As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Mark Afriyie
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 the power of thought. Mankind is the product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. The power of thought has great influence on our lives. Thought as it’s popularly said can make or unmake a person. Whatever actions that we performed are upon thoughts that have been premeditated and we can never play ignorance of our actions.
Thoughts are the basis upon which we act. A good thought always results in actions that yield positive results, whiles evil thoughts produce negative results.
Thought expresses itself in many ways. A man’s character which is the complete sum of his thoughts is one way thought expresses itself. Our character are shaped or distorted by the very thoughts we harbor.
Thought also expresses itself in our circumstances. We are what we are because of our thoughts. The thoughts we have built into our character lead us to our present state of circumstances. What we think of today and how we arrange our thoughts today is the determination of our future success or predicament. Though our thoughts could lead to circumstances that are sweet or bitter, there spiritual lessons we can learn, since every circumstances contain spiritual lessons.
The body responds to the thoughts of the mind. It is basically subservient to the mind. If the mind harbours good thoughts, it feeds it to the body and there is excitement and joy and the body blossoms.
Let the mind harbours evil thoughts, it feeds that to the body and there doom and gloom. Our thoughts direct our physical and mental well being. We have purpose in life. Purpose without thoughts leads to aimlessness. Whatever we do today and wants to do in future must have a forethought which becomes the basis for active engagement. Thoughts well gathered and focused lead to useful purpose that governs and straightens our lives.
There cannot be any meaningful achievement without well thought out plans. Thought well planned and carried out results in effects that bring fulfillment, joy and accomplishment. Every man hopes for development in many aspects of his life. We imagine what we see ourselves becoming in a short term, medium term and long term. However, we cannot allow things to happen spontaneously. Man needs to
have vision to propel him to greater heights. Visions cannot exist without thoughts. It is very important to think critically of what we want to do and become and focus sincerely on whatever thoughts we have gathered. Visions become reality when it is watered daily with positive thought. Visions and ideals if well established and executed upon careful thought bring bountiful fruit of happiness.
Calmness begets thoughts that bring peace, harmony and opportunity for reflections and meditations that establish everlasting happiness and positive attitude towards life. Calmness breeds the desire to remain resolute and decisive. One can very well control himself in the theme of silence.
2. What where the seven main 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 are:
Effects of thought on character
Man is the product of his thought. What he thinks, he becomes. Every action that comes out of a man, has ever received thought from the mind. Our characters are as a result of many years of thoughts that we have conceived. A well shaped character has received years of thoughts that are godly. I have behaved in different manners on different occasions based on thoughts that I had conceived long before my actions. Anytime I did not think about something that I wanted to do and I went ahead to it, I had ended up behaving in an unacceptable manner. I have behaved in a weird manner sometimes all because I had conceived thoughts that were illegitimate. I am a happy man when my actions receive thoughts that are positive, thoughts that are kind and glorious. I feel blessed when my behavior affects lives positively.
Effects of thought on circumstances
Our present circumstances and situations have never been so per chance. Whatever our circumstances are today are as a result of thoughts that were incubated and hatched in actions that have dictated our present circumstances. We are happy today not because we are bound to be happy. We are happy because of some actions that we carried on through a well thought ideas. When we are in precarious circumstances, then it is because we harbored bestial thoughts. Our circumstances may be congenial because we filled the mind with positive thoughts. It may be in agony should the mind be filled with diabolic thoughts. I have paid dearly for actions precipitated by evil thoughts. I have also been rewarded with smiles and joy for actions taken based on thoughts of kindness and peace.
Effects of thought on health and body
The body is the servant of the mind. It responds to mind to keep it fit or frail. Our mental or physical disposition is always controlled by the kind of thought we brood on. If we feed the mind with healthy thoughts, it transcends to the body and affect if positively. Our thoughts control both our physical and mental well being and we cannot remain fit when we keep on gathering ill thoughts. The body is a delicate gadget which responds readily t the thoughts that the mind harbors. There had been instances that I had stocked ill thoughts in my mind that changed my physical and mental disposition. Thought triggers anger that kills the soul. I have been sick and sad upon thoughts that do not impact on the body and soul positively. A godly thought gives my body energy and high level of vitality to carry out my daily activities with excitement and joy.
