As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Bekala Ibrahim (Ethiopia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author tries to convey the powerfulness of thought; the book indicates that thought is a great creative power that can be used for good or bad. The author depicts that a man’s mind is like a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or neglected to run wild. Just like a gardener cultivate your mind by the right choices right, useful and pure thoughts and eliminate useless, wrong and impure thought. With continues effort of this process, a man is the master of his soul and thus the maker of his character which is the total sum of his habit, the builder of his destiny, he can shape the circumstances and above all he is the director of his life.
James Allen said in his book that by the right choices and true application of thought, man ascends even to the extent of the divine perfection. Man’s mind is powerful and has the ability to manage his surrounding, realize his vision and control him and finally reaches to the stage of serenity, calmness of mind which is one of the beautiful jewels of Wisdom.
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. A noble and God like character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with God like thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.
ii. If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, and disappointment, despondency, rob the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts.
Many writers said positive thinking and optimism has a good effect on our health benefits. I , myself experienced that with relaxed mind and positive thinking, I feel better. But when I am stressed and anxiety, I am depressed. I don’t feel good; I eat a lot without watching what I am eating. So this idea is directly related to my experience and is better to watch my thought to become relaxed and then after to feel better and healthy.
When beautify our mind and eliminate every type of envy, we will have a peace of mind. I have read once in the internet that a peaceful mind will cause the brain to produce “good” hormones, which in turn give the person a stable emotional state and promote good health in every area of life.
iii. To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. Who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully. Thoughts of doubt and fear can never accomplish anything. They always lead to failure.
Other than my job, that is accomplishing my work efficiently in a usual way, these days most of the time, I am wandering; I am not focusing in one thing. I start doing something and another time I do some other thing. I started to learn Arabic language without attaining to some point, I start some other thing. So I think this idea will help me in some way to stop me wandering. I also feel internally having somehow a bit of fear and doubt. So I think I need to act thoughtfully and above all always to work towards my purpose. If I avoid these problems of mine, I can imagine my achievements.
iv. A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped. And even then the weak man must become strong of himself. He must by his own efforts develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.
This idea impressed me, because I had the same experience in my family. Two years before when I had strong desire to help my children in their education to stood first in their class. I tried and sacrificed a lot to help them. I thought I was successful at the beginning. But later on I have seen their willingness, and readiness to be helped, which is very small compared to my desire and effort to help them, almost none. Therefore I quitted, and only helped them when they asked, required and initiated by themselves.
So no matter how much you exert and effort to help other to develop and strengthen to achieve something, it is only he himself and only by his own effort can attain.
v. There can be neither progress nor achievement without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be by the measure that he sacrifices his confused animal thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolution and self reliance. The higher he lifts his thoughts, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievement. All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought.
This is an interesting idea; here I want to quote a similar idea from Theodore Roosevelt “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” This reminds me the case when you set up your mind and strongly desire to achieve something you exert an effort sacrifice a lot overcome difficulties on the process and at last you will achieve it.
vi. The thoughtless, ignorant and indolent seeing only the apparent effects of things (seeing a man grow rich, become skilled intellectually) and talk of luck, of fortune and chance, and the exclaim, how highly he is favored, they have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth to realize the vision of their heart.
I relate this idea with the idea of an excuse for our failure. I think this is reasoning out for not being what we want to be. We reflect in such way just to cover our weakness at least to get a relief for the time being, with this we cheat ourselves; but we cannot and never lie to ourselves, hence we know it deep down. So the importance to me is, instead of talking others achievement and excusing my failure, to understand that with good thought and making continuous effort we can achieve our goal.
vii. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
The idea, calmness of mind, as stated above is the beautiful jewels of wisdom, is a noble idea is not easily achieved. To reach to this stage, we have to practice continuously for a long time and patiently exert self control. I strongly desire and eager to reach to this stage, where I can govern myself.
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?
The Ideas listed above help me first to examine myself thoroughly and change myself through continued application of good thought. As I have already started to watch my thought consciously, the first step is of course cultivating my mind. My goal is to reach to the calmness of my mind, serenity. And then after it will going to be easy to help others.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results and bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but a saying that nothing come from a corn but corn…. We understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world—although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating; and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.”
