As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Francis F. Kessema (Liberia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main our idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is that how a person thinks- whether good or bad- is how their life would more than likely end up. Although we tend to blame others and our environment for how our lives are going, it is the thoughts which we have in our minds that truly affect us one way or the other.
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 man is literally what he thinks: Our outer appearance and character derive from the thoughts we have, be they private or public. If one thinks to himself/herself that he/she is the greatest person that ever lived on earth, they would practice that behavior in private and always want to display it in public. If you look at yourself as a failure and always have doubts about whether or not you can pass a test, defeat an opponent, or conquer an obstacle course, then you will definitely fail because those were your thoughts and you’ve already gone in with a negative mentality.
-Man is a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice: This is important to me because I feel that anything and everything done has a cause and effect. My thinking will turn into actions and my actions will have an impact and consequences on my livelihood and well-being. If I think about robbing a bank to get money any time my budget goes low, then eventually it is bound to happen and the results may not be in my favor. Even if I get away with it, it is no less a crime and it is still an action or result of my thinking. If I think about being law-abiding, regardless if I am broke or not, I will end up doing everything I can within the confines of the law to get money.
-Man is made or unmade by himself: No one is responsible for my uplifting or my downfall. My thoughts, and actions on my thoughts, would either build me up or let me fall- through no fault of others. If I think to myself and have positive thoughts that my foreign exchange business is going to make me a rich man in the future, then by all accounts, I’ll be rich. I will become rich by taking my thoughts to a higher level and providing myself with the necessary tools to make my thoughts a reality. If I think that this business won’t net me any money, then it surely won’t. I will always have negative feelings towards it and probably mismanage the business and end up broke.
-Man is always the master, even in his weaker and most abandoned state: Whenever I feel that I am down with no one to turn to or nowhere to go, I know that I am the only person who can seal my fate. I may feel down and out emotionally, but mentally I know that I am not finished and I will uplift myself. I am the master of my mind and control my destiny because my state of mind will overcome my state of being even in my darkest hour. I will only be down because it is a natural thing when unforeseen circumstances disrupt anyone’s plans; however, being mentally strong is an edge that I’ve had all my life.
-Man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul: This, to me, is one of the most touching ideas in the book because we all have superficial thoughts, but for many humans, digging deeper into our minds is the thing in which we find the hardest to do. This is the meaning of soul-searching and true identity. When I dig deep and go soul-searching, my hidden talents and things which I never knew I could do come out and sometimes surprise me because didn’t know that I had the power to bring them out. The problem that I have with soul-searching is that humans only do it when times get rough or when we feel there is no other way to get out of situations; however, we don’t do soul-searching during the good or positive times.
-Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions: This is a true statement to say the least. Many of us feel that because we are in certain conditions, we are the victims of outside circumstances. I was also guilty of this practice, being that I do my own foreign exchange business on the street; I blamed the government for not providing jobs or spaces for people like me. After some careful thought, I realized that realized that I was to be held accountable because there are foreigners in this country doing the same business, but they are registered and have business areas. As Liberians, if we put our minds together, we too, can have what the foreigners have and more because this is our country.
-Disease and health are rooted in thought: I agree with this statement 100%. It happens to a lot in my mind where I start thinking “oh, I’m getting sick!” and suddenly one or two days later, I am sick. When I get sick, I start to pamper myself and get sluggish instead of getting the thought in my mind that I am not going to be sick and I’ll beat this thing by getting up and moving around. There is a strong connection between thinking that one is not healthy and not being healthy. I know that too much cholesterol is bad for me, but yet everyday I eat foods fried with oil or prepared with oil. Although I know that this will result in health problems for me, I still don’t look for alternate foods to supplement my diet.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? If so, how?
The ideas will help me in my daily personal life because, although I haven’t thought about life in these ways, they actually make sense and are true in every aspect. How and what I think affects me one way or the other whether good or bad. The lessons and ideas that I learned from this book are that I must keep my thoughts-whether superficial or from deep within- positive at all times regardless of the situation I
find myself in. As for creating a better world, I can teach and encourage those around to think positive and that they are the result of their conditions, not other people or their surroundings. If even one person catches these lessons that I teach and implements them to teach others, then I believe that I have been successful. I would have managed to change them for the better- one person at a time.
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.
