Munib-ur-Rehman – Assessments

As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Munib-ur-Rehman (Pakistan)

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

“As A Man Thinketh” is a masterpiece by the pen of James Allen and is an in-depth exploration of the central idea of self-empowerment. The title of the book comes from Bible “ As A Man thinketh, so he is”. But despite of this origin we find the book religiously neutral. He has tried to convey that we are not robots therefore we control our thoughts. Resultantly we discover that there is no difference between mind and matter. The author has conveyed this fact to us successfully that we are sum of our thoughts, our circumstances are us and that tranquility is equal to success.

We find the book divided into seven chapters and thus it gives us ease in understanding the contents as each chapter discusses different attributes of thoughts and their relation on the personality development of man. And these are:
1. Thought and Character
2. Effect of Thought on Circumstances
3. Effect of Thought on Health and the Body
4. Thought and Purpose
5. The Thought-Factor in Achievement
6. Visions and Ideals
7. Serenity

What we infer after reading the book is that a person is successful who has full control over his thoughts. Thux;s the person who with the power of thought and vision can make his/her own world.

The logic of the book is unassailable: noble thoughts make a noble person, negative thoughts hammer out a miserable one. To a person mired in negativity, the world looks as if it is made of confusion and fear. On the other hand, Allen noted, when we curtail our negative and destructive thoughts, ‘All the world softens towards us, and is ready to help us.’ We attract not only what we love – but what we fear. His explanation for why this happens is simple: those thoughts which receive our attention, good or bad, go into the unconscious to become the fuel for later events in the real world. As Emerson said, ‘A person is what he thinks about all day long.

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.

The ideas personally important to me after reading this book are:-

We are Sum of Our Thoughts: I infer that noble thoughts make us noble. The person with negative thinking looks the world around as if it is made of confusion and fear. Whereas one who curtails negative & destructive thoughts, takes the world as soft, serene and beautiful place.

Relation of Man and His Circumstance: Circumstances do not make a man but reveals him. The outer conditions of man’s life are always harmonious to his/her inner state.

Success is outcome of Tranquility: I infer that success always avoids the unstable. It is apparent that calmness of mind is the jewel of wisdom. People who are calm, relaxed and purposeful appear to look like that is their natural state, but nearly always it is the fruit of self-control.

We Attract Not what we Desire, but What We are: It is necessary that we must keep on improving our selves to create results and outcome as per our desire.

Thoughts cannot be kept secret. Our thoughts are demonstrated through our habits, traits, and circumstances. Therefore these can never be a secret but these are exhibited through our acts.

Thought are necessary to be linked with purpose: Because without linking thoughts with purpose a smart and successful accomplishment cannot be ensured, because those who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings. And all these things are indications of weakness, which lead to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.

Weaknesses can be converted into strengths: A man with a weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising him/herself in right thinking.

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?

These ideas gave me the lesson of keeping myself on first priority. I learnt to develop my own circumstances instead of blaming others. It also helped me improve many habits of mine. I particularly mention the idea of relationship between thoughts and purposes. I started making purposeful thinking and it saved me a lot of time. It also developed in me as to how to avoid unwanted thinking by keeping me in present instead of dwelling in past, which is unrecoverable, or dreaming of future, which is unknown always. It taught me to have healthy vision in order to have healthy and peaceful world of mine. It told me the importance of serenity in life. It also enlightened in me that healthy body is dependent on healthy thinking. In short I may say that I learnt to make my own world.

Now a question arises and that is: if everything is because of thoughts – why don’t we feel it to be that way? Why do we feel at times that we are not lucky, that sometimes other people have a lot of control over our lives, that someone is cheating us? Why doesn’t life appear to be fair – if it was all so simple – with whatever you think, happening?