As in a computer world, trash in trash out is a fact. And many people understands in the natural world as is nothing come from corn but corn, etc., it clicks me to understand it in mental and moral world also. Most of the time we are expecting with bad thought and actions good result, and when we don’t t get it, we complaining the outcome.
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?
The outer world of circumstances shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As a reaper of his own harvest, man learns both of suffering and bliss.
I don’t understand this idea, for me it seems an opposite to what the book explains about the circumstances or external condition.
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, the exercise to complete is to see where I am? How I am using my thought, in good or bad way? Where can I start to correct myself? The first exercise is to analyze myself and start working on it. Especially the first thing is cultivating my mind with right, pure and useful thought and I already have started. It is very helpful. I can imagine there things to promise to myself.
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? 10
C. How easy was it to understand? 7
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Bekala Ibrahim (Ethiopia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Richard Bach in his book said that “Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight that is how to get from shore to food and back but for Jonathan Livingston seagull it is not eating that matters it is flight” and he loved to fly more than anything else. The author tries to convey in his book, Jonathan Seagull following his heart genuinely, and for what he loved he sacrificed his life. Breaking the taboo. “Seagulls never fly in dark” and the continuous effort and practice of flight made him to learn and acquire skills and finally led him to perfection. With this he learns the meaning of living, love and kindness.
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. Jonathan Livingston Seagull said “How much more is now to living! Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there’s a reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill.
The important of this idea for me is instead of doing the same thing as usual, and as any others do, by forcing myself to advance my thought step by step, it is possible to create a new way of doing the same thing rivetingly. With this meaning exerting additional effort to advance my thinking I think I will acquire skill. This will hope fully lead me to create new things and definitely I will enjoy the way I do and become satisfied.
ii. When every other gull stood on the ground, knowing nothing but mist and rain. He learned to ride the high winds far inland, to dine there on delicate insects. What he had once hoped for the Flock, he now gained for himself alone; he learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price that he had paid. Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.
The idea here is for Jonathan Livingston seagull, unlike other gulls, he faced life threatening to learn, discover every bit of flight and practice what he loved – the flight, and at the end he enjoyed and get the result which others do not. And make his life enjoyable. Thus being happy, enjoyable, delight, cognizant, satisfied unlike ignorance, listless, doldrums enrage makes one’s life short, increase your life. The same is true for me and human beings.
iii. “But you can Jonathan. For you have learned. One school is finished, and the time has come for another to begin.”
This idea impressing me that learning never ends. Always there are new things to learn and we have to discover this and proceed in learning forever. Here I want to quote from T.H White -in the Once of Future King: “You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you ma, you may see the world devastated by evil lunatics or know your honor trampled in the sewers of the baser minds. There is only one thing for it then- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags is. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”
iv. We went from one world into another that was almost exactly like it, forgetting right away where we had come from, not caring where we were headed, living for the moment.
This idea reminds me the power of now, at present.
It is so important for me because it helps me to thoughtfully to be worried about what I have to accomplish now, to concentrate in my everyday life to achieve my goal in the future. And I learn from my past experience for my daily activities.
v. Do you have any idea how many lives we must have gone through before we even got the first idea that there is more to life than eating, or fighting, or power in the Flock?
A thousand lives, Jon, ten thousand! And then another hundred lives until we began to learn that there is such a thing as perfection, and another hundred again to get the idea that our purpose for living is to find that perfection and show it forth. What I learn from this idea is perfection is not easily obtained in whatever circumstances. The importance for me is it refreshes me that to reach to the point of perfection first you need love what you are doing and then you have to pay the price.
vi. 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. Remember, Jonathan, heaven isn’t a place or a time, because place and time are so very meaningless.
