As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Ejemeka David Ezichi (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea the author is trying to convey in the book?
The striking idea in this book is how our thought value can affect the whole of our lives. Our character being the total sum of our thoughts. As the plant springs from and could not be without seed, so every act of ours spring from our hidden thoughts. The lesson from this book is so striking to me, to the extent that I come to realize that thoughts are so powerful that it can make or mar a man. When we keep a positive thought it makes our lives but when the thought is negative it mars our lives. I also realized the invisible portent of thought, that as unseen as it is, its capable to create a seen effect, as little as it seems to be, it’s ready to make profound and a phenomenal effect in life. I was made to understand from this book that no matter how a man tries to wrestle with his circumstances it’s not going to improve until the man improves himself and this improvement is by entertaining the right thought. We attract what we think, think of woe it will surely come, think of failure we must be it’s victim, fear anything it will engulf us be it death it will know at our doors, keep a grudge and malice our countenance will tell even when the face hides it, our conscience will prick. On the other hand, think good you will surely feel good, act good, look good and see good. I found out that it doesn’t take a different strength to oppress or to enslave another. It only takes the strength of thought because according to the author it takes strength to be an oppressor and strength to be an oppressed each of them are exerting energy. But, the conditional difference is what goes on in the mind of the other. This is why I believed the author that man is where he is as a result of his fought value. Poverty, riches, disease, power, weakness influence are subject to our thought process and value. I believe the idea here is for us to learn effect of thought to life.
2. What are seven ideas which 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. Thought and Character
As a man thinks in his hear so he is. Thought shapes our character and character is what we are even when no one is noticing us. As we think in secrete we manifest in open, even when we are oblivious of our act, by cause and effect we can still trace our act to the reservoir of our thoughts which slipped away from us in automation. Our talk, dressing, moves, disposition; they are all a reflection of whom we are inside. Both positive and negative character is not a thing of trait but a formation of thought. The microcosm of our character can be traced to our thought.
ii. Effect of thought on circumstances
This idea sent me a signal that circumstances does not respect a man by his muscles to toil and wrestle with his present unfavorable condition. Rather, situations give way from the very point a man thinks of the possible solution to his problem and get ready to reverse the cause then the effect will cease automatically. It boils down to the saying that there is no problem without a solution. For example, when I had the urge to change my financial stress, I thought of the way out, I figured that only way is to plan my finance, my yearly earning, my expenses and my savings and till today I have I break even and in a state of quantum leap.
iii. Effect of Thought on Health and Body.
Another most important idea is the knowing that our thought can have effect to our health and to our body. That the more healthy is our thought the more healthy our body becomes and reverse is the case when our thought becomes unhealthy. I found out from this study that when one looks unnaturally bored and pale with wrinkles his thought process is tainted with stress and unease and this gives room to disease and untold ailment. When one engages on worries instead of a constructive thought blood pressure tends to rise. When one is scared of doom, he lives with consciousness of unseen evil forces fighting him and likely to suffer an imaginary attack. The cause and effect of healthy or unhealthy body is traced to thought.
iv. Thought and purpose
This another ringing volume idea, until a thought is aligned with a purpose there will not be any intelligent achievement. Undoubtedly true, purpose is a sense of direction and any thought lacking a direction is adrift in an ocean of nowhere. For example I think of where I want to be in the next five years and give myself a time line of five years to get there. This is about thought and purpose, it streamlines our effort towards achievement.
v Thought Factor in Achievement. To this end, whatever a man achieves or fails to achieve is not really a thing of Fate or Luck but is really a thing of thought. No chance, no luck, no high favored, no blessedness. It’s all about structured thinking on the way to achieve a thing.
vi. Vision and ideas.
