As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Owoicho Apochi Nelson (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author established the importance of renewed thought and how our thoughts ultimately affect our lives. How a man thinks affects and influences the man’s life, health, situation, position and destination in life. Every man is however responsible for how his life is and how it will turn out to be. Rich or poor, sick or healthy, happy or sad, the answer that every man seeks is deeply rooted in the way he thinks.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
A. “Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashion the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.”
Society has made people believe they are the product of their environment, this idea gives me a great insight into how the change I seek comes from within me, it empowers me to develop tools within my thought realm that can engineer progress in the physical realm. It creates a sense of responsibility in me to look within myself and find answers that would change me from inside out through self knowledge.
B. A man’s heart is like a garden with seeds.
A man life can be filled with sown seed and allowed seed. This idea opens my eyes to prevalent decline in morality, poor leadership and poor education in our society today. People are not conscious of the seeds the sow in their lives, they also allow all sort of unproductive seeds from our environment and the media to fill their minds and the result is commensurate unproductive yield. For one to ever dream of improving his life, he would pay close attention to the type of seeds being sown into his life.
C. “As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lessons which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstance.”
This idea opens my eyes to understand that life is like a school teacher and we as humans a people of growth, evolving daily. We however need to overcome our current situation to be able to handle a higher task in life. This means that life can will also give to you situation that you can handle only, if you can properly handle the situation that you are now, you will rise to other challenges and your next level is dependent on how well you overcome it. We can overcome each of this life circumstances by looking critically within on how best to solve it.
D. “A man can only change his circumstance if he first of all change himself.” This is a very important insight because we were brought up to think that our country, our society, our family is the way it is because someone somewhere at sometime has somehow messed up. This has created hopelessness most times in us and makes us feel powerless over our situation. But knowing that you ought to change before your circumstance change do not only make one responsible for his life but will birth a new fire of hope to that his circumstance could and will change if he changes himself.
E. “Blessedness, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought; wretchedness, not lack of material possessions, is the measure for wrong thoughts.”
This idea makes it clear that a man is not rich by the abundance of his pocession, a man can still be wretched with abundant material possession while a man can be rich with limited material possession but lines his thought in harmony with his surroundings. Blessedness and riches are the proper and wise usage of both blessedness and riches. We can however strive for blessedness using our riches wisely and we will certainly reach fulfillment.
F. “Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.”
This statement is a key factor in how a man ought to think. It deals with the purpose of thoughts itself, because without this, the purpose for which man thinks is defeated. Our thoughts would need to be linked to the central purposes which differ for every man, to some it is spiritual essence, to some financial and material growth. No matter what it is, we need to approach it without fear and doubt. Because in the end what we achieve or fail to achieve is a direct result of our thoughts motivated by our central purpose which is like the reason for why we think. No man can actually achieve this unless a man who is willing to try. This is the reason every man needs to dream, have a vision which is the bedrock for our central purpose. Write the vision down, make it plain so that everyone who sees it may run with it. A great lesson that we all need to develop something to propel our thoughts into visible picture, a purpose crafted in pure ideals and vision.
G. “Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.” Calmness and serenity is a result of constant practice. With continuous pure, refined and directed thoughts, a man can finally be able to stay calm in the face of circumstance. In my life, I have found this to be useful, it creates a sense of control and power to keep your cool when situations overwhelms us. It is of great importance however to be able to think situations through and to do that in this always noisy and busy world, our best companion is quietness and calmness of the mind.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas are fundamental to any real growth and any qualitative achievement in life, it would however help me to understand my thoughts and how to be creative with my thoughts because it has enlightened me to the effect of my thoughts on my situations. Since my thought is the foundations of all results in my life I would guard it gently.
It has also created a desire in me to follow my dreams and vision, to bring them to reality through my thoughts being linked with my central purpose.
I would also be able to teach to other generations and use my life as an example to show them how this principle works. I would contribute to this generation by building men who are aware of causes and effects and understand the influence of their thoughts on their situation and their future.
