As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Gladys Moreka (Kenya)
1. What is the main idea the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author states that the key to mastering your life is harnessing the power of your thoughts and helps you cultivate the philosophy and attitude of a positive, successful persons, your action are outgrowth of your thoughts, you shape the world just as much as it shapes you, thoughts can keep you young or make you age faster.
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. What you do is the result of what you think
A man is the sum of his thoughts, just like tiny seeds turn into big plants, a single thought often turns into a major decision which makes your thoughts the roots of your action.
ii. You shape the world just as much as it shapes you.
The reason your thoughts and actions are so deeply connected is because they live in a constant cause and effect relationship with the outside world.
iii. Be careful what you think, it might make you age faster.
A crucial aspect almost no one looks at when examining thoughts, is health, when we talk about the power of positive thinking we usually speak of affirmations, goals, priorities but not about health, yet what you think massively impacts your heart rate, sleep, chronic pain like migraines and skin you can think yourself to wrinkles skin
iv. We are solely responsible for our ability to succeed so dream big.
Our success is in our hands we can make it or not dreaming big and taking action goes hand in hand towards achieving our success and also being disciplined nothing comes out good without discipline, and be focused towards your dream.
v. By mastering our thoughts we can change lives.
Our thoughts are powerful tool that can build or destroy, just a negative thought and it’s enough to destroy the country, just a mere thought and once put in action it kills people, people think on how to make nuclear bomb which kills people negative thoughts have made marriages break up
vi. Effects of thoughts on circumstances.
We are where we are based on our thoughts and our actions.
vii. Visions and ideals
The desires are to obtain and aspire is to achieve author says that dreams lofty dreams as you will become and vision is the promise what you shall be one day, author says that your ideals is the prophecy your prediction of what you shall at last unveil.
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?
Our thinking is a crucial thing in the world so as a man think it is a perfect tool to help me and the society to think positively, sometimes things don’t work the way we want we forget it is because of the way we think, you cannot think negatively and expect positive results, so the book will be check list in my daily life, so that I will check on my thinking critically the more positive I think the better to me and the society.
4. Quotes: are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves.”
“The strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.”
“Men are anxious to improve their circumstance, but are unwilling to improve themselves.”
“Man is buffeted by circumstance so long as he believe himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realize that he is a creature power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstance grow he then become the rightful master of himself.”
“Man is made or unmade by himself in the armory of thoughts he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself, he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. We can be what we want to be we have the power to make ourselves or destroy ourselves the future is in our hands, it needs to be nurtured, and well pruned, like a farmer if you want good harvest and production you will have to go extra mile, by watering your crops, top dressing and weeding it, you will monitor it from predators, it will be your responsibility to take care of the farm, like our brain if we do not give it any task challenge it to reason positively at the end we will have a brain that is unfunctional, same to the farm if you don’t weeds it the crops will grow but unhealthy crops that cannot give a good harvest, you cannot blame the crops but blame yourself for not being responsible enough to get good harvest, same to our brain, we see good results from others, also we can do it if we train ourselves and follow the rules of the game nothing is impossible until it is proved but for sure we are the makers of our lives and never blame anyone for your failure.”
“When a man makes his thoughts pure he no longer desires impure food. Once you have pure thoughts, you will never want any impure thoughts cross your mind, even the people you will associate with will be people with pure thoughts, because you cannot fit in the group of people who are impure, that is how man identify himself with others, as the saying goes show me your friend and I will tell you your character, if you associate with people who think about failure you will definitely fail, but once you associate with people who have vision then you will be at some point somewhere.”
When I finished school I associated with jobless youths and we could have a place we call jobless corner where we could meet and discuss a lot of nothing, comforting ourselves that one day we will get a job, little did we know that days and time waits for no man, we were growing old and jobless I started associating with my friends who were doing farming and they told me how productive it was, I started though not willingly, how can an educated person end up being a farmer those were questions crossing my mind, who did I go to school if at the end I could be a farmer, little did I know that in farming that is where there was treasures of success, today I enjoy fresh meals, supply fresh milk and I can afford whatever I want, if I had to wait for job employment today I could be a bagger in the street and my life could be miserable or I could be under depression.
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 well stated and clear it’s well understood too a nice book that awakes our sleeping thinking and thoughts, this is a wonderful book that speaks to our mind and makes us think twice, the author did a wonderful job, a book that even a school dropout can understand and make a difference in life.
6. Did the book contain exercise for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them helpful?
When we speak about human thinking and thoughts, it is a journey indeed a life time journey, the exercise is a lifetime one since we start building the stamina of our brain and thinking, we gradually change from the things we are used to do on a daily life, which do not give results we want, we start being positive and it takes time because through this process we will encounter external and internal forces giving us challenges to give up, we will uproot many people on the way, friends, relatives work mate in order to be focused so it is something you cannot just accomplish on a nightfall but its is a continuous life exercise.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
The book is well covered and understood.