The unseen world of thought regulate the seen world of reality. We dream in the night it happens in the day; that’s the thing about vision and ideas. Sometimes it tarries but if one can make it clear and patiently pursue it; it must come to be. Every vision started with dream, and every dream starts by a flash of thought, then processed into idea into pictures of thoughts, translated into idea. At this point dreams ideas become reality. For example when I conceived the vision of being a lawyer it came like a flash of thought and several pictures of the type of law and my personality of practice began to evolve in my unconscious being.
vii. Serenity
This is the state of absolute calmness of the inner being. I found from this idea that equanimity of heart exudes power that can still any circumstantial storm. Its a state of being in absolute control of both the internal and external even the supernatural forces are under your command. For example, when my Mum passed on, during the burial I was pressed to consult the rain makers to withhold rain so that it will not disrupt the interment. But, to me it’s fetish, so I resolved not to consult them, I prayed in a state of absolute calmness of heart despite the fact that I was broken by the sudden demise of my Mum. Low and behold the lord restored my peace. When I prayed with such a confidence that it will not rain after the interment it never dropped though they conjured it contrary.
4. Quotes: Are there any statement that the author made that particularly got your attention? If so please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass; Environment is but his looking-glass.”
To me I feel that what makes a man is the thought and how powerful or powerless is his thought determines the quality of his life. Therefore it has to be guided with all diligence because out of it springs the issues of life.
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?
Nothing at all.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and you find them helpful.
There were no exercises.
7. Was there anything you read on the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered on the previous question. Please comment.
Not at all.
Please rate the different questions on a scale of 1-10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Ejemeka David Ezichi (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea the author was trying to convey in the book?
The Effect of Constant Practice: I distilled the idea the author is trying to convey from the second paragraph of Chapter 1 on Page 4, where the author presented Jonathan the seagull as one who practices the act of sea flight with all sense of diligence and commitment. From this paragraph one can easily decipher that he places his business above pleasure, this is evidenced where he refused to just fish for breakfast as the rest of the gull do rather he left all alone to practice and acquire a great skill in sea flight. This attitude confirms a witty saying that “Practice makes perfect” no doubt about this, whatever one devotes his time, energy, resources in doing he must definitely turn to be dexterous on it. This book shows that Jonathan Seagull had no any other business than learning the sea flight with an extra ordinary skills and speed to an altitude that no seagull can dare.
I at this juncture defined practice as not just an exercise but the act of consciously doing a particular thing over and over again until the whole exercise gets registered in our subconscious being to the extent that we can unconsciously do the same thing without a flaw. Then, it all begins with a conscious effort. At this end, I can aptly say that the author is trying to pass a message on the supersonic force of constant practice to whatever vocation one delves into, he presented the actor Jonathan as a person with a resolve to touch the excellence, shunning mediocrity, and ready to pay the price of his excellent resolve of which he did by constant practice.
2. What are seven ideas which 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 Passion in whatever one does
I found out from the life of Jonathan as a person with unquenchable love to fly on the sea with a great speed and dexterity. At this juncture, I defined passion as a driving force, a shaker and mover, that which makes us unease if we are not doing it or if we did not do it well, it propels us and as well guarantee our future fulfillment and happiness. I solemnly believed that whatever one does without passion quit or mediocrity is always the end result.
ii. Confidence in oneself
I defined self confidence as what only you believe about yourself. That’s why the medieval philosopher Socrates quipped “Man know thyself.” This the fulcrum of every feat, for man to know and believe in himself. It is a sine qua non to the extent that there will be a point where nobody will believe you let alone your vision or strength to bring it to bear. But hear is the message the only person that will believe you at this point is yourself. Jonathan found himself in this shoe where his father and mother asked him to just do normal flying and scramble for food like the other gulls that what is most important is to get a daily bread. But, Jonathan refuted doing the normal and scrambling for what to eat rather he ventured more with confidence to what he believes which the end justified the means.
iii. Setting Right Ones Perspective or Priority
As to Joe what matters to him isn’t just food but an exceptional sea flyer not just ordinary but extra. To him what makes sense isn’t what the mother think that he is bone and feather because he doesn’t eat, but he said, I don’t mind being bone and feathers all I want to know is what I can do in the air and what I cannot do, that’s all. He knows what matters and what doesn’t.