Yes, there were statements that got my attention and they were:
-“Mind is the Master power that molds and makes and Man is mind.” I never really looked at life in this light, but it is true that we as humans are all about our minds. What-so-ever we think about in our lives and daily activities is more than likely how we would end up in life. If we think good thoughts, then good things will happen to us, on the other hand, if we think bad thoughts, bad things are sure to happen.
-“They themselves are makers of themselves.”
This quote was important to me because Man makes himself-not in the physical form- as far as others view his attitude and behavior. If one has good ways, he will always be praised; however, if he has bad ways, fingers will always point and criticism will be the norm. If you are criminal-minded, you will always find yourself in trouble and blame others for your woes. If you train your mind and work hard at things, fruitful results shall come your way.
-“The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought.”
This statement is important because we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances. If we get into unforeseen problems or situations, it is left with us to build up our minds and get positive results out of these circumstances. As we always say in life, you learn from your mistakes, but if you are wise, you learn from other peoples’ mistakes. If I were to lose all of the money in my business, I’d more than
likely blame others for it because they credited and never paid the money back, or I made bad investments. The reason I’d blame others is because they promised to pay the money back or persuaded me to invest into a business that never lived up to expectations. Looking at the reality of the situation, I’d have to blame myself because I should have investigated the background of the individuals or had them give me collateral just in case things went bad.
-“One man is an oppressor, because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves.”
This quote touches me a lot because in Liberia there are many foreigners who own businesses and have Liberians laboring for them. These foreigners talk to the laborers any way they feel like and pay them low wages. I get upset and blame my fellow Liberians for not seeking a way out or speaking against this act; moreover, I do not blame the foreigners because they are here to make money and if he can get away with this, then it is to his taste.
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?
There was nothing in the book with which I was unclear about or misunderstood. Actually, I understood and even learned from the book. There were many ideas within the book that we as humans experience and have found out about our minds.
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 for the reader to complete. Everything in the book was about learning through reading.
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.
Yes, there wasn’t a question asked pertaining to whether or not the
reader liked the book. I liked the book a lot because the book was
factual and had meaning. The book showed how important the human mind
is in all that we do in our lives, and that our minds control us
physically and emotionally.
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? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9.75
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Francis F. Kessema (Liberia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is that no one should be deterred or discouraged from living out their dreams because other people ridicule or do not have faith in them. Always live your dreams and work hard at achieving any and all goals in which you set in life.
2. What are the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
The seven ideas which were personally most important to me and why, were:
-Determination: When you are determined in life, there are no obstacles or roadblocks which can stop you from doing anything you set your mind on doing. To me, determination is the beginning of maturity of a person’s heart and mind, and also the willingness to accomplish any desire that you feel. You will not listen to what others are saying to you or what they gossip about behind you because you have set your heart on doing or learning what you aim to do.
-Faith: Faith, to me, is having the inner belief, and spiritual belief that can overcome any physical desire. Once you have faith, it is the test of self and no one else would ever know what your inner faith or beliefs are. It is neither physical or verbal, unless you voice it out and share your faith with them. Faith teaches you to believe in yourself and to believe in the common beliefs that you and others like you share.
-Not to limit yourself: Always push yourself past what you feel are your limits -physical, mental, or otherwise. There are times when you just feel that you cannot continue any longer, but you keep on giving that one last push our thought and fight through to the end. Limitations are for quitters and I am not a quitter! No matter how long the race is or how tough the circumstances, one should never feel like they cannot make it past or through to the end and beyond.
-Courage: Having courage is to be brave and stand for what you believe in. Even if others are afraid to speak out because of fear of the consequences, your courage is going to allow you to voice out your feelings. Courage is also the willingness to be brave and strong in the face of adversity and tough times. At times when you feel that life cannot continue or that times are too hard to pull through, having courage will always pull you through and give you the power to overcome adversity.
-Teach others: Some people are afraid to follow you in your quest for perfection, but deep down, they share the same ideas and principles as you. When the fear leaves them, be in the position to teach them what you have learned and teach with a willing heart and an open mind. Let your students be free to express themselves and let them know that they can do anything they set their minds and hearts on. Give them encouraging words, push them past their abilities, and let them feel that they are an important part of something where they can make a difference in theirs and others’ lives.
-Learn from others: There are many ways to learn from others, but choosing to learn from others so that we improve our lives and the situations we find ourselves in is the best way to learn. In every society around the world, there are many people who are born leaders and who also break the mold of a ‘normal’ life. These are the people to learn from because they will help to broaden your horizons and open new doors to bigger and better things for you. Learning from others also gives you the courage and knowledge which you never knew you had.
