As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Abiola Temiloluwa Ayobolade (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea in the book, As a Man Thinketh is that the mind is the main tool of a man’s success, I felt the book was trying to portray that a man is defined by his thoughts only. The book made use of various illustrations to drive home the point that man is a product of his thoughts. The mind of a man is more powerful than any other thing, and it is what helps a man achieve, and it is what makes a man to be the best in life. The author wrote, “The body is the servant of the mind” and explained that the body only obeys the mind, the body does not have the power of its own but it only does whatever the mind asks it to. The author was able to convey the main idea under various headings with each heading explaining how the mind affects every part of a man’s life. You are what you think. I can depict this mathematically which makes it:
Man/woman = Thoughts.
The author made it clear that no other person determines who a man is except the man himself which makes it impossible for a man to blame anyone for his inability to be successful.
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. Our thoughts determine our acts.
This idea is very important to me because I remember when I used to be very bitter and sad about life, I noticed that it affected the way I behaved towards people. I learned to change my attitude towards life, and everything about me changed. You act as you think.
ii. We can discover more about ourselves if we can only dig deep into ourselves.
I strongly believe that understanding oneself will help one to know the limits, strengths, and weaknesses of a person. To know more about ourselves, we need to dig deep into our inner selves. I thought I knew myself but at a time in my life, I discovered that my problem with other people was because I did not understand myself so I had to learn more about me, it helped me to achieve more in life and become a better person in all areas.
iii. The mind is like a garden, and it needs to be cultivated.
A person needs to feed the mind with good seeds; I noticed that the year I read more, listened to more positive things, I was better that year than the ones where I did not. This has made me to feed myself with positive things and it has really helped me to improve in life. I have a mantra that I say to myself every day I am awake, it helps me to take charge of the day.
iv. The mind is like a garden, and it needs to be cultivated.
There is a personal quote that I like so much, “if you do not mind your mind, no one will mind you.” We are the controllers of our thoughts; everyone has the power to do what he wants to do. We have the power of choice until I discovered this piece; I was not able to do so much in life. I have come to learn that I am the master of my thoughts, and I determine what I think and what I do not so I allow only good things in and whenever a negative thought is coming, I remove it quickly because it is my thought.
v. Humans are the molder of character.
I know that there are various temperaments and sometimes we do not really have control over our temperaments but we can mold our character. We can shape our character to be the best it can be. Until one can fully understand this fact, we will just continue pushing blame on others and will not take responsibility for something that we have done and who we are.
vi. Humans have creative power.
I love this particular idea because it emphasizes the point of what is happening in the world. Nothing invents itself except someone invents it; everything we are learning was created by someone. This keeps me going every day, trying to create something that will make lives better and do good things.
vii. Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace.
As a microbiologist, I have worked in a hospital before as an intern and many times when people come into the hospital, the doctor tries to encourage them and many patients who were positive minded actually made it out of the hospital in good health.
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?
It will help me to become a better person in life, we all improve on ourselves every day and these ideas from the book will help me to be a better version of myself. I used to limit myself and tell myself that there are some things that I cannot do but after reading the book, I am ready to go beyond my limits and do more. I am a pessimistic person though I have grown into being optimistic but I still have issues with being optimistic, after reading this book, my optimism is on another level. I have a vision which is to create a world where everyone has access to quality education, this book has helped me to start seeing ways I can do it with little funding.
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, the book contained a lot of quotes that really inspired me but I would just write five.
“Thought in the mind hath made us, what we are By thought was wrought and built.”
This quote emphasizes the point of the book that our thoughts make us who we are.
“Humankind is always the master, even in their weaker and most abandoned state.”
We are the masters anytime even when we are weak and feel abandoned; we are still the masters of our thoughts.
“Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.”
I had a presentation one day while I was in school and I was tensed, I got to the front of my audience and I forgot everything. I had learned every word on my slide, and I knew it all but my tension had allowed me to forget everything. When one is calm, it helps the person to think well and do things in a better way.
“The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become.”
A man with a vision and runs with the vision will accomplish more than someone who lives life by chance.
“Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force.”
When your thoughts are in connection with your purpose, your goals, your vision then nothing can stop you from creating.