iv. Understanding
Jonathan understood something his fellow gulls did not understand and that makes a whole lots of difference. This strengthened his cord to pursue his dreams and finally emerged as the leader of the gulls. Understanding is an act of knowing what to do that is lacking and how to do eat. He wasn’t the only gull but he understood the syndrome of mediocrity and did something to salvage himself and those who believe him. Therefore, I mean every aspiring leader should “know” For example, I came out from a region in my country where everybody feels that politics is a dirty game. I proceeded to study law and I stumbled on a study that politics is not a dirty game but politicians and this alone shaped my understanding and placed me on a trajectory of politics. And I got a mentor like Nelson Mandela.
v. Ready to be alone
Jonathan’s banishment teaches me that we are prone to discover ourselves when we are left alone. This is a point when we listen to ourselves more devoid of distractions and pressure. Here one with a sense of commitment can exert much effort tapping from divinity. This idea reminds me a point in my life when I chose to study law in my family I was seen as a dissidents, it didn’t go down well with almost everybody in my family because I have a radical but logical way of looking at things and I am a conversative.But, today almost all of them come to tap the wrath of legal knowledge even the society. It gives me acceptance.
vi. Paying a great deal of sacrifice
This speaks a lot of volume to me that we have got to pay sacrifice for our resolve. We need to as Jonathan did to whether the storm when we got a vision or dream to birth otherwise we must definitely miss it.
vii. Apt to teach
I also found out from this book that Jonathan was apt to teach. He knew his fellow gulls where in a stalk ignorance of the surging mediocrity but he always tried to enlighten them, trying to raise them but the remained adamant not until they found him on the eagles wing that some of the surrendered to his tutelage. So, it’s impressing for every emerging leader to be apt to teach. This I remembered that in my penultimate level of my LL. B my class mates gave me an award because I put them through the rigorous legal learning. I didn’t just research to know but to transmit it. I think it’s a good leadership virtue.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
I believe that the lesson I learned here will strengthen my resolve to pursue excellence and shun mediocrity.
4. Quotes: Are there any statement that the author made that particularly got your attention? If so please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“I don’t mind being bone and feathers Mom, I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can’t do. Thats all.”
It got my attention because there is noting that interest me than someone knowing what he wants.
“But you can Jonathan, for you have learned, one school has finished and the time has come for another to begin.”
Jonathan told his brothers who came to fetch him telling that he has learned enough but to Jonathan believes that learning doesn’t end. So, it rings volume to my being that learning has no terminal.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
There are no ideas in this book that are not clear to me. But, I disagree with Jonathan who may be because of his achievement believed that heaven is not a place or time but reaching perfection see page 12 paragraph 12. So, I feel that it’s a fallacy and erroneous to believe that heaven is to touch a fallacy but any way is his believe but I don’t just agree.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and you find them helpful.
There were no exercises.
7. Was there anything you read on the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered on the previous question. Please comment.
Not at all.
Please rate the different questions on a scale of 1-10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 10
B. How helpful were the contents? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10
Keys to Success
Assessment by Precious Chinenye Muogbo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in this book?
In Napoleon Hill’s ‘Keys to Success’, he suggests an all-round formula for success in all endeavors whilst recommending practical steps to follow for personal, corporate, financial, spiritual, mental and social fulfillment. The main idea Napoleon Hill tried to convey is that success is intentional and so, must be pursued or sought after by individuals who are resolute to achieve success in every aspect of their lives. He also wrote about principles, their rewards, how to apply them to daily activities and the results to expect. As he recommends the seventeen principles of success, he reiterates the importance of acknowledging the fundamental elements of worthwhile achievements and ensuring that one sticks to it regardless, if he is to live out his utmost potentials. Using examples of himself and other phenomenal leaders, Napoleon Hill tries to communicate the truth that success is achievable by anyone regardless of race, color, limitations, environment and social status; so long as an individual defines his purpose with a positive mental attitude and applies other principles for success. Napoleon Hill points out that success is not farfetched when an individual learns to properly utilize resources, people, time, money, habits, defeat, experience, adversities, thoughts and enthusiasm for ultimate fulfillment and service to self and society.