The idea helps me to be conscious that when we do something it must be from our interest internally and do it genuinely it should not be for the sake of getting something like fame wealth, etc., otherwise if first we target it our fame, or wealth , etc., we may not be successful. Because our interest the thing we are doing, it is the result. So it is difficult to get the result without first doing it interestingly. And that is why most of the time we are not successful.
vii. He spoke of very simple things – that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form. “Set aside,” came a voice from the multitude, even if it be the Law of the Flock? “The only true law is that which leads to freedom,” Jonathan said. “There is no other.”
This is a noble idea that every being is free. For a man freedom is the right and capacity of people to choose and determine their own actions. Ayn Rand defines Right and freedom as follows. “Right” is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s freedom of action in a social context. There is only one fundamental right a man’s right to his own life. The concept of a “right” pertains only to action—specifically, to freedom of action.
Therefore the importance of this idea is, freedom is always required for a man starting from his thinking, actions he take and decisions he made. So that he can use his potential powerfully and has a big contribution to his achievement.
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?
The ideas listed above help me to examine myself thoroughly what I am doing now is really I love it? Or is it just I am doing for the sake of my existence. First I want to answer this question and focus on changing myself. And then after I will see how I will go to helping others.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Don’t be harsh on them, Fletcher Seagull. In casting you out, the other gulls have only hurt themselves, and one day they will know this, and one day they will see what you see. Forgive them, and help them to understand.”
The importance of this idea or what I learned from it is no matter what others comment you negatively on what you will do or hurt you, don’t reflect back the same way as they do, I am considering that everybody is good deep down like what I am or like what I think of me, it is only the ignorance that makes them to hurt others, but later on when they understand, they hurt themselves. So forgiving and helping others the most important thing for me. Therefore I will push myself to forgive for others for what they do to me.
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?
We choose our next world through what we learn in this one. Learn nothing, and the next world is the same as this one, all the same limitations and lead weights to overcome.” “Forget about faith!” “You didn’t need faith to fly, you needed to understand flying.”
“There is no such place. Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect.”
These ideas make me a little bit uncomfortable, for me the ideas mixing up the principle with my religious thought. On one hand it is true that for flying or doing something you need to understand what you are doing first. But in the mean time you need faith for what you are doing in addition to understanding. The other thing is relating heaven to perfection. Of course in the book I understood how perfection means in this world and I can consider this as self actualization which is the highest point. But for me I can’t compare heaven with perfection.
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, the exercise is to practice or act according with the major ideas selected in the book
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
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? 10
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 Bekala Ibrahim (Ethiopia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea of the book is how to motivate myself and others with Positive mental attitude to achieve my goal and become successful. In the process, the book conveyed the power of our mind; Napoleon Hill in his book also mentioned how to get started on how to use the power of our mind i.e., by conscious autosuggestion so that our desire is imprinted to our subconscious mind through repeatedly feeding our burning desire to our conscious mind. With this we will be possessed to realization of our desire.
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. “Your mind is your invisible talisman, the positive mental attitude is emblazoned on one side, and negative mental attitude on the other. The positive mental attitude and the negative mental attitude are powerful forces. The positive mental attitude is the right mental attitude for each specific occasion and it has the power to attract the good and the beautiful where as the negative mental attitude repels them. It is a negative mental attitude that robs you of all that makes life worth living.”
The idea of positive metal attitude is very important to me because it is the starting point for success and in the book I recognize that without positive mental attitude or with negative metal attitude not a single person recorded as successful person. So this idea enlightens me to strengthen the one I already have (PMA) and thoughtfully practice to discard on the things that I have negative attitudes.
ii. “What a word really means on the lips of another person, or even on your own lips, is essential in the process of accurate thinking. But how does one do this? Just be specific. Start with a meeting of the minds and many needless misunderstanding will be avoided. One word can cause an argument.”
This idea is important to me because it is one of my problematic areas. When things occur I used to just rush on what it comes immediately on my mind. I did not remember the time I took for accurate thinking. This idea sensitizes me to work towards accurate thinking. When I look back there are many unwanted things happened because of the words in my lips. I became conscious on it but it is not easy.
iii. The idea illustrated in the book “What we see is always an interpretation of the mind. We have to train the mind to interpret what we see.” This is also confirmed in the book with the example given the George’s history in recognizing his mother. “George was a blind and his first sight to his mother was nothing until he heard her voice.”