Because, says James Allen, we are not aware of our thoughts. We do not know what we think all day. If we only knew, he says, then we would realize that our life sucks because we are thinking – ‘my life sucks, my life sucks’ all day. And so do not assume that you know your thoughts, he says. Observe them. And then if you change them gradually – you will automatically create any circumstance you want by changing them.
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.
• Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.
• A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
• Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them your world will at last be built.
• The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires – and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
• Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.
• Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought.
• Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.
• Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.
• As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
• Men imagine that thought can be kept secret but it cannot ; it rapidly crystallizes into habit and habit solidifies into circumstance.
• The world is your Kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors, which at every succeeding moment it presents to you, are exquisitely adjusted pictures of your ever moving thoughts.
• You cannot travel within and stand without.
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 find any thing in the book which is not understandable except that language is pretty high and also expressed in a relatively complex manner.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, There are not any exercises to be completed by reader. However this assessment is the best way to ascertain the level of understanding the reader makes after reading 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.

I find this book a kind of autobiographical as the author has presented his view on the power of thinking. It throws light on co-relation of thinking on different aspects of man’s personality. It shows the influences caused over human life by the thoughts. The author tells us that we attract, not what we desire, but what we are. So we have to be constantly improving ourselves to create results and outcomes of our desire.

Basically, James Allen talks about how if we allow your mind to wander into the path of least resistance, and think about bad things, eventually bad things will manifest themselves in our life. Likewise, if we push ourselves to think good things, eventually good things will happen to us.

That’s a little simplistic, but we get the point. Really, he explains that when we think about something, even a little at a time, we begin to attract that circumstance to us.

The author has tried to convey that “a man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts”. And that purpose may be in the form of spiritual ideal or may be a worldly object. Whatever it is, the man must have a focus over it, making it his/her supreme duty.
We also learn that the weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth – that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.

8. Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it 9

 

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Munib-ur-Rehman (Pakistan)

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

Jonathon Living Stone Seagull is a masterpiece presented by Richard Bach (b. 1936), a former US Air Force pilot. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a book about a very independent bird, who dared to question what was being taught and told to him by the elders. He didn’t just want to spend his days searching for food and hanging out doing what was expected of him – he was different, and dared to dream.

He spent his days learning to fly faster and better than any other gull in the flock. He learned from all of his searching and trying that he could do anything, if he wanted it badly enough and just went for it, even to the point of becoming an outcast.

Apparently it describes extraordinary approach of a seagull towards life that conveys message of attaining one’s dreams and being one’s own mentor. The author has used flight as metaphor for attaining higher places in the journey of life. Thus he has told us that we have the ability to change reality with the power of our thoughts. We can do everything, anything only if we believe in ourselves. We can say that metaphorically about seagull but It is about each and every one of us, struggling to find the answers, to reach something higher that we are not even yet aware of. We are all a little bit like Jonathan, and when we read it, we realize that we all have the same power inside. That we can do anything, be anything that we want, if only we can believe in ourselves. Bach’s message is a powerful and timeless one that stretches across all barriers to reveal the simple truth that we all, at one time or another in our lives, knew: the most powerful force that exists is that of belief, especially in ourselves.

We come across that when a way of life has always been; when the limitations of a culture have been accepted as the norm by all the generations before, change is feared. The rare being born with the vision to see what could be possible and the faith to act on his beliefs is a heretic.

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.

The seven ideas personally important to me are:-

Belief in myself. This is the most powerful idea I infer after reading this book. It strongly enlightens me of my calibre and capability to change my world.

Mentoring Others. It tells us to impart others what we have learnt.

Struggle: It encourages us to struggle to find out the answers about life itself.

Keeping the aim high: It enables me to keep my aim high under all odds, through thick and thin, as Jonathon does even when he is outcast from the flock.

Listening to the Heart: This is another important idea I infer out of this book and it tells me to be different from the stereotype thinking. It enables me to make my own track for struggle in life.

Keep on learning: It gives the idea to keep on learning all the time, every moment of life and that will give new horizons of attainment & heights.