The power of thought and purpose
Man’s existence on this earth is not by chance. We have reasons for our existence and as individuals we have created many other purposes for our lives. Life without purpose is far removed from reaching success. I want to hold authority in issues of food and the environment and make practical contribution to make life comfortable for mankind. However, this can be achieved through a well thought out planning. Good thought linked with good purpose brings success and fulfillment. Disconnecting thought from purpose can be equated to aimlessness. If I am not able to connect my thoughts properly to what I want to do at a particular time and the effects becomes disdain, I feel used, dejected and exhausted.
Effects of thought on achievement
Achievement whether in the form of spiritual or material is predicated on a well thought out plan. Without proper thought, there would not be proper planning and the consequence and effects would be abysmal. Healthy thoughts groomed in an atmosphere of peace and garnished with positive mental frame is the only way to achieve success. I have lived a life where I have watched things happen with little or no control. Some choices I have made in life have led to regrets, but I believe, I would have gone far in life if I had planned my thoughts very well.
The effects of thought on vision and ideals
We have hopes as to how we want our lives to be. We want our dreams and ideals to come to realities. We want our aspirations to see the day of light. Good thoughts are the sole source of nourishment to seeing our visions and ideals bearing fruits. I want to see the world where food mankind will be kind to the environment and where food will be readily available to everybody without barriers. These are my ideals, but I have a role to play to see to it that these ideals come to realities.
Serenity
A calm or peaceful mind grooms thoughts that are godly and kind a calm mind has enough space or room to accommodate thoughts that generate respect, care and love. A calm mind bears fruit of patience and self control. Anytime I am at peace with myself and people around me, I am able to groom thoughts that bring joy and blesses. When I am calm I am able to adapt myself to others and they in turn can count on me. A calm mind has a lot of energy to concentrate and gather thoughts together for the benefit of society.
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?
Effects of thoughts on character
Man is the product of his thought. What he thinks he becomes. When I groom good thoughts and my character is transformed and becomes congenial, my actions and demeanor also become acceptable to community. My influence on society by virtue of my character shaped by persistent good thought. My attitude towards the environment will be that of kindness and love if my character is trimmed by good thoughts.
Effects of thoughts on circumstances
Positive thoughts well groomed and watered will flourish and bear fruits of harmony and love. When I have nurtured positive thoughts and godly thoughts, it would improve my circumstances. Positive thoughts create circumstances of hope, courage, love and success. When I live in hope without fear of failure, I am encouraged to assure others of better future and prospect. When my thoughts bear fruits of success, by virtue of kindness and warm heartedness acquired through a planned thought, lives around me will also benefit. When my circumstances improve upon careful and positive thoughts, my actions will have positive impact on the people around me.
Effects of thoughts on health and the body
A sound mind produces a sound body. A sound mind can never be without thoughts that elevate kindness, love, cheerfulness and harmony. The mind that is corrupted produces a body that looks sickly and weird. A sound mind produces a healthy book that looks cheerful and can infect the life of others with hope and aspirations. A youthful and hopeful look can only be seen in a man with a mind full of cheerful thoughts. When good thoughts are groomed and savored, it informs my sense of judgment and helps me take decisions that put smiles on the faces of others.
Effects of thoughts on purpose
Thoughts and purpose are closely linked such that there cannot be any reason for doing something without forethoughts. When I want to be purposeful and achieve something, I need to think critically about whatever it is that I want to achieve. Thoughts help me plan well to form new reasons and ideas. I achieve greater results from any intentions I want to pursue when I have enough thoughts about it. Having a deeper thought about my life move me away from aimlessness, so at any given moment, I have something good to do to the benefit of society.
Effects of thought on achievement
Good thoughts results in good planning and proper execution. The number of times I have smiled and got excited have all been through exhaustive thoughts that resulted in good planning and execution of my ideas. As a teacher, when I want good results from my students, my lessons have to be well planned. Good planning can only come from good thought. To be an organized teacher and a focused one to achieve results, it is important to have a well thought out plan of delivering my lessons to impact on my students.
Effects of thought on vision and ideals
Vision and ideals will remain as mirage without thoughts that gather momentum for actions. I have sometimes failed to some dreams come to reality because I did not follow them with well thought out plans. I want to see a world of peace and harmony, a world where food becomes accessible to all without struggle and a world where man will be kind to the environment. I want to see myself at peace with humanity. All these ideals , I believe can be attain when I am inspired by positive thoughts.