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. Developing a definiteness of purpose
The idea of developing definiteness of purpose is important to me because it is the Genesis of all worthwhile achievements. It entails precision, evaluation, clarity, timeliness and action plans for every goal that is set. It is important to me because goals aren’t hard to set for yourself but due to distractions, laziness and a host of other reason, most young individuals are unable to achieve the goals they set for themselves. They then blame failure on their predicaments and wallow in self pity rather than identifying what they did wrong and looking for ways to accurately reapply the principle of defining their purpose. It is also important to me because in times past, I set some goals which are unrealistic and beat myself up when I fail to achieve them, but, with proper guidance and enlightenment, I have been able to review those goals, break them into short, intermediate and long-term plans for productivity and impact to my self, family and society.
ii. Establishing Mastermind alliances
This idea is very important to me because the importance of having like minds working in perfect harmony towards a specific goal cannot be overemphasized. It points out that anything is achievable through the right association with total cooperation and without reservations. I hold this in high esteem because my choice of friends has contributed greatly to my choices, actions and achievements. Amidst personal conflicts and differences, my friends share similar goals, and apply the same principles that I do. They are there to hold me accountable for my goals, decisions, resolutions and vice versa.
iii. Going the extra mile
The idea of rendering better services than paid for with the right mental attitude is rewarding for both internal and external reasons. This is important to me because most times than often, people unknowingly shortchange themselves by trying to be crafty in every of their dealings especially when money is involved. They fail to realize the principles of compensation and increasing returns only happen to those who are selfless enough to do that little extra for people they coexist with on Earth.
iv. Enforcing self discipline
The ability to enforce self discipline over oneself, thoughts and action is important to me because it is a recipe for self-actualization and purpose fulfillment. Most people are slaves to their desires and let it control them rather than control it. This makes them unstable, unaccountable, irresponsible and unable to weather the storm that life brings to those who are success-conscious.
v. Assembling an attractive personality
The personality of a person can either make or Mar him. Personality is so important that it sustains you where talent or gifts cannot. It shapes your thoughts, actions, relationship with people and the compensations you’ll receive on Earth. Assembling an attractive personality is important to me because it with it, I can attract whatever it is I desire into existence or reality. An unpleasant personality repels the right people, opportunities and resources.
vi. Controlling Your Attention
In a world of so many distractions, the ability to tailor your attention to your particular goals would help the achievement of your given objectives. It is important to me because every individual has to realize that he/she is responsible for what/who she devotes her time/attention to and that this goes a long way to determine his/her altitude in life’s endeavors.
vii. Using Cosmic Habit forces
The use of cosmic habit forces applies to the conscious and subconscious mind. It is important to me because the habits which I allow to become patterns guides my lifestyle until I consciously change them for better or worse. It is therefore imperative that I develop positive habits that are harmonious with my definite purpose.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas would help me personally by guiding my daily actions, instilling consciousness of my associations and decisions in relation to how they would shape my future. It also helps my resilience in trying to become the best version of myself and taking practical steps to do so. The ideas would help me create a better world by making me able to invest rightly in friends and communities. It helps me become a valuable member of society and propels me to contribute my utter best to create the society of my dreams.
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.
“’Before I do anything for you, you must do something for yourself.”
Most times, people blame circumstances, bad luck or other people for their shortcomings or misfortunes. They fail to look within themselves to identify the problem and fix it because they are responsible for the results they get out of life. It is also important to note that no matter how sincere the motive, sometimes the greatest help one can receive isn’t that which would one’s neighbor offers him but that which he gives himself. We must learn to take responsibility for our lives, actions and future.
“’Diverge any urge for control over others, squelch it before it destroys you.”
It is common for people to want to change or control others out of love, greed or selfishness. They often fail to realize that the incessant urge to control another person would drive that person farther away from you than intended because man is a free being. We must learn that it is unfair to want to control another regardless of the justification especially if we haven’t controlled ourselves. We should also learn to divert that urge into the energy to control ourselves into our best versions.
“Demand a reasonable amount of dividend from life everyday instead of waiting to receive them.”