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.
“Man is made and unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapon by which he destroys himself. He also fashion tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.”
Men are makers of their destinies and life.
“For only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the door of the temple of knowledge.”
To grow, one needs to be persistent.
“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.”
Our lives are the product of what we plant or what we allow into it.
“The soul attract that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears.”
“As a reaper of his own harvest, man learns both of suffering and bliss.”
It makes me understand clearly actions and consequences and using consequences as a tool for growth.
“A man does not come alms-house or the jail by tyranny of fate or circumstance, but by pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires.”
Our long thoughts and desires would surely bear fruits for us.
“Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
By thoughts we become who we are thus we attract what we think about.
“Not what he wished and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thought and actions.”
We have to merit what we aspire to get, build ourselves into people that can receive those gifts.
“The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set.”
Self discipline is a key factor in the growth of any man.
“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but a saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles.”
The result of thoughts, actions and consequences.
“Blessedness, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought; wretchedness, not lack of material possession, is the measure for wrong thought.”
Riches is a state not a place.
“Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit into circumstance.”
Nothing can be hidden under the sun, it would surely be revealed.
“A man cannot directly choose circumstances, but he can choose his thought, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”
If we cannot see the future, we can make perfect use of today.
“The body is the servant of the mind.”
Our bodies respond to our thoughts.
“The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it.”
“With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun.”
“To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison hole.”
“Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment.”
No matter how we think, if we don’t take actions, it is a waste of time.
“The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.”
If we acquire the necessary knowledge, it creates in us the desire to live for our ideals.
“He who has conquered doubts and fear has conquered failure.”
“All that man achieves and all that man fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thought.”
“He who has conquered weakness and has pushed away all selfish thoughts belongs neither to the oppressor nor the oppressed. He is free.”
“There can be no progress nor achievement without sacrifice.”
“The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it sometimes may appear to do so. It helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous.”
“By the aid of self control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption, and confused thought a man descends.”
“He who would accomplish little need sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”
“You cannot travel within and stand without.”
“Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace. Be still”.”
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?
No.
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.
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.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment Owoicho Apochi Nelson (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The book is about self belief and development despite the limitations that our society and environment has created a belief and passion that can break cultural and generational boundaries set by our society. It is also about discovering and developing latent potential that everyone possesses, developing and harnessing them through learning, practice, importunity, ceaseless determination and focus, not for selfish gains but for the love of self awareness and fulfillment. It creates an understanding that we are how we think and finally stress the importance of love forgiveness and selflessness, teaching others to attain what we have obtained.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
A. Self discovery and reason for living.
The reason for man’s existence cannot be summarized into, the everyday struggle of just getting by, eating and eventually dying. The book gave me a clearer understanding of the huge possibilities that is in me, which is also available in every one and striving to live beyond and above everyday struggle and limitation that society has created for us, not as anyone or anything else but living and exploring myself as much as possible being just me. It helps me to understand that who we are and what we posses might not be popular but it’s worth developing and nurturing. Albert Einstein said “what is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right”. Therefore we will have critics, pains, self denial, challenges and even face been denied association, but with persistence and passion to be ourselves, we would first of all attain for ourselves a happy and fulfilled life and we can also leave foot prints in the life of men teaching them principles that brought us to where we are. I would personally apply this principle to my life, sticking to my unpopular and unconventional ideas and standing for it no matter the risk.
B. Commitment to Mastery.
James Allen said “For only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the door of the temple of knowledge”. The idea of being ourselves is not an easy task, we have to know an act to practice it. It takes patience first with ourselves, giving ourselves time to learn, as we continuously practice that which we have found in ourselves. This will sometimes lead to physical and emotional pain and loneliness. If we continue to endure and learn through our failure, we will begin to break boundaries, set new records for ourselves and breaking them to make new ones by taking risks and been importunate. We would also discover that, we are in no competition with any man but every stage we are is a class and we have to master it before progressing just like James Allen said “As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lessons which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstance.” There are times that fear and doubt shrouds our victory and we feel we are not qualified, not prepared and not built to achieve excellence and its beauty but we have to be persistent, find our past victories and dwell on them to empower us. At the end of our lives, we would have mastered the art of living our own selves without fear or doubt.