Self Empowerment: It tells to keep on learning new techniques to equip myself with the capacity to face the hardships of life and to achieve higher purpose of 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?

Adherence to these ideas I learnt from the book will ensure me higher place in life, will make me extraordinary as compared with my fellows. It will also tell me to be unique instead of being stereotype personality so that I may attain a higher position in life. I have learnt that I have to keep my aim high and for that aim I will have to break the barriers of family, friends and community, if required. In short these ideas will help live my life in a different way rather than spending my life span just for life. We come across while reading that Jonathon Living Stone is within all of us. For example we find following of his teachings:

* Live and love your life’s passions.
* Give yourself the freedom to soar.
* Never ever give up on your passions.
* Allow yourself to listen to your heart.
* Have faith and pursue your true purpose.
* You can do anything if you want it enough.
* Follow your dreams through thick and thin.
* Dare to question what is taught by your elders.
* It is all right to be different from everyone else.
* Do not follow others blindly – fly out on your own.
* Keep working on your talents and fly to new heights.
what a practical approach we conceive when we read his teachings.

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 are a number of quotes made by the author to invite the attention of readers, and these are:

The only true law is that which leads to freedom. I think it is important that enforcement of law is to ensure freedom. If the freedom is confined as the outcome of some law, that is not law but dictatorship.

Live and love your life’s passion: It has message for me that one must live one’s life as one’s passion/trait and one must love (struggle) to achieve it.

It is all right to be different from every one else: What a strong quote this is, bearing the message to live extra-ordinary, not for mere purpose of life, but for higher places.

Do not follow others blindly- fly out on your way: By this I infer that wisdom must be employed. That is the only way we can be different from others.

Hard as it may sound, do not be concerned over what others think: I infer that we must stick to objectives/goals without caring for the others what they think about us. That is the only we will be able to achieve it.

You will begin to touch heaven, Jonathan, in the moment that you touch perfect speed. And that isn’t flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn’t have limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there: It encourages us to continue our struggles for limitless achievements.

“Remember, Jonathan, heaven isn’t a place or a time, because place and time are so very meaningless. Heaven is…” : Again it emphasizes on continuation of the struggle for the limitless achievements.

“Here were gulls who thought like 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.” : As the man continues his efforts he is successful in finding the company of like-minded people supporting and encouraging each other.

“When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen There will be something to stand on, or you will be taught to fly.” : Learning is a perpetual process with multiple stages. One stage is completed and new horizons appear.

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 there is. The book is ended leaving some questions. Where Jonathon has gone, and why? Similarly his mentor also disappeared giving him some lesson? The reader has no answer where has he gone? To some other world with more aspiring things or has vanished permanently?

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 is no exercises given to be completed by the reader. However this assessment can be describes as exercise and very helpful to have a grip over the contents and understanding of the book.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Yes there is and that is that this book is spiritual classic. Secondly it touches on our materialistic life being not the end but the beginning of some thing greater. Thirdly and most importantly, this is an allegorical tale giving me the moral that being “ordinary” is bad, ignoring practical needs to pursue my passion is good and if others do not understand me, it is because I am misunderstood spiritually superior being. And also that This book is a great read for all age-groups and particularly for anyone who wants to ‘fly’ in the broadest sense of the word. It is a book that can be read a number of times with each reading giving you further insight. I was so overjoyed in this book, because it has made me realize that it is okay to be different and NOT do what everyone else does, just because you are supposed to. You are supposed to be who you are, it is your choice to make and what is right for you, is okay. A very wonderful book, worth reading again and again. I can’t tell you exactly why you need to read this book. It’s not about something as simple as plot or writing style. There is a rare magic in the words that cannot be conveyed by any other means than the experience of reading the book.

