustrating that the director never bothers about it but ask me to manage every situation. I was so weak and helpless and frustrated to the extent I fell like just running away and resigning from the job but again thought of it that blame will come upon me being the manager for causing the fold up of the company if I just let go like that. The thought of the system and generating set being down alone make me weak but I took control of the situation and never allow the situations take over me. I suddenly become the master by saying to myself, what will you have done if it were to be your personal business. I was abandoned by the owner and weak as a result of not having enough cash to handle the issue but after meeting with some persons, I took total control of the issue and was able to solve every of the challenge and over came. Today and every day, we are in control of our own happiness, we must not let any negative opinion of others darken our path. We must always remember to, hold our heads high, and just keep going cause we are always in control.
b. Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves.
Men generally love to improve whatever circumstance they tends to be going through and are not ok with. As we know certainly, no condition is permanent and whatever is the situation or circumstance, it’s bound to change with time either a good one or bad one all depends on how well we are able to manage it. Very much people are willing to improve from bad to good and most from good to better or best but have forgotten that who they are also have a much contribution on the circumstance change they desire or aspires. The price of improving the circumstance is what many are not willing to pay or are not even aware of. A poor man is ready to become rich, a sick or ill person is willing to be heal and strong, a fat man or woman is eager to become slim and fit, one without employment is willing to be employed etc but how many is ready to pay the price to get one or two things they desire. People forget that nothing just come easy or by chance. A student getting good grades in his subjects of study in school surely pays the price of reading and studying well and going the extra miles, a poor person willing to become rich must be willing to get engage in one thing or the other or get employed and work diligently. He who is willing to get a pay increase at work must be also prepared to acquire more skill and be smart. Sometimes ago when I was in the high school, I used to get grades that are low and this make me to be unhappy with myself, I desire good and excellent grades but the price of studying well and going the extra mile I wasn’t ready to pay only ready when it’s a day or so to exam and won’t be able to finish the topics talk or covering the entire syllabus. Had I read enough and put in much more effort to my studying, I would have made my papers exactly as desires when in school. I was willing to improve my circumstance but never ready to improve myself then I guess.
The body is the servant of the mind
The body is the servant of the mind as it carries out all the actions and command given out by the mind. The mind harbors so many thoughts about so later manifest in the body. When the mind thinks of something even without saying it out, the actions shows while the body acts on it. All the good and the bad that happens to man are generated from the mind. Nothing happens outside the body without it not have been first thought upon by the mind. No matter how spiritual we think we are or how conversant we are with studying of the word or even listening to messages and likes, when the mind already think of something, the action carried out by the body is evident. Out of the mind we have issues of life. The mind thinks far and wide, good or bad. Whatever we want to become, we first think of it from our mind, plan it and then execute it. When illness crawls down on person, the mind sends the signal to the body and before we realizes, the actions is already manifesting to the reality. Lots of time from within my heart I already feel weak and sickly. I usually think and pounder over it over and over again saying to myself what am feeling like, I say within me that am feeling headache and before I realizes, the head ache manifest with severe fever. The body has the power to immediately transmit whatsoever the mind is thinking. The body serves the mind and carries out functions for the mind. Most often, from within my mind comes anger towards a fellow or hatred without no reason and before I realizes, my action, behavior or attitude towards such fellow will obviously shows much anger or hatred. The fact that I don’t like a fellow in my heart, the body shows it by sending signal.
d. He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure
Doubt in anything is not good so also fear which brings intimidation. Doubt and fear must be conquered to achieve a greater goal in life. Most often, a person tends to doubt his choice in life and hence fear to take a step towards achieving the desire purpose crypts in. When in school, I used to be doubtful of myself and fear some courses as a result. I doubt myself in so many areas and fail to believe in myself and my ability in such that when a step is needed to be taken by me I fear to take step thinking it’s not the right direction and at the end another person will take step and do exactly what I have on mind and will receive praise but within me, I’ll cry and say to myself had I known I should have talked and it could have been me that solve the issue or say the solution to the issue. Most people in life have good dreams and goals in life that they wish to achieve but doubt and fear consume such dreams and goal making it never go beyond the level of dreams. Many eventually dies without achieving their dreams and goal and are buried without accomplishing any. Just like the saying goes the grave is the richest part of the earth simply because many unfulfilled dreams lie in the grave. When a good purpose, dream or goal is born within the heart, we are to set out to pursue it with no atom of fear so as to have a good success. When fear is in our way, no matter how competent and perfect we may be, failure won’t be far fetch but without fear, success is very possible, sure and of cause very certain.