C. Courage
The test for our dreams most times id dependent on how we handle challenges, fear, rejection and denial. The character in the book exemplified an individual who remains undaunted in the face of adversaries. This raises question in my mind. Would we abandon our dreams because others can’t see them? If all our friends and loved ones were to abandon us, would we break under the pressure of rejection? I have come to realize that when we forsake our dreams because of people, we end up living in shame and regrets instead of fulfillments. This idea has empowered me to be stead fast in my pursuit of the higher purpose in life, to be responsible to myself and most importantly to be courageous and stand up to what I believe no matter the cost. Most time the price for success is to conquer fear and doubt even if our path is the unknown. Then we rise to a level where the things we normally struggle for we get with ease as we grow.
D. Aptness to Learn
Every man who desires to live a purposeful life should be eager to learn. Queen Elizabeth II said “it’s all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you’re properly trained.” What we have achieved by our trial and error or efforts should not make us proud and arrogant and deny us the joy of learning new things about ourselves and breaking new grounds. There is a lot we can do, if we open up ourselves and become teachable. Learning would make us do more than we used to with a little effort, learning thus makes us more efficient. To learn more we, have to surround ourselves with people like us who are hungry to learn and men who are willing to teach. To grow we have to learn to be more than who we think we are, line our thoughts beyond the reach of limitation and we can also achieve the impossible.
E. Aptness to Teach
One of my key motivations in life is to teach, to influence, to impact and to help change men through the gift of teaching. The thought of teaching people who have rejected and outlawed you, is an act of great courage and selflessness. It takes a man who has conquered fear, a man who is truly free. Teaching helps us to reflect on ourselves and the principles that have helped us be us, it gives us the opportunity to multiply ourselves, giving others the edge to build on us and be more than us. To change any society and free the people from the consequences of mediocrity, education is a vital tool. And who more can teach growth than a man who has firsthand experience of the principles of growth. I wish to learn, grow and succeed at it, so that I will go back to my root and show people that are hopeless as I once was, that nothing is beyond the reach of the man who aspires to be more than how he sees himself.
F. Perfect Love Cast Out All Fears
The idea of love eludes us humans because most times we do not know what it is. The practice of love in this book gives me an insight of how to love and live by love. For me to love, I can’t love hatred or evil, I have to see the real man, the good in him, and also help the person to see that good in himself. This idea would make the journey of life easy, make one teachable and also ready to teach. It would make us want to change our world seeing it with an eye of indifference and love. To love means to be free.
G. Raising Leaders for Sustainability
One important factor of influence is to have people who are willing and ready to carry out a vision, an ideal after you. Raising someone to believe those ideals give a future to an idea, it makes it not only monumental but allows it to transcend through generations. All our life dreams are worthwhile and focused when we see it with the eyes of the future and prepare people who can bear the touch when we are gone.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas are like a road map to personal success, fulfillment and change in our society. I intend to apply the skills I have learnt from here in my daily life. I intend to work on my dreams and stand up for them, the ones that I have left dormant because of fear and other self imposed limitation, I intend to revive and put all my effort to strive for mastery in my daily life facing my challenges with courage. I aspire to learn all there is to me through conventional and unconventional knowledge, applying myself to perfection, learning to be truly free. Free of fear and doubt, truly loving everyman seeing them with the eyes that I see myself. And at the end of it all, I will be able to teach life changing principles to men and change my world through positive education and information, teaching every man who he truly is, teaching every man that he is free if he makes the choice to be.
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.
“For most gulls, it is not flying that matter, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.”
The desire to excel, be relevant and be fulfilled is better than the yearning lost of the flesh. It creates the idea of self discipline and self control.
