Jestina Japhet Kimbesa – Assessments

As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Jestina Kimbesa (Tanzania)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The author is trying to say that what is making a man is his thought. A man will be who wants to be depending on how he thinks he should be. The author tells us that for one to be successful should have positive thoughts toward what someone wants to achieve in life. The mind has power to mould and make someone’s well being. Thoughts can make one healthy or ill, also can make someone succeed or fail. A persons happiness and healthy is upon his thoughts, for good health and happily living one should have good thought.

The author tells us that in whatever we are doing we should focus and put positive thought no matter how the task insignificant it will be seen. Negative thought brings fear and disappointments which leads to failure.

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 as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

i. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or chance, but it is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking.

This gives me idea of what makes a man lies within himself, it depends on how the man thinks about himself to me, as people has a saying that all that happens in man’s life depends on his mental. All great people we see and hear today had/have right thinking. This is important to me as it has helped me to be where I am today. Once in life time I found myself out of high school due to pregnancy, by then it was by law that once a student is pregnant was not allowed to carry one with studies. I was thinking too much about my future, I was seeing myself with future, crying every night. One friend of mine told me that I should start having positive thoughts about my future and it’s possible for me to go back to school again. And when I started having positive though and envisioning myself back to school again, it was possible. Here I am graduated from college with Bachelor of Science in information Technology.

ii. A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild, but whether cultivated or neglected, it must and will bring forth.

This is very important to me as I learn that I should work on putting my mind with positive thinking always without getting disappointment or giving up. Its like garden once nice flowers are grown and cultivated they will flouring with good smell and good at eye to see, if left wild plants will grow and it will be the place for snakes and other bad reptiles.

iii. Even a man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be
prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his or her object.

This idea is very important to me as it always remind me that, without sweat no sweet. It teaches me sometimes for a person to be successful there must be value for gone, sacrifices, it may be money or time for family and friends just to work hard so as to be successful in life.

iv. The circumstance which encounters man with suffering are the results of the individuals own mental in harmony.

The author tells me that if i have pain in my heart and keep on thinking about the things made sad.

v. As he alters his thought towards things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him.

I learn to be positive towards people I learn that.

vi. A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped and even then the weaker must become strong of himself, he must by his own efforts develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.

This teaches me that before I seek for help i have to work hard on how to help myself too. I have to be strong and shows the person to whom I seek for help that

vii. 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.

By building up good thoughts makes life healthy and also good living. Everyday I try live a life with clean thoughts; I learnt not to carry people who have hurt me in my heart. I also ask for forgiveness for the ones that I have hurt so that I do not carry the burden of guilty in my life.

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?

This book taught me to think positively, more than I was doing before, furthermore As a Man Thinketh will be my guide at work and also at home, as there lots I will have to refer in my daily activities. On the other hand there ideas will be my reference when talking to people about the power of positive thinking, in my community I am surrounded with most of people who don’t know the power of having positive mind.

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 the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.”

This quote reminds me that in learning one goes through both good and bad things. There moments one will go sleepless night in order to learn, and also there times a person will learn by laughter.

“He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh.”

It shall be opened for only by patience and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the door of the temple of knowledge. To get one has to work hard and also seek for assistance once stuck somewhere as there is always a door to be helped.

“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.”

Every circumstance that a man finds himself into does not make a man but reveals who real he is.

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions never produce good results.”

This quote teaches me that for to do good always; one should have clean thoughts and clean actions,

“Clean thoughts makes clean habits.”

Always to have good and clean life one should have clear and clean mind. As bad thoughts leads to hatred and depression

“Who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.”

Having strong thoughts makes clear mind and one will be sure of whatever he wants to do, all doubts are associated with bad thoughts. What if I fail, how will people value me after this, or what will i get from helping this, and these doubts leads to fear. Someone who is thinking strongly will have no fear because he will say I am sure when I will do this I will solve that, or I have all the reasons to do this because I know it is right.

“He has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.”

Doubts makes a person not be sure of whatever he wants to attempt, fear is the state whereby ones is not ready to face the failure, what if it doesn’t go well, what if I do not accomplish this, what if this is not the right decision i have made.. Having all these in mind will make that person not to have self confidence which leads to not doing well. And here go the saying whoever conquered doubts and fear has conquered failure.

“He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”

In today’s world, no free coin under the sun there must be put much effort to every massive accumulations. In other words one would say you reap what you have sown, you sow little you get little and when you sow millions you get millions.

“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.”

Everything should be envisioned and also a dream that must be true, at distant when one look what the future holds seems to be imaginary. Dreams are wishes before efforts and strategies are put into it. Even the famous people we see with great achievements today, their journey started as a dream. This quote reminds me to always have good dreams of what I want to achieve in my life and career, dream of who I want to be, because from there I can develop good strategies and put more effort for the dreams to be a reality.

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?

Everything in this book was understandable.

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?