Serenity
A calm disposition gives me enough energy to carry out my thinking that results in fomenting ideas that are good to govern myself and behave in a manner that will be acceptable to people around me and draw them closer to me. The calm and tranquil I become, the more successful I become in whatever I do, my scope of influence increases and my power for good. I am always loved and revered when I am in a calm disposition. I pose no danger to community because a calm and tranquil mind can only entertain thought of love, peace, unity and understanding. A calm mind foster thought that brings joy to himself and his community.
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.
“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thought”.
The fruits of thoughts are the physical actions we undertake daily and these actions explain what we are in character and demeanor. By virtue of our actions, one can easily identify the thoughts that the mind harbours. Our thoughts basically can make or unmake us.
“A man who does not shrink from self crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set”.
We want to accomplish many desires and improve our situations; however, we are not willing to improve ourselves. We stock our minds with thoughts that are evil and translate into actions that sabotage our own effort to improve ourselves. We need to overcome our personal difficulties by filtering the mind of all evil thoughts and filling them with positive thoughts.
“The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities”.
Our great visions and ideals are all harboured in our minds and until they groomed and watered, they will never flourish to bear fruits. Every man has the potential to succeed, though sometimes it is unnoticeable, but with good attitude and a hopeful thought the beginnings become huge endings.
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 completely agree with all the ideas the book shares.
6. 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.
Essentially, the questions asked cover most of things I would have commented on.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is bad.
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 Mark Afriyie
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 enlightenment. Enlightenment basically means understanding something clearly, or helping someone to understand something clearly. Before one gets enlighten, it means one was already in the state of unknown. Very unaware of himself and his surroundings and until he leaves his comfort zone he gets contented with himself, appreciates fully his present situation and will defy any prompts that life could be better than what he has. There have been many occasions I have found myself in situations where I have never believed trying the other alternatives would be useful. I felt life could never be better, excited and exhilarating outside my marked zones. It is sometimes extremely difficult leaving our comfort zones however very austere the condition may be. We become obsessed with the routine ways of doing things. We established sacrosanct in the scheme of doing things and leaving them gets tough. It always takes a lot of courage, determination, endurance and planned effort to rise above the ordinary.
Many a times, any planned effort to dissociate one’s self from the ordinary will be frowned upon. You will find yourself a loner and an outcast. A mere display of courage and skill will result in your expulsion from the conservative community. You may be ostracized, outcast anytime you want to do something different from the believe of the masses. But this could be the beginning of your discovery and breakthrough.
Enlightenment does not just happen. It takes planned effort to achieve that. One has to be ready to ostracize, and that will begin the process of enlightenment. You will become alone and you will begin to do things differently. That will lead to discovery. Discovering a lot more things, discovering the unknown. Even at the stage of discovery, you still have a lot more to do in terms of overcoming the pressures of the stigma tagged to an outcast. The tendency to go back to old flock is so high looking at the forces surrounding you as a loner. It takes perseverance and endurance to sustain you at the discovery level and have a breakthrough.
We need to acquire knowledge to get enlighten. It takes only teachable spirit to learn. The knowledge acquired has to be put to use and to get the best out of the knowledge one has to practice what he has learnt. Practice, practice, practice and that is the only key that opens the door of excellence. Enlightenment reaches crescendo when one has what I called the greatest asset of life, LOVE. Without love, we cannot share what we know and what we can do best. We need love to achieve perfection, perfection that will complete the enlightenment process, so that we all can get to know ourselves better, our environment better and make life comfortable for all mankind.
2. What were the seven ideas which are 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 are personally most important to me are:
Aloneness
I coined the term alones from the word alone which is synonymous to the ‘phrase being by yourself’. Living in seclusion has been a hallmark of most great inventors and achievers. Anytime I have a great hurdle to climb, a difficult situation to go through, I resort to being by myself. This heightens my level of concentration to meditate and discover appropriate approaches to handling difficult problems. I can focus and concentrate my energies very well in solving problems and discovering new ideas when I am alone.
Perseverance and Endurance
Perseverance and endurance are very great tools in the buildup of the success stories of many people including myself. I remember I could not read very well when I first moved from my village school to a town school. It was quiet a challenging situation. I remember I would be teased by my mates. With determination, I overcame that. I remember the time I was writing my Basic School Certificate Examination, I was among the first best students in my class. I have overcome difficult and challenging situations by persevering and enduring all the pains associated with dealing with difficult situations.