8. 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? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it. 10

 

 

The New Dynamics of Winning

Assessment by Muni bur Rehman (Pakistan)

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

“What it takes to be a winner?” is the core theme of “ The New Dynamics of Winnig” ; the marvelous work of Denis Waitley. He, on the basis of his experience gained in the capacity of Head of the mental training program for the United States Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Council, has described how to be an achievement-oriented person and has tried to tell the readers that being a champion means thinking like a champion. This is really a glorious work and real life examples have added its glory. He has also written the following books.

* The Psychology of Winning

* The Winner’s Edge

* Seeds of Greatness

* The Joy of Working

* Timing is Everything

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.

The book under review covers the following seven ideas personally important to me as explained below.

* The most important traits of a champion

* The five most prevalent self-destructive beliefs

* How to focus your mind for peak performance, anywhere, any time

* The important relationship between integrity and success

* The secrets of mental toughness, and how to overcome setbacks

* The components of effective leadership and the importance of coachability

* How “ paying the price ” prepares you for success and how to use stress to your advantage

In short I find this book giving the tips and suggesting the methods of success in effective and influencing manner for which people have to work for years and have to spend millions of dollars. It is up to us to put them to work for us.

The book has been divided into ten chapters, in terms of principles and concept relating to develop an achievement-oriented mindset.

The chapter first “ The drive to Win” describes The following

* The mind-set of the champion

* The zone, and how to get there

* Desire + action = Motivation

* The four great fears

* What makes a winner?

* The stair-step method

* Nobody else is going to take you fishing

The worth mentioning thing in this chapter is the concept of Zone which means the ability to put ourselves into the state of mind which ensures accomplishment. The writer calls it a special place that only winners inhabit. The writer describes Zone as doing more than we or anyone else thought possible.

Similarly the writer mentions following four fears as a great hindrance in the path of success:

* The fear of catastrophic danger

* The fear of change

* The fear of success

* The fear of failure, according to writer, which is really a fear of rejection.

The writer describes the following as the most important traits of a winner:

* Common Sense, or the ability to simplify complex subjects by getting right to the core of what really matters.

* Knowing your field

* Self-Reliance

We are given an astonishing principle of winning here i.e. we cannot win with desire only. We need to break that desire down into smaller parts and reach our main goal by what is called “stair-step” method.

The writer discusses the following in second chapter titled as “ Paying the Price”.

* The entry fee to success

* Why working hard is not enough

* When you have paid the price, you expect the gold

* Seven rules for winner and how to apply them

* Recognizing your moment of truth

* How to get the best seat in the house.

Although the entire chapter is worth reading, however Seven Rules for Winners is the most important segment of this chapter. Many quotes have been used in this chapter .e.g. It is never too late to get in the game, there are no rewards in anything unless you try, the success of others has little to do with your personal success, true success is not measured by what others may say or accomplish, seek to do something that you love, you need no one else to measure you or your skill, collection of mistakes is called experience, success comes from doing our best, etc.

The chapter three titled as “ The Olympian Within” emphasizes on visualizing dreams of success and its materialization. Writer here mentions here five self-destructive beliefs, which are given as under:

1. You must always prove yourself to be thoroughly competent, adequate and achieving. You must perform as perfectly as possible in all situations.

2. You must always have the love and approval of the significant others in your life. You must always be right in their sight.

3. If you are afraid of something, if you are wrong about something, if you have made any kind of mistake, you must dwell on the problem. You have an obligation to worry.

4. You have little or no ability to change you feelings toward the things that happen to you, because they are caused by external pressure. You are a victim of life’s circumstance.

5. You live with the child of your past, therefore you are compelled to behave, perform, and feel in a consistent manner for the rest of your life, because of that all-important influence.

It is emphasized here that thought gives birth to action, for better or for worse.

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?