Rather than waiting to receive, it is better to demand whatever it is we desire to see in our lives. This demand should be reflective of our actions and be thankful of things that are already in our possessions.
“Discern that personal power does not come from the possession of material things alone.”
It’s insanely hard to come to terms with this fact because we live and exist in a ‘money-driven’ society. A lot of people feel extremely powerless because of lack of money which further cripples their ability to see possibilities beyond the limitation of material possessions. Most times, we have to look within us to realize that the most important things in life are not an off shoot of material possessions.
“Failure and mistakes are one language through which nature speaks to every living creature, pointing out mistakes.”
The competition for achievements make failure seem as the end of the road for so many people. They often fail to realize that every success had one or several stories of failure behind it; the only difference being that they refused to accept it as defeat. We must learn to pick up from where we left off and strategize to become better rather than lick our wounds and wallow in self-pity.
“Your thoughts are the only thing you can completely control if you decide to do so.”
This quote is important to me because it stresses how important and possible it is for us to control our thoughts, actions and habits. Most times than often, we are unable to control externalities and people around us but, we are able to predict the response we receive from them by molding our thoughts, actions and habits into positivity.
“Emotions are not always immediately subject to reason, but they are always immediately subject to action.”
The moment we all realize this, we would be able to channel the energy in our emotions towards desired goals. We would also learn to double-check our emotions and consciously subject them to reason, to avoid regrettable actions.
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 am clear about everything in this book and do not disagree with any idea or principle.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them useful?
There were action plans on how one intends to apply the seventeen principles to specific goals in life. I answered what I could and I’m still in the process of implementing it. They are absolutely useful and I expect them to yield positive results soon.
7. Was there anything in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
I find the book a bit streamlined since most of the ideas were based on concepts of what works in America without considerations for readers from other cultures, countries and traditions. Nevertheless, it is an excellent work of Napoleon Hill.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1-10.Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Precious Chinenye Muogbo (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in this book?
Maxwell Maltz in his book “PsychoCybernetics” spoke about the multidimensional benefits of an adequate, self-realistic self-image and it affects the human personality and behavior. From his perspective as a plastic surgeon, he talks about the psychology of self-image using his experience to buttress the fact that self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishments. As a practicing surgeon, he talks about various cases where patients regained their vitality after undergoing surgery- because they had a healthy self-image before the surgery. Some patients however, still wallow in self pity or live in a recluse after the surgery because their self-image has been dampened and more than a surgery, they needed to steer their thoughts and build an adequate self-image. Beyond intellectual knowledge and positive thinking, he propones that creative experiencing is a vital tool in developing a healthy self-image; and that we can become responsible for our experience since the human nervous system cannot differentiate between actual experiences and that imagined vividly and in detail. He speaks on the need for our self-image to be consistent with the reality or kind of life we seek to have.
The author conveys the importance of utilizing the inbuilt success mechanism which lies in every one and is subject to use in whichever way the individual chooses to. He speaks on how to develop positive imagination and rational thinking. He also speaks on how one can develop a consciousness of happiness regardless of the nature of his reality, how one can creatively utilize failure mechanisms and crisis towards the achievement of one’s goal rather than allow it deter him. He conveys that life is adaptive and, is one of the means we are privileged to use in various ways to achieve important goals in all endeavors.
As he shares his thought of man as a goal striver, he opines that man is continuously driven by his urge to accomplish a particular goal, which urges them to keep pushing and believing and acting in line with their purpose so long as they don’t limit the many channels through which life comes to them.
2. What were the seven ideas which were most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it is important to you. Use experiences from your life.
i. You can cure your inferiority complex
A lot of individuals fail to realize that they are responsible for their self esteem and that feelings of inferiority doesn’t stem from facts and experiences, but our conclusions of facts and experiences. We must come to realize that every one is inferior to another based on the select qualities that each man is blessed with. As we acknowledge that, we must look out for ways in which theses qualities compliment themselves rather than see competition when there isn’t. The moment we quit judging ourselves by someone else’s norms, we are able to be content with our strengths and improve on our weaknesses.
ii. Be willing to see the truth
To deal effectively with adversities, we must learn to see them for what they are; rather than color them with our feelings of fear or anxieties. The ability of one to be honest with himself enables him to understand the mechanics of his problems and act appropriately. Due to the pressure of society, most youths would rather kid themselves than think objectively to admit their mistakes, correct them and move on. We must be able to do this with ourselves and in our dealings with other people.
iii. Self realization is gained by a simple belief in one’s own uniqueness as a human being.