“Blessedness, not material possessions, is the measure of right thought.”
The blessing of anyone is not measured in material possessions alone, it has to do with what the person has created, the lives the person has impacted and how well the person has made an impact in 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?
Inasmuch as I agree that the mind is a very important tool in making a person who he or she is, I believe it is not the only tool that determines a person’s overall wellbeing. I can say that just thinking of it does not create it; one needs to be active with his thinking. Thinking without actions will not actually produce anything good; the mind cannot work alone without the body. I also believe that sometimes circumstances can be beyond the control of the mind, the mind is very good with healing but it does not mean that just because I believe I am okay then it makes everything okay. Positive thinking is very good, but it does not separate reality, a person who has cancer cannot heal with just positive thinking. The fact that a person has not attained goals yet does not mean the person is not a great thinker, this brings me to understand that it is not every case that as a man thinks, so is he, sometimes situations, circumstances that are beyond a person’s control can reshape one’s life. I would have preferred if the author did not write like he was talking to majorly the male folks.
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, it did not contain exercise, but I created some for myself. Like I started writing various things that I wanted to feed my thoughts with, I started watching inspiring videos, listening to motivational podcasts so as to feed my mind with the right things.
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 think the assessment questions have covered all of what I read in the book.
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? 7
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 6
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7
Jonathan Livingtston Seagull
Assessment by Abiola Temiloluwa Ayobolade (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Richard Bach did a really good job with the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He used a seagull to send a very important message to everyone. Reading the book really enlightened me and opened my eyes to a lot of things, some of which I knew before but needed to remind myself while some, I did not know before. The main idea the author is trying to convey is your limitations are based on your mindset, the mind is very powerful, if you feed your mind with the ‘I can’ attitude then that is what you will get. The main character in the story, Jon was a seagull that wanted to do more, he wanted to be more than an ordinary seagull, he wanted to be better. He had some bumps along the side, he was rejected by his own family and that alone could have discouraged him but no, he did not, instead he went further. He was a limit-breaker and a pacesetter. The mind is very important, if you can do something and you believe you can’t then you will not be able to do it. This is why it is important you feed your mind with possibility, the mind controls the physical body and it can stretch the physical body beyond its limits but you need to be ready, determined, and diligent. It may not work at first, people may reject you, in fact, people may hate you for trying to break the status quo but that should not discourage you instead it should help you to aspire to break those limits. Apart from Jon, the main character in the story, Fletcher who was a mentee under Jon was also having a hard time controlling his mind, he limited himself at a point but Jon was able to help him to believe himself. You don’t have to be hard on yourself when failure comes instead feed your mind with positivity and everything will work out great at the end.
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. Self-discovery is key to great achievement
The main character in the story was not okay with the normal way everything was happening. He told his mum in the story that he just wanted to know what he could do in the air and what he could not. This drove him to try harder and in the end, he achieved more than he believed he could. He was on a path to discover himself. Discovering oneself will help one in the path of greatness if you do not know yourself then you can not achieve greatness.
ii. Diligence will pay off at the end.
Diligence is not just hard work but hard work with consistency. The author portrayed the main character as one who was hardworking and consistent. He did not mind if he had to go hungry as long as he was able to achieve his goal. His goal was his focal point, every other thing that seemed like limitations did not really matter to him.
iii. People will not always support your dreams but don’t relent instead keep on moving towards its actualization.
I used to care about what people say about me if they support me or not but I later discovered that people will not always support your vision. They will always have something to say about you, great men and women did not get to where they were by listening to people’s praises or by waiting for people to accept them. They went for it against all odds and are now great achievers today.
iv. Be patient with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others.
This is a great lesson that has helped me over the years, I used to beat myself up when I feel things are not going as planned, it was really tiring but when I learned that I just need to be diligent and patient with myself, I am not like others and this has helped me. I discovered that I have achieved more than I had before.
v. Keep on trying, don’t give up.
The main character in the story tried a lot of times before he could fly higher and even when he was flying high, he still had to learn more to fly even higher. He continued trying, he put in a great effort and this got to me, all I have to do is keep on trying and one day my efforts will pay off.
vi. Stop limiting yourself.