Self belief
Believing in one’s self is a very crucial tool to achieving excellence. I had had problems with the level of my self believe. I had on many occasions believed little in my self and resorting to believing in others. However, if I had believed in myself and gone ahead with many of the decisions I had wanted to pursue, I would have gone far in most of the things I am doing presently. Presently I believe much in myself. Things that colleagues at the workplace and friends see as barriers and impossible, I see them as something that can be overcome with well thought out plans.
Teachability
Making yourself available to receive knowledge of the unknown can be ranked as one of the most essentials towards achieving success in life. First of all, it takes high spirit of humility to submit to tuition. I have always allowed myself to be tutored by those who are well resourced in a subject area. I have never been arrogant in my quest to become knowledgeable. If a one year old child is a repository of knowledge that will help me to succeed, I will not be arrogant to learn. I will submit to receive.
Perfection and Excellence
In everything we do in this life, we seek to achieve delight and comfort. We obtain maximum delight when we able to execute our intended actions with perfection. I delight so much joy and excitement when as a teacher; I am able to communicate my knowledge very well to my students. I can also see joy and satisfaction on the faces when they understand the concept I want to put across better. I encounter a lot of challenges everyday in my life. I try hard to overcome these challenges resorting to many solutions. When I identify the right solution and it is able to correct the challenge to perfection, I feel inner joy and excitement. When I am at perfect peace with people around me, I feel like dwelling in heaven. Perfection is really an epitome of heavenly existence.
Forgiveness
There had been points in time that I had learnt to stop blaming people, although they had done something wrong to me. They had done something to thwart my effort to progress or basically did not like me because I did things different from the way they do theirs. I could not continue to hate or blame people forever. In time, I have learnt to easily forgive people who step on my toes, stand on my ways to success; hate me because I belong to a certain tribe. I forgive because that is the only way I can open another door for cordial relationship, to share ideas so that we can build a better world.
Love
I call it the greatest asset of life. If you lack it, life is worthless. You will be full of hatred and callousness. Love gives a strong feeling of caring about people, those that are close to you and far from you. Love triggers cordiality and sharing. Love does not hurt. Love forgives. Sometimes I do show love; other times I withdraw my love. I am praying for the day that I will be able to show love without any limitations. A day that we will all love ourselves and be kind to the environment without any traces of hatred.
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?
Aloneness
The idea of aloneness is a very important idea that will help me deal with many challenges I face in my daily life. Aloneness aids in better focus when meditating because the noise and disruption factors from people around you are removed. It is important that once in a while, I find a quiet place to meditate, focus and assess myself critically to identify my very purpose of existence. Check my contribution to society and make amends as and when it is necessary to benefit myself and society.
Perseverance and Endurance
Every blessed day in my life presents its own challenges and problems: family challenges, workplace challenges, societal and religious challenges. I am not the type that sees problems and brush them off assuming they are minor. I see every life challenges as deserving the right frame of mind to deal with and high level of determination. I am a poorly paid teacher, yet I am resolute to succeed financially. I am determined to save to build a strong future for my children. Contribute to the development of extended family. Though it is sometimes uncomfortable sticking to some of the decisions I am making today, but I believe with determination I should be able to do that.
Self belief
Believing in me is the only thing that will propel me to achieve my goals in life. Others can do it, but to what extent can they impact on my life? I have a vision and a mission and these are best known to me than any other person. If I believe that I can do it, I can do it better to impact more on my life and society than to fold my arms in frailty, expecting others to do it. If I believe in me and you believe in you, then together we build a better world.
Teachability
There are a lot more to be learnt as someone who wants to make a mark in life and impact on society at large. The desire to search for knowledge must continue unabated because there are more personal and social problems than ever. The world faces a lot of problems and it takes people who are willing to learn and share to find solutions to overcome the problems.
Perfection and Excellence
I always find what I love to do, and I do it my damnedest to make it happen. But I believe I can make a greater impact on myself and society after I have worked hard on achieving whatever endeavour I have set myself to pursue. My goal to become an advocate of food security and the environment is my perfection. I will continue to study hard to become richly endowed to pursue this goal. At this stage, I will realize that my personal development has been heightened and my contribution to society will be immense.