There are no exercises that the author wanted me 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 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? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9

 

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Jestina Kimbesa (Tanzania)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

In the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the author is trying to convey the message that perfection in life can be obtained only by working hard, great determination and conquering fear. To be successful in life and living the life one wants shouldn’t be limited to his nature of his biological body or culture of communities, most people are satisfied to get what is there instead of striving to get more than what the nature can provide, and this is why we have many problems especially in Africa. People do not bother to go extra mile.

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. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters but eating.

Here when author said for most gullies not flying real matters but eating, I learn that in this world there are some people who care to get just basic things and not to feel and enjoy the pleasure of doing things. I learn to be more than ordinary people; it is possible that in life there are lots more can be got in life rather than doing things for only few basic things.

And we are having problems today especially in Africa as most of people just think to get things that can sustain them at that particular period. People do look beyond to what the world can offer to if we strive to go beyond our reach.

ii. But victory was short lived.

Sometimes success is not meant to stay forever and what a person may see as a victory or success someone else/ people around us may take it as tool to be against you.

iii. We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!

The statement above gives me idea that we shouldn’t be limited by our nature if we are determined to do great things, we are that blessed creatures who can do beyond the ordinary things.

iv. Jonathan Livingston Seagull! Stand to Center for shame in the sight of your fellow gulls.

Sometimes we might do things in our life and the society may fail to understand our good intentions for so doing, and interpret as miss conduct or violating norms and traditions

v. But I have no honors. I have no wish to be a leader. I want only to share what I have found to show those horizons out ahead for us all.

Doing great things in our life or for our community shouldn’t be bound for what we want for return, instead we should do wholeheartedly.

vi. Don’t be harsh on them, Fletcher Seagull. In casting you out, other gulls have only hurt themselves, and one day they will know this, and one day they will see what you see. Forgive them and help them to understand.

We should be able to forgive and forget, s some people may do wrong to us just because they do not understand, what best we want in our lives, and they don’t understand how important the changes we want to make in our life for us. But soon once they see the success of what we attempted they will understand and there are some may even be tempted to join us.

vii. Maynard Gull, you have freedom to be yourself, your true self here and now and nothing can stand on your way.

Some people need to be told and motivated for them to do great things; some do not see the potentiality that’s within them unless they are told so.

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 ideas, that I got from this book will help me a lot in my daily personal life, as everyday when I wake up from my bed to go to work, I have to think what different thing I should do today, regardless the limitations I may encounter, when I think how Jonathan Seagull was determined to learn how to fly and despite all the challenges he still worked hard for what he want6ed to achieve. I also through this books I learnt the best way to give back to community is through sharing knowledge and know how with who wish and are ready to learn, that I shouldn’t be disappointed even if there are only two or three people out of large crowd.

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.

“The gull sees farthest who flies high.”
This is important to me from this statement I learned that if I am to be successful and have the best in life I have to do things in extraordinary way. Go where others see its not possible, aim high and work on the targeted goals.

“The only true law is that leads to freedom.”

In today’s world, many societies has rules and laws which they think are the best for people to follow, but this got my attention that, there are some leaders put laws that benefit them and they put limitations to other people lives to do great things.

“It always works, when you know what you are doing.”

Many people waste lots of time in doing things they don’t know and they end up giving up in middle of no where, finding the task difficult or not having a clear purpose of doing it. I learned that, I should know myself first and know what I want to do in life to be successful. If someone knows what he is doing, he will have interest and also be motivated to do it at the end he/she will put more efforts and gets the required outcome.

“But the old feeling came back and he couldn’t help but think that there might be one or two gulls back on Earth who will be able to learn, too.”

Despite all the bad things that the flock did to Jonathan Seagull, but he still had passion for them; He was a true leader dedicated to bring changes in his community. He learnt to fly high and mastered as he wished, he was out of earth were he could live his life in a way he wished and wanted but still he had thoughts of going back, having in mind that within the flock there could be other gullies who wanted to be like him. And he didn’t want many, he said himself ‘might be one or two’. To bring change in society sometimes it does not need a crowd to join you. And also another thing I learnt is he had a belief that not all gullies in his flock were against him, he knew there may be few that wished to do what he was doing. They disowned him, he was an outcast, but he was ready to forgive and still be ready to offer help, this is how true leader that is dedicated to serving his community should be.

“If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then we finally overcome space and time, we’ve destroyed our brotherhood!”

Jonathan knew exactly he should keep the friendship with Sullivan seagull, and probably if he went back to earth it will take time for him to return, due to his commitment he have put to his community. But he also knew that friendship isn’t all about being together all the time, sometimes we have to sacrifice the love to stay with friends or even family for the sake of the whole community that we are dedicated to serve.

“There is so much more to flying than just flapping around from place to place! A
mosquito does that.”

Sometimes we ought to go extra mile in doing things rather than the ordinary that everyone can do. Jonathan tells his students that there is more to flying, meaning they should put more effort to fly in different way which, they will enjoy and also go further rather than flapping wings which even a mosquito can do that.

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 agree with all ideas I read in this 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?

There were not any exercises given in this 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 comment.

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? 6
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9