This idea shows me how our mind is powerful, there is also a say in our society that is somehow related with this idea; that is “It is not our eyes that see, it is our heart.”
iv. The idea about the hope, environmental suggestion, self suggestion and auto-suggestion the author explained in the book as “Hope is a desire with the expectation of obtaining what is desired and belief that it is obtainable. A person consciously reacts to that which to him is desirable, believable and attainable. And subconsciously react to the inner urge that induces action when environmental suggestion, self- suggestion, or auto-suggestion causes the release of the powers of his subconscious mind. His response to suggestion may develop obedience that is direct, neutral, or in reverse action to a specific symbol;” is really very important for me and for anyone else as far as one take actions towards it. Here the most important thing is to practice it persistently.
v. The idea of sharing mentioned in the book as “To Share yourself without expecting a reward, a payment or commendation. Above all else; keep your good turn a secret. If you do this, you will set in motion the powers of a universal law. Try to avoid payment for your good deed; blessing and rewards will be showered upon you. No matter who you are, you can have a Magnificent Obsession. Every living can help others by sharing a part of himself.” is also another wonderful idea, which I did not consider as anything of worthy before. I was very reserved in doing such things. Even when others did it sometimes I was surprised and I did not considering it as something necessary or even some times I consider it negatively. Now I already become conscious of it and also trying to apply it when I get a chance.
vi. “Do It Now!” The author demonstrated in his book as “Do It Now can affect every phase of your life. IT can help you do the things you should do, but don’t fell like doing. It can keep you from procrastinating when an unpleasant duty faces you. It can also help you to do things that you want to do. It helps you seize those precious moments which, if lost, may never be retrieved.” is tremendous idea, which I struggle to make it practical.
The book in this chapter also shows us how to get started the above idea and depicts as “Sit down and write yourself a letter, telling the things you always intended to do as though they had already accomplished – some personal, some charitable, and others may be community projects. Write the letter as if a biographer were writing about the wonderful person you really are when you come under the influence of PMA. But don’t stop there. Use the secret of getting things done. Respond to the self starter Do It Now!”
The most important thing for me is to get started. Normally there were many things I planned and wanted to do and at the end of the day except the routine things I found myself doing nothing. So this idea is theoretically very good. It requires pushing myself towards making it practical and continuing until it become my habit. As it depicts I started practicing and helped me a lot. For example early in the morning I used to do physical exercise at home but it was on and off. Most of the time I am lazy and I reason out blah blah to wake up early in the morning. But now whenever I feel lazy to wake up, I tell myself I have to do this and that and just did immediately without roaming for other things. This way it helped me a lot and hope will continue in the same way.
vii. The idea described in the book as “Conscious autosuggestion is the agency of control through which an individual may voluntarily feed his subconscious mind on thoughts of a creative nature, or, by neglect, permit thoughts of destructive nature to find their way into the rich garden of his mind” is very interesting for me and also helped me in many ways. I became totally aware and understand the power of my mind.
The book also shows me how to exploit this idea to realize my desire as it is continued the explanation in the book; “When you read aloud twice daily the written statement of your desire for money or else with emotion and concentrated attention, and you see and feel yourself already in possession of it, you communicate the object of your desire directly to your subconscious mind. Through repetition of this procedure, you voluntarily create thought habits, which are favorable to your efforts to transmute desire into monetary or else equivalent. And also mention as “Your ability to use this principles of autosuggestion will depend very largely upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning desire.”
From this I learned that first a burning desire need to be identified and developed. Up to now I have identified my goal and desires. But still I need to exactly state my burning desire, I have yet to identify.
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?
The ideas listed above helped me in many ways. First and foremost I almost stopped complaining and pointing towards others for the things went wrong. I started realizing the situation instead of complaining. I used to complain at home and at work when things were not as of my expectation. Now I came to the position to take the responsibility for who I am and who I will be. It also helped me to be motivated and confident to achieve my desire. I also started sharing the above ideas with my children and helping them towards achieving their goal. I also share and ideas in the book with my colleagues. I shared the book for my friends.