Forgiveness
So long as we live as social groups, the tendency that we offend one another is high. An effort to see things different from others could even lead to conflicts, hatred, ostracism and outcast. As a rational human being, I am hurt sometimes by people’s actions or inactions, however, there is no import of holding on to my anger and paying people back in their own coins. I forgive because I believe forgiveness is the only way to regain comradeship, to achieve communal spirit in order to share, impart and impact on society.
Love
Love is a very useful tool in personal development. Love is charitable. If I have love, I will spare no effort in helping people who are in need. Love is selfless. If I have love, I will share the last thing I have to make life comfortable for all. If I have love I will be generous enough to accommodate and help those who once hurt me and make life comfortable for humanity.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“I am limited by my nature. If I were meant to learn so much about flying, I’d have charts for brains. If I were meant to fly at speed, I’d have a falcon’s short wings and live on mice instead of fish”
Our physical appearance and present situations may paint a picture of doom and gloom. These should not hold us back in our effort to achieve success. Self belief and determination can overcome any limitations that hold us back today.
“Life is the unknown and the unknowable, except that we are put into this world to eat, to stay alive as long as we possibly can”
It is most often very important to exit our comfort zones and seek other options of life what life can offer. Though it is difficult sometimes breaking away from the ordinary ways of doing things, life could be more enjoyable and delightful when we work on other options of life.
“Earth had been a place where he had learned much, of course, but the details were blurred-something about fighting for food and being outcast”
It is always better not to content yourself with what you have and know now. What you know now could be very little unless you make planned efforts to learn more. We need to seek for knowledge all the time because it is the only way that leads to enlightenment.
“Here were gulls who thought as he thought, for each of them, the most important thing in living was to reach out and touch perfection in that which they most loved to do, and that was to fly”
It is always important to associate with people who share the same idea and thought with you. People who will grant you the spirit of team work to achieve your set targets or goals.
“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”
Life is a continuous process. Life is a continuum with closely related events which gives no room for laxity. Our quest for knowledge and success calls for continuous and everlasting effort and continuous preparation to meet life’s challenges tomorrow. We always have to move ahead of time.
“’To fly as fast as thought, to nowhere that is’, he said, ‘you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived’”
Believing in you that it can be done is the only way to have it done. We should always believe in the positive part of us and not to dwell on the things that limit our effort to succeed.
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 idea of aloneness which to some extent could be synonymous to antisocial. Though the antisocial individual contributed to society finally, however, antisocial traits are most often seen as deviant. I thought the book would have expressed some concerns for the negative attributes of antisocial behaviours and its sometimes negative consequences on the individual and society.
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?
The book did not contain exercises.
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.
Essentially, the questions asked cover most of things I would have commented on.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is bad.
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? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Mark Afriyie (Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author of the book, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude , Napoleon Hill, conveys in his book many principles that lead to success, wealth, physical, mental and spiritual health, and happiness. Who doesn’t want to be rich? Who doesn’t want physical, mental and spiritual health? Happiness is all we anticipate as we make the journey of life back and forth. Man is the product of his thoughts, what he thinks is what he becomes. The mind is a repository of all virtues and of course vices. Man has absolute, inherent control over his mental attitude. The way we control our mental attitude results in either an honorable achievement or vices. Napoleon Hill centered the success principles on positive mental attitude. Positive mental attitude makes a habit and habits makes a character. A good character attracts virtues. Positive mental attitude desires good things. Someone with a positive mental attitude attracts the good desirables. Positive mental attitude helps to overcome difficulties and discover your strength. Positive mental attitude helps one to step out of his competitors. PMA turns impossibilities to realities. It has power to attract the good and the beautiful. Positive mental attitude is basically an essential ingredient in all success stories. It should be seen in what we study, learn, think, plan, in our actions,
exercising of faith and giving.
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 life.
Studying
Ignorance has always been the bane that constricts man from attaining success. Many good things exist but are covered beyond the sight of ordinary eyes. It takes the critical intentions to unearth these goodies. A critical study of man’s environment leads to discovery of many golden opportunities that idle minds and eyes can never notice. My life is getting better in terms of my attitude towards everything I do because I study a lot about my work of teaching. Though not a trained teacher, I have acquired teaching skills through conscious studies. I make auspicious effort to study my work, my environment, people and nature so I relate well with people and nature.