I learnt the following:

1. Question my motivation daily

2. It’s show, not tell

3. Be your own investigative reporter

4. Be loyal to my inner circle

5. Follow Through

6. Look up to those beneath me

7. Learn to watch my watch

These ideas developed a unique mindset in me and I felt great improvement in my professional life. Each and every chapter of this book gave me learning unique at its own, as described below:

Chapter Five gives us visualization checklist besides giving us a four-step plan for reducing stress. As we continue reading, we learn about the power of self-transformation in chapter Six as well as three types of self-talk. Chapter seven deals with the attaining strength through mental toughness with emphasis on focusing on the desired results. We are also advised to listen to our body here. In chapter eight we learn about coachability factor. We come across here with three components of leadership, qualities of a winning couch and metaphorically learn to become a bulldog from a puppy. As we continue reading, we learn about the quality of leadership in chapter nine which tells us that

* What is a leader?

* Ten do’s and don’ts of quality leadership

* How to bring people together

* How to power from empowerment

* What are expectations and excellence

* Difference between opportunities and obligations

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 are number of quotes in the entire book, some of the important quotes are reproduced below:

1. Fear is a powerful negative motivator.

2. We permit ourselves to fail by default rather than face the risks of success.

3. Champions don’t shrink from risk.

4. It was an all time high.

5. No problem in the world is big enough to be remembered.

6. Having only good intentions doesn’t cut it.

7. You can’t win with desire only.

8. The successes are experience more often.

9. Maximum success is built upon mini goals.

10. You can coast for a while, but you won’t get far if you don’t pedaling.

11. If the commitment is there, the achievements will follow.

12. Slowly, but surely, achievements grow out of commitment.

13. Going through what I have gone through, there’s no obstacle I can’t overcome.

14. Most of our hurdles in life are self-imposed limitations.

15. There are no mistakes or failures, only lessons.

16. Growth is a process of gaining knowledge.

17. Collection of mistakes is called experience.

18. It is never too late to get in the game.

19. But there are no rewards in anything unless you try.

20. A moment of truth can come in the form of an accident.

21. Don’t let doubts limit yours.

22. I see what’s right and I do 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?

I do not find anything in the book, which is not unclear. Rather I would say that I learn here that leadership is not based on theory or technique. It depends on my ability to subordinate our own ego for the good of the team. Ten Do’s and Don’ts give me the charter of leadership. These are reproduces as under:

* Listen often and as much as possible to what others say, and try to do so without prejudgment.

* Don’t put anyone off or penalize anyone in any way for asking questions

* Use praise frequently and sincerely

* If you feel that criticism is definitely required, don’t do it in front of others

* Be firm and be fair

* Plan leisure and recreational activities that everyone can do together

* Don’t be afraid to share concerns with others

* Don’t make rash promises and don’t be inconsistent

* Whenever you are in a leadership role, focus your supervision on teaching effective habits and skills, not in looking for mistakes

* Encourage everyone in both your personal and your professional life to speak up and express their own ideas, even if you disagree with them.

This chapters comes to an end with the description of Five Most Important Words a leader can speak and these words are ; “ I am proud of you.”

The chapter 10 gives us the concepts of

* A lifetime winner

* The creed of a champion

* A quick look back at the new dynamics of winning

* Life is not a treasure hunt

* A passion for living

* The most marvelous game of all

* The true arena of champions

And the core values we learn in this chapter are that:-

* Entry into arena of championship

* Life is never just being. It is becoming and creating.

* We must not waste our time accumulating objects or attributes that will mean nothing to us after a few years. Real value comes from whatever we create in beauty and goodness and truth.

* Get inspiration from the words of Alexander Schindler that when we create love in a house, we will have a home.

* When we add pride to city, we have a community.

* Bring learning to a pile of bricks, and we have a school.

* Find religion in he most modest structure, and we have a sanctuary.

* Foster justice in all human endeavor, and we have a civilization

We are advised by the writer to put them all together, add our own hopes and our own unique gifts, and we have a future lit with the radiant flame of the Olympic Torch. He advises us to pass this torch along to everyone we meet. In it burns the soul and spirit of a champion.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No, there is no exercise given in the book to solve.

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.

The book concludes with a twenty-one day plan which is a training program to prepare us for our own personal Olympiad.

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