e. There can be no progress or achievement without sacrifice
Progress is moving forward toward a goal or to a higher stag in life and in all we do such as advancement in career, academics, growth, size and achievement is the evidence to show how progressive we are in what we do. It is the accomplishment of desired goal. To achieve a desire goal in life, sacrifices must be made in the direction of such goal for great advancement and accomplishment and such sacrifices may be or come in various forms depending on what it is to achieve. Sacrifice could be time sacrifice, monetary sacrifice, spiritual or physical. Like a student aiming to have a first class result must be willing to pay extra ordinary sacrifice in time of studying well and intensively. A certain time in school over a particular course which most student usually fail and carry over, I determined never to fail but rather make it cause of the much volume of the note. I read the course more than any other and do lots of findings on net just to be able to understand and have a good grade at the end. Finally I was successful in achieving it and progress to the next class while some didn’t and even some that carried it over still carried again. Furthermore, at my place of work, we have a client we want to get a job from and so also others wish the job be awarded to them. Getting the job contract from the client requires lots of patient, commitment and sacrifice. We keep showing what we have and can do by doing sample of the job and also visiting the client with the sample which requires transportations to the client office. Others interested quit going cause of the stress and even my colleagues as well get frustrated and was discouraging me form stressing myself going and trying to please the client for what they want but at the end after series of conviction through sample upon sample, I eventually got the contract for the company and it worth the stress and was a great achievement for the company as it involve a lot of money. There really cannot be a success without sacrifice. It never comes in a platter of gold. Progresses achieved in a platter of gold do not last long and the achiever never values it but progress achieved with sacrifice is much valued and most honored by the achiever. It is the crown of one’s effort and evidence proving ones worth.
f. The dreamers are the saviors of the world
Every good dreamer is a leader and savor of the world. So many philosophers and inventors dream good dreams and pursue such dreams to fulfillment. When a dream is conceive within one’s mind, you plan the execution of the dream by getting likes mind to join hands together to see it being fulfilled. Dreams are like vision of things to come and with good plan, it truly come to fulfillment one day. Dream can be for a while or for a life time. A simple project can come in like a dream so a little invention of today once a dream of yesterday. While growing up, I dream of going to the University and never a polytechnic for my degree, after trying and doing all that requires, I put in to the University and was taken though not my desired course, my some siblings never bothered but all they wanted was to go to an institution either polytechnic or University. But my sister eventually saw how serious I was and followed my step and was also successful and was admitted so my younger who seek my advice and foot step. Today with the grace of God, we are all graduates from the University. It was my dream and I lead the way for others in the family. Some dreams are within me for the future which I by Gods grace pursue diligently and hoping to see it fulfill.
g. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom
The mind needs to be calm so as to reason well and think thoughtfully over issues affecting one. When the mind is filled with disorder, chaos etc, and the mind won’t have the wisdom needed to execute pressing issues and a simple issue needing a very simple and common solution will become something else. Wisdom springs from a mind that is free of trouble, problem, negative thought and the likes. A mind full of serenity and peace and joy like a river. The mind been the center of reasoning need to always be calm and at peace to be able to reason well and plan rightly. A certain time in my life I was troubled within me over issues happening around me especially in my family, friends will come to me or call on me to help addresses certain issue but will become a mountain to me because am not settled within me. I will want to plan on things and I won’t be able to even think talk of plan because there is disorder within me. Wisdom is said to be the principal thing and with all ones getting, one requires getting understanding as well but you can’t get either when you are not settle within you nor when you have no peace of mind to much cares of the world on how to be successful, how to make it, how to get there and how to be fulfill choke up lots in the mind. Peace is therefore the principal and the most important thing that one needs to get with all diligence.
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 or lessons will help in practical way if we read through and through and through again and again and again for better understanding and application of it in our activities daily. One need to read to understand very well and not just for the fun of it. Following each ideas one after the other is important and seeing it in a way it affect and speak to our situations is necessary. Taking it one after the other daily will be of greater advantage as well in helping to create a better world. We need to see it exactly as it is and as it directly affect our lives. Also, helping in the dissemination of the knowledge acquire from the lesson to others around us matters and helps in the making of the better world. Let people know they need to think positively and right thinking at all times so as to always be positive minded. Not minding the situation and circumstances they might be passing or going through, they must be made to know that no condition is permanent and that with the right mind and attitude towards such issues, solution is already at the door waiting only to be attended to. Also, I need to apply these principles at every opportunity. Using it as working handbook to help me in solving my daily problems and challenges.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comments as to why they were so important to you.