Learning
There are a lot of things in this world that seem to be right in the sight of ordinary mind and eye, but a critical look reveals the otherwise. A careful study of this world reveals a lot to us that we can learn from. Man needs to keep an open mind to learn. Be prepared to change the things he knows especially if wrong when you become more enlightened. Man needs to learn and practice the good things he learns with positive mental attitude. We need to learn to develop our near sight and our far sight to bring success to our lives. We need to ask ourselves or other people about things that puzzle us. It may reward richly. I have learnt to motivate myself and others. It has helped my job as teacher a lot. I motivate the students by giving them applause for a well answered question. A pat on students’ shoulder, a smile to students motivates them a lot. I am learning new things every day, especially things that will make me and people around me happy. I have also learnt to learn from defeat. Any obstacle that occurs in my life is seen as a learning tool.
Thinking
We learned to be enlightened to propel us to discoveries. We become exposed to many good things after we have made conscious effort to think. Man in his attempt to better himself and his world has been engaged in a constructive thinking. Man has been engaged in dutiful and constant motions of thinking. It has always been worthy to think with a positive mental attitude and follow through with a desirable action. I have learnt to concentrate my thoughts on what I do. Ever since I got to know the tremendous power of the mind, I never act without a thorough thought. I have been using thinking as a primary tool to achieving my goals in life. The more I think about my goals, the more enthusiasm I become, with enthusiasm my desire turns into a burning desire. When I learn a problem, previously I would criticize and apportion blame but now I sit and think about how to solve the problem.
Planning
Man has many great successes to achieve as well as problems to solve. Planning corrects difficulties and maintains a positive mental attitude. Every achievable goal must be predicated on good planning. Planning which is the basis for achieving our goals in lives must be done each day with positive mental attitude. Planning makes us do our work efficiently. I have learnt to plan with enthusiasm and this has helped me overcome procrastination. I have learnt to use my time well and I don’t waste my students’ time because I prepare my lessons in advance.
Action
Anything in life worth having is worth working for. A burning desire can generate the drive to action that is imperative to great achievement. To develop a burning desire to achieve a specific goal, daily keep the goal before you and strive to achieve them. It is important to act on what we learn. My life is changing into action oriented one. I do what I want to do and I do it now. Setbacks bring opportunities to learn, think and plan which definitely change my attitude from negative to positive. Some students that I teach passed these comments last term: “Sir, you have changed, you come to class every day and you are punctual”, “Sir you are a hard working teacher” etc. it was heart-warming. Poor remuneration is no longer a barrier to delivery of excellent performance.
Faith
Faith without work is dead. Whatever we have decided to do have to be done in greater confidence. Faith in the infinite intelligence is the source of our ability to do all things. Trust in God is a mighty inspiration that pushes us to do all things. Exemplification of true faith consists of acts of kindness and love for one’s fellowmen, not mere prayers uttered in rote. I have acquired greater faith in myself, faith in others, faith in my destiny and in God. Faith is now a habit because I know active faith steps out in its belief and risks failure because it assumes it will succeed. With faith, the kind of struggle I had to go through to get a car to and from work is a thing of the past. I just pray that I shouldn’t struggle to get a car to school and according to my faith I get what I want.
Giving
Until you do learn, you will fail to realize that what is left with you when you share it with others will multiply and grow; and what you withhold from others will diminish and decrease. The bible talks about giving and profit that lies in giving. I have learnt to give the little that I have to put smiles on people’s faces. I know I can do more. I will do more and I know the will bring joy and happiness to somebody’s 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?
Studying
I will make conscious effort to study my work very well. Know the modern ways of communicating information to my students. I will study the environment around me to look for opportunities that can be harnessed and make beneficial to society. Studying can help me identify problems and find solutions to them. Studying is the only way I can kill the debilitating effects of ignorance that has been bane of personal and national problems.
Learning
I have to learn to overcome defeat. The best way to learn is to practice. I will make it a habit to practise the success principles that the book talks about. This way, I will be able to improve my life and also better the life of others. Learning good habits will increase my enthusiasm in dealing with people around me. As a teacher, I have got to learn all the time to be abreast with modern information in my subject area to make an impact on my students.
Thinking
Thinking will help me concentrate on the things that I do. I will use thinking and imagination constructively to bring health and wealth to myself. I will make it a duty to think constantly with PMA so as to influence my action positively. I will think about my goals to raise my enthusiasm to achieve them. I will fill my mind with thoughts of kindness, love, empathy and sympathy so as to make life comfortable for all around me.