“He climbed two thousand feet above the black sea, and without a moment of for thought of failure and death, he brought …, and fell into vertical dive.”
To be able to exceed our limitations we, need to banish fear and doubt form our mind.
“Such promises are only for the gulls that accept the ordinary. One who has touched excellence in his learning has no need for that kind of promise.”
This teaches me that, touching excellence, making progress in our learning gives us the edge to explore ourselves more.
“We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly.”
Learning the truth about ourselves, sets us free.
“His sorrows was not solitude, it was that other gulls refused to believe the glory of flight that awaited them; they refused to open their eyes and see.”
For some who has discovered himself, we can only sorrow for people who fails to see what it can be to be truly themselves.
“He learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price he had to pay.”
Every success has a price, we count our cost, we would be happy paying them to achieve our aim.
“They were magnificent birds, all of them, and they spent hour after hour every day practicing flight, testing advanced aeronautics.”
To appreciate growth, we need to surround ourselves with men who are ready to grow and they would motivate us.
“That there is more to life than eating, or fighting, or power in the flock.”
There is more to life than our everyday struggle and squabbles.
“You will begin to touch heaven… in the moment 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.”
For us to be truly fulfilled we cannot count our achievements in numbers, because whatever number we count, limits us to the number higher than it.
“It’s strange. The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly. Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere, instantly.”
This shows that if we consider as our primary motive we have problem, but if we consider knowing ourselves as primary we achieve success fast.
“Break the chains of your though, and you will break the chains of your body too…”
It is our thoughts that limits us.
“Yu have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.”
This is a nugget that tells on that, all you need to succeed is you.
“That freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.”
To move ahead in life we need to set aside anything that limits our freedom.
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?
No
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
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
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Success through a Positive Mental Attitude
Assessment by Owoicho Apochi Nelson (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea the author is trying to convey in the book?
Greatness is achieved by people who create a burning desire to succeed and goes to work regardless of the challenges. Greatness is achieved by people who are not overwhelmed by failure, people who are consistent and never give up even if people think it is impossible.
We all have success built into us, all we need to do is to believe and look down deep within us, what our mind can conceive we can achieve. We need to understand how we think and think clearly because to live well we must think well.
Our mind is a very powerful tool and we all have a very creative mind. We have the ability to connect to the universe. When we think, we tap into the deep reservoir of our life experiences and knowledge, we also tap into available knowledge by people and most importantly we tap into the universe which posses all answers.
Having a problem is good, everyone has a problem but the way we meet our problem is the most important thing. If we meet our problems with Negative Mental Attitude we become frustrated but if we meet our problems with a Positive Mental Attitude, we will find that seed of greatness in every challenge and every problem.
Seeing is not only the ability to use our two physical eyes but the ability to use our mind to conceive picture and possibilities. With that anything we conceive we can achieve if we work towards it. One of the major secrets of success is getting things done. Whatever you have to do, you do it now. Putting this ideas and thoughts into action makes you successful in various areas of your life.
Motivation is that which induces action or determines choice. It is that which provides a motive. A motive is the “inner urge” only within the individual which incites him to action, such as an instinct, passion, emotion, habit, mood, impulse, desire or idea.
The fundamental of motivation is knowing how to motivate myself and if I know how to motivate myself then I will know how to motivate others.
Whoever you are – regardless of your age, your education, or your occupation – you can attract wealth. You can also repel it. You are the product of your: heredity, environment, physical body, conscious and subconscious mind, experience, and particular position and direction in time and space, and something more, including powers known and unknown.
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.
i. Success has no secret.
Society has built in us different perspectives and understanding of success and it is only accessible to a certain group of people but success can be achieved by anyone no matter who you are, no matter what your abilities or disabilities are. You just have to have a positive mental attitude, desire to succeed and work towards it. I applied to a school once and at the final interview I was turned down, I became disappointed and did not want to apply again but after reading this book I applied again and I got through. If I had remained mad at me I would not have had the opportunity I have now.
ii. If you got a man right his world will be right.