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.
“Thinking is not creative unless it is followed by action.”
No matter how our thinking is creative and an idea is good, it is nothing unless it is followed by action. There is a say in my country that is a knowledge, idea or creative thinking which is not transferred to others and applied to reality is light inside a big pot. Therefore the ideas in this book are nothing if it is not followed by action
“Day by day in every aspect through the help of God/Allah, I am getting better and better.”
This by itself is a positive mental attitude. This quotation helps me to inspire good things to happen in the future, to have a hope for the future.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
Yes there are:
You can throw and a switch to direct the energy into useful channels. – By keeping your mind on the things you do want and off the things you don’t want. Your emotions are immediately subject to actions. Therefore get into action. Substitute a positive feeling for the negative one. I don’t have a problem with the idea, the idea is very good and helpful theoretically, but when it comes to action it s not as such easy. So it might be better to focus in guiding us to make the theory to practicality. Like the one the idea of “auto-suggestion”
In the book it is stated as “Can money buy physical and mental health?” and it is answered as yes! I don’t agree with this, as it is described in the same book all the wealth in the world by itself cannot buy a good health. But if one has a positive mental attitude, one can bring money, prolong his life or improve his mental and physical health at least by taking care of himself in all aspects.
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, I partially completed and found it helpful. But the main exercise will continue in my day to day life. That is making the ideas to practical persistently.
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? 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 Bekala Ibrahim (Ethiopia)
1.What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Napoleon Hill in his book said that “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement, and its lack is the stumbling block for ninety-eight out of every hundred people simply because they never really define their goals and start toward them.” That is when you definitely specify your goal you will make it that goal a burning desire. Here it mean that only two percent out of hundred clearly define their definite goal, make that goal a burning desire, plan to achieve the goal and get to action towards the goal. Ninety eight percent ceased through this process. The book also tried to convey the secret of our mind, that our mind has an incredible power and when we use it properly it enable us to attain our definite purpose.
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.
- “Acknowledge that the space you occupy in this world is in exact ratio to the quantity and quality of the service you render for the benefit of others, plus the mental attitude in which you render.”
With this idea I came to understand why we strive to render better service in a better quality more than we paid for it. Before most of the time I was restricted to perform for what I was paid and sometimes I was comparing what I was doing with what I was paid for. My limitation was not only with my job but with any services at home and at community also I was restricted only with what I supposed to do. This idea is also related with going for extra mile. I am happy to get understand and realize the “Law of Overcompensation;” by Ralph Waldo Emerson that he explained this law as the great success comes from those who always make it a habit to put in more than they take out and they do more than they are paid for. They are always looking for opportunities to exceed expectations. It is a great idea.
- “Welcome friendly criticism instead of reacting to it negatively. Embrace any opportunity to learn how others see you, and use it to take inventory of yourself and look for things which need improvement. Do not fear criticism; encourage it.”
This is an important idea for me because I had a bad experience on criticism let me mention the criticism made by my husband and the reaction I took. Most of the time when I brought an idea he criticized the idea me some times friendly and sometimes not and. In both cases I blamed him that he is pessimist and he did not want to accept my idea and blah, blah, blah. There are times that lead to disagreement. With this I developed a habit of not telling most of the ideas I was thinking as I considered him as a pessimist and because of fearing his criticism instead of taking this opportunity to make inventory to myself to see areas for improvement.
iii. “Adjust yourself to other people’s state of mind and peculiarities so that you can get along peacefully with them.”
This idea is where I did not accept for most of the time and even I was wondered when my colleagues were thinking in the state of boss’s mind. I had a principle for behaving that as black and white for who I am and go forward in my way only no matter what others mind of state was. The reflection for my way of thinking was not always good and I remember the reflection was created discord in relation with others. So I am yet to understand that I need to be flexible and to consider as one of my improvement area to get along with others peacefully.
“Self discipline as self discipline requires self knowledge and an accurate assessment of your current abilities.”