-Freedom is good: To be free is one of the best feelings in the world. If you are confined to what others consider taboo, then you may as well be a prisoner. When you are free and open yourself up to adventure, new ideas and visions will shower upon you. There would also b e creativity in your thinking and you will finds new ways to conquer and overcome what society or your tribe sees as the only way to live. To be free is life, you can live life without stress and worry and have the ability to find out what is good for you and not what everyone else thinks is good for you.
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 will help me in a practical way in my daily life by letting me know that I can make it through good and bad times. As I write these assessment questions and answers, I feel as though I am a Jonathan Livingston Seagull because I am living life on my own and providing for myself. Through all of the hardships in Liberia, I manage- Through God’s help- to get through each day freely and peacefully. Even though the struggle is hard because I am a legal street hustler (I do foreign exchange of money), I am able to provide food and other things for myself. I am going against everything that others want me to do, yet I am successful at what I am doing. As far as creating a better world, the ideas will help me to teach others that even though sometimes you are alone in your world, there were those before you who were also alone and made it through. I can also create a better world through reaching out to others by giving them hope and letting them know that at the end of every struggle there is a huge reward- a reward of self-satisfaction.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.” This statement was important to me because as with humans, these are some of the major reasons why our lives are cut short also. When we are happy, free, relaxed, and courageous, life can be so pleasant and long to the extent that we and our families can enjoy each other longer than those who are frustrated by negative thoughts.
”We’ve come to take you higher, to take you home.” The words take you home mean a lot of things, but the one thing that comes to mind when I read or hear these words, is that home is where the heart is. This means that wherever you feel the most happy and satisfied, you feel at home. In life, we always say that there is no place like home, so if you feel at home being alone or with others who share your vision, then that is where you would call home.
”We choose our next world through what we learn in this one.” I find this quote as one of the most interesting because it is how we view life on earth. Life is what you make it, but what we do on earth while we are alive- as the Bible tells us- would affect us in the after-life. Going to Heaven (which we consider as the next world), depends on our actions and beliefs on earth. If we live recklessly, then we would get ourselves in a situation where everyone would have negative thoughts and feelings about us, and surely we won’t go to Heaven. Living a pure life gives us the hope and vision that we are going to Heaven in the after-life. “For in spite of his lonely past, Jonathan Seagull was born to be an instructor, and his own way of demonstrating love was to give something of the truth that he had seen to a gull who asked only a chance to see the truth himself.”
This quote grabs my attention in many ways because it teaches two lessons; one is to not forget where you came from no matter what circumstances you were in before. The second lesson is to always teach what you have learned to others who are willing to learn and see the world as you see it.
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?
Yes, a sentence in chapter one stated that Jonathan Seagull was diving at ninety miles per hour then exploded in mid-air and smashed brick-hard into the sea. I disagree with this statement because if the seagull exploded in mid-air, then how did he manage to stay alive? Also, even if he smashed into the sea at that speed on a dive, how could he have survived?
In chapter two, Jonathan flew at two hundred seventy-three miles per hour-this is highly impossible for any species of birds. Although fiction, but based on a person’s life, this is way beyond the imagination of any living thing.
Again in chapter two, Chiang told Jonathan that “Heaven is not a place or a time, but rather perfection.” Of course things are done in Heaven with goodness, but not perfection, for not even the Angels are perfect. To me, Heaven is a place where good is everything and where there are no sinners or evil-doers. If Heaven were only perfection, then we wouldn’t have religions teaching us about God teaching how things should be done on earth as they are in Heaven.
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 for the reader to complete.
7. Was there anything that you read in the book that you would like to
comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so,
please comment.
Yes, there was something that I read in the book which was not covered in the previous questions. Of the seven questions asked, none asked about whether or not the reader liked how the book ended. At the ending of the book, Jonathan left Fletcher with the students to teach as he (Jonathan) vanished into the sky. The ending, was not too thrilling to me because I expected it to tell of Jonathan flying back to the old flock to apologize for certain statements and things he did by provoking the flock. I also expected his parents or one or two of the elders to see that although he had been outcast, he made positive changes to open the eyes of others in the flock. Although the book ended with a few members of the flock agreeing with Jonathan and what he believed in, blessings should come from the elders who are an integral part of our lives
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? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 5
D. Would you recommend it to others? 4
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 5.75