“Acts is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruit.”
“Man is made or unmade by himself.”
“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors.”
“Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
“Good thought and actions can never produce bad results.”
“Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some directions.”
“Disease and health, like circumstance are rooted in thought.”
“Strong pure and happy thought build up the body vigor and grace.”
“Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thought.”
“Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment.”
“Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force.”
“A strong man cannot help a weaker man unless that weaker is willing to be helped.”
“A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts.”
“Spiritual achievement are the consummation of holy aspiration.”
“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.”
“Victories attained by the right thought can be maintained only by watchfulness.”
“He who cherish a beautiful vision, lofty ideal in his heart will one day realize it.”
“To desire is to obtain, to aspire is to achieve.”
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.”
“Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be.”
“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.”
“In all human affairs, there are efforts and there are results.”
“The strength of effort is the measure of the result.”
The above quotes and many more from the authors were so important because they truly tell who we are and ways and how we reasons and if conscious effort is made studying and understanding the fact that what we think or allow or permit our mind to think about goes a long way in making us who we are and what become of us.
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?
None.
6. Did the book contain exercises from the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercise and did you find them helpful?
None in the book 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 question? 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? 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 overall rating you would give it? 10
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Fasiku Raphael (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The according to book is trying to convey the idea that one must in life under any situation or circumstance try not to see stop seeing oneself as being trapped inside a limited body so as not to achieve ones goal, purpose, dreams or desires in life and that one needs to follow a meaning and higher purpose for life as well. One must have a strong and unfailing determination and resilience spirit of not giving up easily.
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 example from your own life.
It was a busy day beginning.”
Mondays the very first working day of the week unlike every other days of the week is usually the most busiest day of all days in the week. It a day that could sometimes start with you waking up very early and have to start attending to works that’s have been piled up waiting your attention from the weekend. A certain day like that being a Monday morning before rounding up with my morning devotion, calls from customers have already been coming in as early as 5:00am telling me they are already on their way down to the office so as I can come out to open the office for them. I was initially not ready to believe but to my amazement on getting to the office complex, I was shocked with the crowd that welcomes me. It was indeed a very busy day beginning. Just like bankers that each Monday is just as busy as anything as customers couldn’t get to bank on weekends.
b.“Working at the very peak of one’s ability.”
Working at ones very peaks is being at ones very best in that which one is doing and to be very efficient, effective, proactive and working with all seriousness, zeal, passion and love. This is a time when you achieve that which you desire in a short period of time without much stressed and be perfectly good at it. To work in other to achieve a desired goal or target. Working at ones very peak is the act of perfectness. It’s a time of excellent and wonderful perfection of one’s job. A certain time I was taking some groups of students drum training. We do rehearsals on daily bases and was like taking the whole time in the world to get them to understand what they need to understand for a competition was at hand for them. But after a while, they were good at what was been thought and begin to perfect it with their hands very swift and firm on the drums. They learn faster than expected and within a short period of time was able to cover up what could have taken them a month or two.
c. “Victory was short-lived”
Saying victory was short-lived is just a form of expressing a victory that was achieved but wasn’t celebrated for long. A victory that is short-lived is a kind of victory achieve and was suppose to be a long time victory or so depending on the arrangement or ground of achievement, but could not be long celebrated by the achiever due to the fact that the achiever over joyously celebrated it and lost it or lose it due to over anxiety. A certain time, I contested a quiz competition and after several competitions with different youths from local unto district level and then state level, I was able to emerge winner and was opportune to represent at the national level and successfully emerge a winner as well. However, after being much celebrated by all around me and being recognized by majority of colleagues over anxiety over whelmed me and just to defend my winning at a local competition was an issue I seems not to be able to handle as a result lost the victory already achieve and has been well known and recognized for, it eventually become victory of yesterday when another younger fellow emerge the winner and was recognized by all.