Likewise the other principles can’t really be put into action without self discipline. It is a channel through which all your personal power for success must flow. I consider this idea as the most important one as it is the key to be put into action to achieve our major goal as all the books of self empowerment guided us. So from this idea the best thing I learn is to strictly analyze my knowledge and abilities before anything else.
- Understanding intelligence, as “You learn things by seeing their effects or by accepting the statements of people you trust and in your search for knowledge about Infinite Intelligence, you may search within the external universe or within yourself.”
Here I am interested in searching knowledge about Infinite Intelligence within myself. I have a feeling that I did not use my full power of intelligence and am eager to focus and use it. Even though at this time for me it is not easy, it needs strong discipline to be tuned towards it. I also suppose that it enquires me lots of practice consistently.
- Control your Attention as “The objects on which you deliberately concentrate your attention become the dominating influence in your environment. When your dominating thoughts are fixed through controlled attention, upon success and security, this habit leads you to the development of a success consciousness.”
This idea is similar to the principles of autosuggestion, in his previous book, Success through PMA. To tell you frankly I am still required to go a long journey in focusing my attention towards my goal constantly. I started focusing towards my goal, but when I faced urgent problems to be solved or new things happened, I completely diverted and it took time to get started all over again.
- In using applied faith especially in steps of demonstrating the power of your faith, there are three ideas which caught my mind. These are:
“Don’t let a day pass without making at least one definite move toward attaining your major purpose, keep up that persistent action.” I am thinking how many days and weeks passed without taking action towards my major purpose. One of the causes for this I am considering is not applying the next idea.
“Surround yourself with books, pictures, mottoes and other suggestive devices. Picking things that symbolize and reinforce achievement and self reliance, work constantly to add to your collection, to move things to new places, where you can see them in different light and in association with different things.” This is where I have problem till now I have read many empowerment books which suggest doing so but to your surprise I have not done it.
“Never run away from disagreeable circumstances, fight them with all your resources, right where you stand and without moment’s delay.” Here is also another problematic area of mine, in disagreeable circumstances when I started confronting and if it continues most of the time I rejected or preferred to keep quiet, or avoid such situations.
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?
The ideas listed above helped me in many ways. It boast my confidence, it helped to know and understand my weakness areas, be flexible in see in the other way from what I thought it was right before and considered as my principle. Not to run away from the difficult situations instead confronting it with all my resources. It also assists me to be conscious and alert which I was not before. Above all it helped me to know the law of over compensation by just going for the extra mile. It also inspires me to search the infinite intelligence that I have and the power I possess. Therefore with this when I change myself, I am in possession to change my surroundings and so on.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
Yes, there are many statements. But I present only one as follows:
“Repetition is the mother of habit.”
Referring to myself one of the main problems to achieve my goal is not defining my major purpose, not the knowledge or skill, not on analyzing and understand on how I am behaving currently, but on how to change myself, my behavior and look internally towards me to follow all the process or the guidelines of the book to join the two percent club. The author illustrated in his book that repetition is a habit intensifies it until it becomes an obsession. The book also stresses that our thoughts are the only thing you can completely control if we decide to do so, and also mentioned that to control our habit we must control our thought. This is where I need to work consciously is to be self disciplined and not only change my habit, but also to control it. Therefore I strongly hope that through repetition I acquire the habit which enables to follow the steps to achieve my goal.
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, there are not.
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?
For me the main exercise is to be guided by the book to achieve my goal starting from making my goal as a burning desire, plan towards it and get to action persistently ( daily to contribute towards my goal) . The book showed me all the details on how to achieve my goal. But I did not complete this exercise totally. It requires strong self discipline and I am struggling towards it.
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.
Actually no, it is not comment. This is my fourth book I already read. All the books inspired me a lot and I am very happy joining your institute. The books boasted my confidence a lot. But the intensity of my inspiration and the change I gained is not comparable. I think I need to work a lot, to practice a lot to attain my goal.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
How interesting was it to read? 10
How helpful were the contents? 10
How easy was it to understand? 10
Would you recommend it to others? 10
What is the overall rating you would give it? 10