The author stated it clearly using the characters that one has to stop seeing him or herself in a limited body. Let your mind explore a lot, be a part of greatness, allow greatness in you. Think big!
vi. Love and forgiveness.
Learn to love and forgive, I love the topic of love and forgiveness. I have written on it before and I am always speaking on it. Life would be perfect if we all learn to love one another.
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 lessons will help me in fulfilling my purpose in life, it has given me practical ways and points that will help me to achieve greatness. It has reformed my character and who I am in general, I have made my list on how to go about fulfilling purpose and I am ready to start against all odds. I am going to apply everything I have learned especially the lesson on love and forgiveness and not just apply it but I am going to write on these major points so as to educate others on how these two points will help. All the points I got, I am going to use them to create articles and podcasts that will help others out there. I will help by giving out my knowledge and applying it in my own life too.
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, the author made statements that really got my attention.
“There’s so much to learn.”
One of the reasons I joined International Institute for global leadership is because I want to learn more. Learning never stops, it continues every day, and every time.
“Who is more responsible than a gull who finds and follows a meaning, a higher purpose for life?”
Responsible people are people who follow a meaning and a higher purpose for life. They are the ones who do not just dream but follow their dream and bring it to actualization.
“They refused to open their eyes and see.”
The seagulls had eyes and could see physically but they only saw the present not what was ahead, they were not thinking big instead they were thinking limitations and seeing those limitations.
“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.”
Life is all about achieving perfection in whatever you love doing, I love writing and teaching and I always want to achieve perfection in both of them. What is worth doing is worth doing well.
“The gull who sees farthest who flies highest. You’ll never get it for sure as long as
you make that pull up so hard. Stop being so hard on yourself, give yourself a break. You will get there! You don’t love hatred and evil, of course. You have to
practice and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it.”
Love transcends faults.
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?
“If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then when we finally overcome space and time, we’ve destroyed our own brotherhood! But overcome space,
and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don’t you think that we might see each other once or twice?”
I have read and re-read this but I can not seem to grasp the full meaning of what the author meant with these sentences.
“Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body, too.”
I do not entirely agree with this, there are various exceptions to this sentence written by the author. Sometimes your thoughts can only do little, your body might be incapacitated and there is nothing your thoughts can do about that.
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, but I made some for myself. I wrote down everything I learned and started practicing what I learned and it helped me a lot.
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 believe the assessment has covered everything.
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? 9
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
PsychoCybernetics
Assessment by Abiola Temiloluwa Ayobolade (Nigeria)
What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is trying to convey in this book is Self Image as the key to living a fulfilling life. The author explained how self image is very important in leading a better life. Self Image is the picture of how we see ourselves. It is our own projection of ourselves. Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon, he learned from his work that some people’s self image increased after undergoing a plastic surgery while some people experienced no change even after undergoing a plastic surgery. This was what made him to know that self image was beyond what was on the physical, it was something more within.
Most of the things we do in life is centered on how we see ourselves, the question is not how do people see me but how I see myself and this is not just about our physical image but our mental image of ourselves. The way we see ourselves comes from what we believe ourselves to be and this comes from how our thoughts and imaginations. Our thoughts and imaginations is the power we have to create things. This makes us not just creatures but also creators. Every part of our imagination is very important in building up success. The author explained how our past experiences lead to the self image we create for ourselves. For example, A young lady who failed a subject may start looking at himself or herself as a failure because of that, he or she may say I failed today so I will fail tomorrow. This may stop the person from trying to do anything worthwhile in life because he or she sees himself or herself as a failure.
2. What were the seven ideas that 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. Self Image is the key to a better life.
This particular idea is very important to me. The book for my entry level included Jonathan Livingston and As a man thinketh. These books really helped in sharpening my minds and affecting the way I think about who I am. Growing up, I had a bad self image and it affected a lot of things about me. I saw myself as a failure because of the things that I had been through in the past. I noticed that the more I thought of myself as a failure, the more it became more difficult for me to succeed. One of the books that helped me back then was The battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyers. The book really helped me back then. Reading this book by Maxwell Maltz has really helped to open my mind more, I used to feel like the way I looked physically affected the way people looked at me but now I know that it is the way I look at myself that is more important.
ii. He used the word Success as an acronym for the elements of success personalities.