d. To overcome limitations
Limitations take different form and nature but must be overcome by any who desires great success and good achievement and advancement in this life. Limitations are like barriers on the path of a person on a success journey in life and can be from anyone or anything. Some peoples limitations can be financial, some academics, some social, etc. Climbing to the top isn’t something very easy to achieve. So many things can come up to limit the progress of one who desires achievement of purpose in life. To achieve ones goal, desire, dream, hope or aspirations, one need to be very ready and prepared to face and be able to overcome limitation of any kind. My desire is to have been able to have finished my Masters by now but since the sudden death of my Father, no one to help as there is financial limitation on my path of achieving the master program. Limitation is usually on the path of success. Many will desire good and great things but will be limited by some factors. But to a high flyer, nothing can stop such from achieving the desire of his heart. All one needs is a strong determination of achieving that is wished for.
e. Perfection has no Limit
Perfection has no limit whatsoever. Perfect is perfect and all must and should be perfect or desire to be perfect in all that one does or is doing. Being perfect in what one does makes one a high flyer and attracts good tidings towards one. Perfection is the best that can happen to one in ones careers or profession. Spiritually, Christian are encouraged to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. Every day we learn new thing and try to be perfect at whatever we do. The perfections of today can be the good of another tomorrow or even the bad of someone yesterday it all depends and hence perfection should not be once but continues so as to maintain a standard. I try to be perfect in whatever I do and try as much as I can to maintain it in all I do but little did I know that perfection has not limit when I relented in some ways thinking I have been over doing it not until I see another person who overcame me doing the same thing but in a more perfect way than I do.
f. How much life would have meant
Life would have meant so much to me if I had known little that I know now about life earlier before now. Challenges and circumstance affects in divers’ ways making things difficult and problematic. After the death of my father, things wasn’t that well with the family and as such affected my mother and eventually sickness over shadow and took her life. After the demise of both parents, no one came asking or looking after us all either from the paternal side or maternal side. All deserted and forsake us. We have no one to run to or talk to about our challenges and problems. We all are struggling to meet end meet on our own and survival is all we try on our own. How much life would have meant if both or just one of our parent is alive for us.
g. Everything that limit us we have to put aside
As earlier said that there will surely be limitations in our path to success, this shouldn’t distract our focus to achieve our goal and set target but rather make us strong and get us going. We need to put it aside and see it as nothing but a stepping stone unto the achievement of our goal. We must strive to overcome limitations by not focusing on it but making sure our concentrations are all on how to get our goal and purpose achieve refusing to see the factors limiting us by ignoring and making sure they are not existing even if they are right before our very eyes. The target should and must be the achieving of the goals and not the limitations. Several time I would like to have some one or two things for myself but will be limited as a result of financial constrains but in me am sure to get it one day no matter what believing I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me and refuse anything stopping or hindering me achieve my desires and before I know it I already have that which I desire or sometimes I just see things I need coming my ways without me stressing myself in getting it.
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 need to apply these principles at every opportunity and using the ideas as working handbook to help me in solving my daily problems and challenges. These ideas or lessons practically can help if they are well considered and put into practice every day of one’s life. I must see them as part of me daily as long as I live and want to achieve my goal and target in life. I must see them as part of the guiding factors to focus upon in other to achieve my desires. Make them my watch words in everything I do and guarding principles helping me in my dealings and doings. They should writtnat the back of my heart and continual meditations on them is required.
4.Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comments as to why they were so important to you.
“Victory was short-lives.”
“Working at the very peak of his ability.”
“Limited by nature.”
“The weight of failure was heavy upon him.”
“Creatures of excellence and intelligence.”
“The year ahead hummed and glowed with promise.”
“Life is the unknown and the unknowable.”
“The Brotherhood is broken.”
“One-in-a million.”
“Heaven is being perfect.”
“Flying at the speed of light.”
“There is more to life than eating.”
“Perfection doesn’t have limits.”
“Fly past the future.”
“Strive to understand more of the perfect invisible principle of life.”
“Precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature.”
“Break the chain of your thought and you break the chain of your body.”
“The only true law is that which leads to freedom.”
“Change your level of consciousness.”
“Look with your understanding.”
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you, all they show is limitations.”
‘’Your whole body is nothing more than your thought itself.”
They are important cause they are just too real and true of what happens to one and what one faces in life every day.
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. all is clear.
6.Did the book contain exercises from the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercise and did you find them helpful?
No, it contains no exercises from the author.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous question? 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? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10