Planning
A good panning helps me approach each day with a positive mental attitude. Planning helps me to set goals and pursue them with the right frame of mind. Planning helps me correct difficulties I face in life. Because I plan in executing my intented actions, I have at the back of my mind the consequences of my actions and so I am careful not create any kind of discomfort to myself or to others around me
Action
I have learnt to act with a sense of urgency. I have learnt to do what I should do today and make sure it is done rightly. I’m now punctual to school and I mark my exercises promptly. I am proactive now than ever and very battle ready to confront the many problems of this world.
Faith
I now believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I now have faith in myself, faith in my fellow men, faith in my destiny and faith in my God. Because of faith I am at peace with all. If all should have faith in one another this world will be a better place to live.
Giving
I have learnt that sharing what is left with you with others will multiply and grow. Sharing with others brings joy to those you share with and you reap the benefits in multiple folds. The world will know nothing but peace if we eschew greed and share what we have with others.
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.
“There is something infinitely better than making a living. It is making a noble life”.
Life is worth more than what to eat, wear drink and where to sleep. Life that is marked with the virtues of love, kindness, compassion, joy, happiness, empathy and charity is worthy and fulfilling.
“Until you do learn, you will fail to realize that what is left with you when you share it with others will multiply and grow; and what you withhold from others will diminish and decrease”. The virtues of sharing and giving have been the foundations of the success stories of many individuals and nations. Sharing avoids greed which has characterized violence in many homes and nations.
“Success is achieved by those who try and maintained by those who keep trying with positive mental attitude”. Perseverance with positive mental attitude should be the grapevine for achieving and maintaining success.
“Every adversity has the seed of equivalent benefit”. All hope should not be lost when we try and do not succeed. Failure is only an era that opens another door for greater opportunities.
“So we do not lose heart……Because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal”. It is always better to have good virtues rather than the greed for material things.
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 understand and agree with all the ideas the book shares.
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 useful?
The book contained exercises on page 318-326. The exercises on Success Quotient analysis. The exercise was completed and I did not score so high, but the exercise exposed me to a lot of things. I am challenge by this book to do good all the time.
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. I have no additional comments.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1-10.
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 will give? 10
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Mark Afriyie ( Ghana)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book.
The author is trying to convey how powerful the mind or brain is. The brain is automatic guidance system. It can be a success mechanism or a failure mechanism. The mind is under the control of man and can be programmed or deprogrammed to expand the scope of our personal and professional goals and potentials. Achieve a happier and healthier life and transform dreams and aspirations into action plans for self fulfillment. The mind as an automatic guidance system can help one become a person who acts instead of one who just reacts – to live your life according to your own plan.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your life.
Self image:
Self image is the key element that determines whether our internal guidance system functions for success or for failure. No real behavioral changes could take place unless the self image was changed. It’s my self image that sets the limits for what I can and cannot achieve. By expanding my self image, I expand the limits of my talents and capabilities. A negative self image is nothing but a bad habit. Positive self image is one that I can be proud to express to others, leads to self-confidence and success, add more meaning to my life, and empower me to live my life effectively. Poor self image can trap me in limited thinking. Anytime I perceive myself with low self esteem, goal setting is throttled by such notions as ‘I can’t’; ‘I would like to but’; ’if only I had’; ‘if only I hadn’t’.
Self realization:
Having a low opinion of yourself is not ‘‘modest’’ its self destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard not ‘’egotism’’- it’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success. Without self realization, the potential for achieving goals as individuals and as a society just isn’t there. Self realization may be a universal foundation for a multitude of solutions.
Positive self talk:
Positive self talk is an important key to maintaining positively and proactively in life. Even with everything I am discovering about life, being happy, and being dedicated, there are still days where motivation is not as easy to come by. The thoughts I think and the things I say to myself are important tools I use to make sure that I maintain a high level of motivation and continuing dedication, even on the most gloomy of days.
Feedback
One needs to be sensitive to feedback that measures that you are on course toward your goals. Feedback is used to correct errors in my course as I move toward my goals. Feedback can be gotten from people around me and the changes I feel with myself. Feedback guides me back on course and helps me to recognize my negative responses as a danger signals. We shouldn’t wait to use feedback unless it takes a punch in the nose. Negative feedback is the signal that warns us when we are off course. If we respond to it by correcting our courses, we remain targeted on our goal.