The elements of success personalities are Sense of Direction, Understanding, Courage, Charity, Esteem, Self-confidence and Self acceptance. Each of these elements are very important in becoming successful. I noticed I lacked few of these elements so while reading this book, I created a workable structure to be able to input them into my life. A person who lacks sense of direction can not achieve more in life when compared to a person who has an objective. These elements represent the ingredients needed for a particular meal, they are all important as leaving one out may affect the whole meal and not bring out the best taste.
iii. Failure is caused by Failure.
Maxwell Maltz summed up the factors that lead to failure using the acronym of the word F.A.I.L.U.R.E. itself. Frustration, Aggressiveness, Insecurity, Loneliness, Uncertainty, Resentment and Emptiness. I remember a story of a friend who was really aggressive towards people, getting closer I discovered that it was as a result of what she had gone through in the past. I used to feel very insecure and uncertain about everything in my life so I tried different things with a negative mentality. Every of these factors lead to one another, frustrated people tend to be very aggressive, uncertain and insecure about things in their lives which will lead to loneliness, resentment and emptiness at the end.
iv. Self Image affects the Human behavior.
The way we act is a reflection of how we see ourselves. A person who is always angry and resentful towards others has the root of these attitudes in his or her self image. We act and react the way we see ourselves, sometimes we may not even notice or be aware of our self image but it controls how we behave. This made me to understand that my behavior is a reflection of how I see myself.
v. Happiness is a habit.
Maxwell Maltz explained how happiness was not a mere destination, I used to think that achieving a particular goal was going to make me happy then when I achieve the goal, the happiness comes but for a short while. I will set another goal and say, Okay this is what will give me the happiness I have always wanted but the same thing repeats itself over and over again. Reading this book and understanding that happiness is a habit, it is a mindset. You can choose to be happy despite what is happening around you. Happiness is something we learn, practice and allow to become a part of us.
vi. Your emotional well-being is very important to your self image.
This point really hit me hard. I am part of my NGO that is into helping people heal emotionally. A lot of people are going through a lot in life and it has affected different parts of their lives. A lady who suffered from sexual abuse may see herself as someone that is worthless. The greatest healing is the healing of the mind. He explained how forgiveness plays a vital role in achieving a good emotional health and how it helps us to heal from our emotional scars.
vii. Achieve peace of mind.
This is a great point. Practice relaxation in the midst of crisis, create a quiet room in your mind that helps you retreat from the world. Keep your mind calm.
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?
The main ideas listed above will help me in my daily personal life. Each of these ideas will help me to improve my self esteem, help me to achieve peace of mind, heal within and improve on my self image. I will use the elements of Success and the factors that lead to failure to help myself in creating a better self image for myself. I will use the ideas I gained from this book to help the beneficiaries of the NGO I am part of. As a novelist myself, I will use the idea to create a novel that will help people to see themselves with a positive mind and not a negative mind.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“You will act like the person you conceive yourself to be.”
This tells me that I am who I say I am and affects how I act, I am the product of my thoughts and from now on, my thoughts are going to be positive.
“If you make friends with yourself, You will never be alone.”
The best friend you can ever have is yourself, this does not mean you should isolate yourself from others but you need to love yourself.
“Our self image, strongly held essentially determines what we become.”
How I see myself does not just affect my present but my future too.
“You are a creative worker.”
A person does not have to be an inventor, a writer or an engineer to be able to create things.
“Happiness is good medicine.”
I have heard people say laughter is the best medicine, from this book I have been able to realize that it is not just laughter but happiness.
“No real success or genuine happiness is possible until a person gains some degree of self-acceptance.”
One needs to accept himself or herself for who he or she is.
“Be too big to feel threatened.”
On a norm, being too big feels like being proud or something but Maxwell Maltz explained that it means we need to be emotionally tough so that we can be shielded or protected from ego-threats.
“Forgiveness which is partial, or half hearted works no better than a partially completed surgical operation on the face.”
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?
Not at all.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
I completed all the exercises and they were really helpful in understanding the book and applying the knowledge gained in this book in real life. The exercises were very helpful.
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 believe the main ideas of the book were covered in the questions above.
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? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 9
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9