In my journey in life, I have discovered that the times I have been bitter, angry or have failed, its is not because the system is wrong, it is because there is something I have not gotten right, it could be my perception or an information or set of skill which I lack. If I am right concerning any situation then my world around that situation will also be right.
iii. We must think clearly and to do that we must use reason
Most time we are trapped in our thoughts and perceptions. To succeed in life we must learn how to think clearly and looking at situations objectively and yet be courageous and not given to fear. Thinking clearly is a balance of emotions. When we think of something and we confess it with strong emotions the desire begin to form.
iv. You don’t need to be ashamed of failure
Repeated Victories over your problems are the rung on your ladder of success: I play computer games sometimes and in it I face challenges of going to the next stage but as I keep at it, I get to understand my errors and where I make mistakes, gradually I correct these mistakes and I become successful. I apply this principle to my life and the more I keep at things, looking at areas where I got them wrong and trying to figure out what I should do or should not do, I come out with solutions that are very wonderful.
v. God is always good.
This is very important to me because understanding God and His promises will keep your eyes on Who He is not what you are at the moment. But most times as an individual we tend to drift away from who God is, we start grumbling and complaining and we get frustrated. We always need to know that God is good and He wants the best for us, no matter what we are in now.
vi. The power of sex
I have underestimated the power of sex as an individual for long, but reading this book again has brought this fact to my attention. Sex is power and just like any power we can abuse it or use it for good.
vii. The most common weaknesses of the eyes are near sightedness and far sightedness.
In life most times we are apt to overlook the resources that lie beneath our feet because we have a bigger dream. We have overlooked the vehicle that will sometimes take us towards that big dream or vision. Do It Now: This phrase has helped me a great deal, I usually put off my alarm as soon as it rings and go back to sleep again. Most time my day will be so choked up because I failed to utilize the early hours of the day and I end the day tired, worn out and sometimes under pressure. But now, I tell myself wake up no, though it is difficult at time that phrase do it now reminds me of the many things that I have to do when I wake up.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas will help me to look beyond my limitations and look within me because from within me, I have all it takes to succeed. These lessons will help me to develop myself to be an example, to change the things around me. It will help me to get myself ready first for any task I want to undertake. These ideas will help me to critically analyze my thoughts and perception before acting on them. That means there will be no unnecessary panic and fear or any irrational behavior because of clouded thoughts. The world will sure be free from the burden of my ill behavior coming from poor thoughts. In everything I do, I will find a balance. I will not be too taken up by tomorrow and forget the opportunities of today or get absorbed by the problem of today and forget the rich possibilities of tomorrow.
These understanding will help me to know that by my action, I can attract wealth into my life or I can repel it. It primarily says that I am responsible for what happens in my life. You do not have money to build something or start something, you need to use other people’s money and to use other people’s money you need to operate on the highest ethical standard of integrity, honor, honesty, loyalty and consent all these you need to apply in your business and personal relationships.
“When faced with a problem that involves a misunderstanding with other persons, you must start with yourself.”
This is very key to me because most times we tend to look at people when we run into conflicts with them without checking ourselves. If we can start my thinking about ourselves then we can solve the problem.
“Day by day, through the grace of God, I am getting better and better.”
I have seen this in my life that problems that I encountered yesterday am able to solve today if I don’t give up, we get better when we keep positive, when we learn from our mistakes. God gives us the opportunity to grow thereby.
“The whole is equal to the sum of all parts and is greater than any of its parts.”
This quote helped me to take my project or anything I want to do part by part and see how I can solve the problems individually and then bring it together.
“With each victory you grow in wisdom, stature, and experience. You become better, bigger, more successful person.”
This quote is an inspiration for me to enjoy every bit of my success no matter how small because through them I know that I am growing.
“You must also learn to act on what you learn. Action is important because through action, you get things done.”
Simply put, to put my money where my mouth is.
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?
None.
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?
Yes.
None.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful were the contents? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9