Relaxation
Relaxation is the key to activating our creative imagination, the only state in which our servo-mechanisms can work properly. Relaxation can be used to optimize the efficiency of your creative mechanism. Relaxation helps me to build new concept and to do something more than the usual. It provides a solution to those unsolvable personal dilemmas. When I am relaxed, my mind is capable of accelerated feats of learning and memory.
Imagination
What you imagine to be true can condition your behavior. Mental imagination helps successful people create positive conditions for their successes in business, sports etc. Imagination has changed my belief, dissolved my fear and improves my relationship.
Choices
The conscious mind always says ‘yes’ to everything the conscious mind tells it. The subconscious mind always moves in the direction in which the conscious mind points it. It is always important that the conscious mind looks at options and makes purposeful choices among them. Once the conscious mind has made its selection, all other possible options are eliminated for that given moment. The choices we make consciously and unconsciously can make or unmake us.
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?
Self image
Self image affects our behavior. A good self image influences any behavior positively. I can do all things good with a good self image. I can achieve many things when my self image is properly adjusted. Africa needs to put up a new image; an image of democracy, peace, conflict free and a can-do-all things to give confidence to her citizens. I communicate effectively with my students anytime my disposition shows a positive self image.
Self realization
Knowing who and what you are is a necessary condition for greater happiness and success. God created man in his own image. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. My mind is a repository of knowledge of all things. Africa has all the resources to make things happen. We only have to realize our worth as people with great potentials and capabilities and stop the posture we have taken to beg for everything. We possess the infinite intelligence of God. We can do all things and we have the responsibilities to create the wealth the people of Africa need.
Positive self talk
I use positive self talk to maintain proactive life. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Gloomy days come, but I tell myself every single day I am a better person even in bad days. Because I speak good about myself all the time, I am in constant motion to get myself free from thoughts and situations that portray hopeless pictures. Africa has to speak good about itself. Fine-tune the mindset of its citizens that it is a continent of hope and aspirations that all good things can happen on the continent.
Feedback
I use feedback to correct errors in my personal life and in my profession as a teacher. Students give me feedback regarding my performance in the delivery of my lessons. Colleagues at the workplace give me positive and negative feedbacks including freaks. Some come in the form of criticisms. However constructive or destructive the feedback may come, I use them to guide my life and my career. Many revolutions and demonstrations are happening in Africa demanding political reforms and good leadership. If leaders will not wait but use feedback before they take punches on their noses, all these demonstrations would not happen. Individuals and leaders across the world should use feedback to better themselves and society.
Relaxation
I use relaxation to overcome stress. Relaxation rests my mind and put it in a position which helps me build a new concept. It helps me find solutions to those personal problems like how to budget my income, set personal and career goals and follow through with them. Relaxation improves my memory and calms my nerves. It leaves me with peace, calm and coolness of mind to live with all in peace.
Imagination
I use imagination to condition my behavior. I always imagine things that create conditions of peace, joy and happiness in my life. I used imagination to overcome the fear of heights. I have been able to improve my relationship with my family and friends because I have always imagined myself at peace with all around and even most difficult relatives. Leaders and people across the world should use imagination to dissolve their fear of failure, form new concept, and develop new strategies that will produce results that bring comfort to all in this world.
Choices
Man has mind that can conceive all things good or bad. But the choice to make what we conceive happens depends on the conscious mind. I use meditations most of the time to arrive at decisions and I consciously select the best of decisions that bring joy and happiness to me and society. Everyman has a responsibility to make choices that affect him and others positively. As individuals and leaders, we should choose to make decisions or do things for benefit of all mankind.
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.
‘’Life gets better when we know we have made it better’’.
When the man is right, the world would be right. We have the sole responsibility to do the right things to make the right things happen. What we do today determines what would become tomorrow.
‘’of course the only person who can draw a blueprint for your self image is you’’
We own our lives and whatever turn out of our decisions and choices we make.
‘’Happiness doesn’t operate on a schedule’’
We can be happy at all time. Even in gloomy moments we have course to be happy. The little things that make us happy in short moments should not be overlooked. We are the source of our own happiness. No one is responsible for our happiness.
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?
Every idea or concept was clearly explained 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?
I did all the exercises and they were very useful.
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.
No.
Please rate the following questions on 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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating would you give it? 10