Please rate the following questions on the scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful was the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to other? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Gladys Moreka (Kenya)
1. What is the main idea the author is trying to convey in the book?
The author is conveying and brings out the idea of breaking out of conformity for the sake of confirming. It’s about finding freedom from routine and finding the teacher within you, ultimately you have the power to live the life you want, to live, softly higher, fly faster and live long. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a young gull who struggles to fit in with his flock, where the other birds are only concerned with finding food, Jonathan loves flying for its own sake. His attempt to fly faster and higher than his fellow gulls make him suspects and his own parents pressure him to conform after a particular disastrous dive, Jonathan nearly resign himself to the life of ordinary seagull only to have epiphany by flying on only wings tips by not ceasing in his effort to teach himself more about flying.
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. Using the skills and sharing the knowledge.
Jonathan takes on several students who have been made outcasts by the flock, teaching them not only to fly more skillfully, but also to understand their true spiritual nature. The students struggle to understand the latter and Jonathan ultimately decides that they must all return to the flock and resume their lessons, there. Jonathan and his students show off their skills and slowly members of the flock begin to take notice and join in.
ii. When one gull with a bad wing managed to fly after speaking to Jonathan, rumors begin to spread that he is a divine.
iii. It is important to try to see and nurture the best in the flock despite their action.
This is very normal even in our daily life despite people talking bad about you, just do the best and help them one day they will realize your importance in the society.
iv. Nothing remains impossible.
In this world if one trusts one’s abilities and potentials and work tirelessly to achieve one’s goals, he will definitely achieve them, in our life once we are determined to achieve a goal for sure we will achieve it doesn’t matter how long it will take but we need to be passionately working towards it, and avoiding any negative thoughts about failure and never give up, try as much as you can one day you will get it right, once you are focused and follow the rules of the game, your goals are achievable.
v. Never give up
Jonathan is never praised by his clan for his ambition and is forced to lead a life of an outcast he never gives up on his desire and finally succeeds in flying at higher altitude.
When we look back to those people we call hero’s they sacrificed without giving up, detained but at the end of the day we celebrate them, they achieved their ultimate goal that we have a chance to enjoy today, look at Nelson Mandela he sacrificed for South Africa independence and he became an icon in the whole world, because he had a vision, for a better south Africa and apartheid regime to end Martin Luther “I have a dream” indeed the dream came to pass, so when we do something good never give up, like a farmer it doesn’t matter whether it rains or not he will still cultivate and hope for a better harvest, in all the situation giving up means you are not ready to achieve what you want in life. So we should focus on a big picture if we want to excel.
vi. The power of ambitions, curiosity struggle and hard work in an individual life.
Trusting in his capacities and strength, the seagull teaches the lesson of remaining true to ones cause and desire.
vii. Animals are generally considered unwise creatures following the age old traditions and customs throughout their lives.
The author does not believes in this notion and portrays story of an extraordinary seagull in front of his readers to remind them that any creature filled with unique ambition to fulfill his goals at any cost can successfully achieve his aim in a nick of time.
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?
This is a wonderful book with wonderful experience the lesson I have learnt here are actually enlightening and will help me especially in my education life, I have a whole life to do good and achieve my maximum desire of my life, not only for the benefit of myself but also in my community and my fellow students.
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.
“The gulls sees farthest who flies highest.”
Instead of being enfeebled by age, the elder had been empowered by it. He could outfly any gull in the flock, and he had learned skills that the others were only gradually coming to know.
“By morning the flock had forgotten its insanity but fletcher had not Jonathan remember what you said a long time ago, about loving the flock enough to return to it and help it learn?”
We have to keep our promise no matter what, and that is being responsible, whatever you promise be sure to deliver it.
“Looking with your understanding, find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.”
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you all they show is limitations.”
“The only true law is that which leads to freedom, Jonathan said there is no other.”
“Heaven is not a place and it is not a time, heaven is being perfect. When you achieve your heart desire you feel good and feel fulfilled in life, that is heaven, there is that power you feel inside you the joy of accomplishment, buy it comes with a price to pay, determination and not giving up, all this things we see very attractive someone paid a price for us to admire them, the freedom we are enjoying today our forefather lost their lives in order to achieve the freedom we are enjoying today, it wasn’t easy some will go without food in the forest, be attacked with wild animals, and being shoot dead but still they have to persevere for us to get that freedom, so if anything is good to achieve we have to be ready to pay the price, it won’t be easy but we have to sacrifice our joy and move out of the comfort zone.”
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 well stated and clear it’s well understood too and it is a nice book with simple language but rich with advise and encouragement, it wasn’t easy for seagull, being chanced away and become an outcast but go back home again as a hero, teach other outcast flock and convenience the entire flock why they should learn to fly higher..
6. Did the book contain exercise for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them helpful?
The book contains a lot of exercise in our entire life, about our life in general this animation whatever being written there its not about the flock, it is about us, flocks do not know how to read but it is directed to us, to understand our lives in a different way, so many of us have been called names because we want to achieve more, some will discourage you and even get a way to burry your dreams and goals, it is upon us to understand that not all people will take our ideas positively and if we keep on encouraging them at the end of the day we will not make it but fail terribly so get the right people who will help you see the far end of your dream but not those who are ready to make you fail. We have the power to distinguish good and bad, what we want and what we don’t want, stick to your vision and at the end you will achieve 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.
The book is well covered and understood.
Please rate the following questions on the scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.
A. How interesting was it to read? 9
B. How helpful was the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to other? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9