Our ability to discover our unique traits, talents and gifts would help us discover how we can use them to solve a problem or fill a void- which creates our purpose. This way, we can constructively influence others whilst living a fulfilling life with peace and a sense of security.
iv. Our mistakes, errors, failures and humiliations are meant to be a means to an end not an end in itself
We shouldn’t be so caught up in our past failures that we destroy chances of present happiness. We must choose to learn the lesson and move on, rather than dwell on it so it doesn’t consume us and create a wall against the goodness and people life brings.
v. Conscious rational thoughts are not responsible for results
It is the job of our conscious and rational mind to pay steady attention to the job at hand. In the same vein, it is our responsibility to keep our eyes on the ball and resonate positive thoughts with it’s required action for the achievement of purpose. We must learn to do our best and leave results to take care of themselves.
vi. The pursuit of happiness is not selfish.
Happiness should come from being and acting unselfishly to people and circumstances. In realizing that happiness is a choice and a natural accompaniment not a reward for an act, we are able to cultivate it unselfishly and fulfill ourselves in helping others- irrespective of the environment.
vii. The measure of mental health is the disposition to find good everywhere
In order to develop a positive mental attitude, we must choose to bring happiness to what life brings-whether good or bad. Sufficient to everyday is it’s own evil; so it isn’t a function of what happens externally but a function of what we decide to give attention to and the sort of thoughts we hold in mind.
3. How will these ideas help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas would help me see life from an ‘internal-external’ angle rather than depend on externalities to help frame my thoughts or shape my decisions. It also helps me keep an objective focus on goals and the most important things rather than being weighed by inevitable circumstances. In creating a better world, these ideas would help me better understand and deal with the dynamics of friends, family, co-workers and even strangers, to tolerate more, judge less, and enjoy the beautiful moments of life with the people that matter most.
4.Quotes: Are there any quotes which the author made that particularly got your attention, if yes, please quote them and comment as to why they particularly got your attention.
“Decide what you want, not what you don’t want.”
This quote struck me because it emphasizes the fact that we have more power to decide what we want than what we don’t. Thus, we should expend more energy realizing what we want and acting in accordance to it rather than worry over what we almost can’t control- what we don’t want.
“A merry heart doeth good like medicine but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.”
King David emphasizes this in proverbs and it means so much because the happiest people live longer than those who hold grudges or live by their troubles. It further reiterates the fact that happiness is internal; you decide it and live by it- regardless of what your predicaments say- for no man by worrying can add a cubit to his stature.
“The fearful unbelief is unbelief in yourself.”
This quote is powerful because the greatest disservice one can do to himself is to think himself unworthy, incapable or powerless. It confines him, traps him and makes him unable to do absolutely nothing for himself or society. More importantly than others believing in you is what you think of your abilities and gifts
“You are not your mistakes.”
In the process of licking our wounds, we tend to think of mistakes or failures as what defines us. We don’t learn it’s lessons and move past it. This quote emphatically tells anyone who cares to listen that your mistakes shouldn’t deter you, it should rather expose your weaknesses and help you improve on them.
“As the days so shall the strength be.”
This quote strikes me particularly because it proves that the strength doesn’t lie in winning alone, but in living long enough to learn and apply the lessons that life teaches. We are encouraged to boldly react to challenges and difficulties rather than avoid them, because with each comes it’s own strength.
5. .Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
There isn’t any idea I disagree with or is unclear about.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them useful?
Every chapter of the book contained exercises. I completed some and find them extraordinarily useful and effective.
7. Was there anything in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
The book creates genuine awareness on how to maximize psychology and self-image in human endeavors.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1-10.Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
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? 9