I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Mutyaba James Claude (Uganda)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is revealing in the book is that ‘our thoughts make us and they are responsible for what and where we are. The author has demonstrated that the conditions we live in and the life we enjoy at a given time, is a direct reflection of our thoughts and character. Having accurately expressed this fact in a clear and loud voice, the author again gives the key that unlocks our brains to make a quick paradigm shift in the way we think in order to secure our future with accuracy, live a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life as God intended it to be. The author therefore calls for a need to develop a culture of mastering thought that will develop a character of achievers who will make a big impact in the world for good
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. The pattern of our thoughts determines the conditions we live in whether good or bad.
This has motivated me to understand that am the sharper of my destiny basing on the way I think. Exercising positive thinking should be my full time job if I am to make a big impact in the world or free myself in the challenges I face as an individual because all the challenges we face are directly linked to the way we think.
ii. We need to train ourselves to think in the way which will enable us to achieve our desired results.
I was made to understand that whatever result we want to achieve is not a result of chance, luck or fortune, but a direct result of our thinking. This therefore necessitates overcoming all laziness and directing our thoughts to what we want to achieve
iii.There is need to link our thoughts to a purpose in order to make big impact and accomplishments in the world.
As the adage goes that a person who aims at nothing will always get nothing. The author has motivated me to develop a purpose in life and make it a centralizing theme of my thoughts. This has challenged me because 4 years back, I started a Nonprofit organization but it is still struggling because I had not galvanized all my thinking to this purpose. Thank God I have got a solution to my dilemma
iv. There is no shortcut to success.
The author has motivated me to learn that sacrifice is unavoidable for any achievement to be accomplished. In fact the author rightly put it that achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort and a diadem of thought. This has stirred my heart and given me much motivation to put in much effort if I am to achieve a positive result.
v. To avoid mental health problems and diseases in our body, we should guard our mind.
The author has revealed that our thoughts are directly linked to our body. This is because our mental state has a relationship with the quality of life we enjoy. The author has sparked my life to always be on alert and cherish nobler thoughts because they result into a life of tranquility and peace.
vi. There is need for self-control in order to succeed.
I learned that self-control is strength and we should not allow to be overwhelmed by evil and violent thoughts
vii. We need to cherish a beautiful vision and a lofty ideal in our heart such that we realize it one day.
I have been motivated to draw big pictures and make big dreams for the future and work hard to realize these dreams. I know that the curve for success is not straight, but no matter how long the journey is, success is our final destination. I have been encouraged to dream and it does not matter how long it takes, we should keep dreaming, keep walking and keep hoping.
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 going to be so helpful in both by career and personal life in the following ways:
First of all, I started an organization known as Empowerment for the Poor- Uganda which aims to empowers youth and women break their socio-economic barriers through enhancing their business, entrepreneurship and employability abilities, empower them to start socio enterprises that solve local challenges to create job opportunities in the areas of environment, education, agriculture and health for improved livelihood. I believe that poverty incapacitates the ability of the poor to dream and in the end disconnects them from opportunities. I will use the knowledge acquired in this book to unlock the potential of the beneficiaries of my organization so as to make a big impact in the world
Secondly, the lessons I have acquired in the book are going to impact me positively to become a great thinker. I have always admired great thinkers who make big achievements in the world and I had not gotten the formula of how they managed to do it. I am going to always make self-reflections to ensure that my thinking is from cause to effect. I have personally started to analyze the conditions I am living in today which call for a quick paradigm shift in my thinking patterns.
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.
“They themselves are makers of themselves.”
I have realized that I am the driver of everything I want to happen to me. This has made me understand that I am personally responsible for my achievement or failure. There is no need to feel envious of others who have gone far than myself, but instead I need to direct my efforts in the right thinking to also achieve that I desire.
“Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.”
This has made me realize that I have a full time job to guard my thoughts and train myself to think in a right direction because if I adopt and practice a culture of good thinking , it will produce good results. This therefore calls for a masterly of my thoughts.
“At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay.”
I found this very true because mental health is soon becoming an epidemic. Whenever people harbor ill, defeated, envious and sad thoughts, it leads them into stress, depression, anxiety and many other mental diseases like schizophrenia among others. The state of our mind should be pure and clean in order to have pure and clean bodies.
“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.”
This was so motivational, it calls for organizing our thoughts and thinking in a right direction because we become what we think and glorify .I have a dream of not just pass in the world but to impact the world positively. I have set my career goals and what I want to achieve in the world. This quote was a jump-starter that has sparkled my life to fill my brain with what I want to achieve in life.
“Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
Our inner self or who we are in terms of our mental thinking patterns and processes, attitudes and feelings are responsible for what we want to achieve. The author has reminded us that if we are self-defeated, disorganized or unreasonable, we will never move ahead. We need first to develop certain attributes, organize our mind and sharpen the way we think in order to get whatever we desire.
“Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal.”
This thought has opened my eyes and made me understand how important our thoughts are, since we rise, stagnate or fail completely depending on the thoughts we harbor, the visions and ideals we cherish. The author is telling us that our thinking patterns is so vital a matter .We should have dreams that stir our hearts and sparkle our lives. There is therefore a need to quickly evaluate ourselves if we are moving in a right direction.
“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.”
The author has challenged me to always cherish good thoughts and cultivate a focused pattern of thinking that produce good results and to also monitor my thoughts to avoid useless thoughts to grow in the garden of my mind.
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 more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.”
I found this idea or statement disturbing to my mind. Personally I grew up in a Christian culture where people pray a lot, fast for many days, dedicate their lives wholly to God and serve him whole heartedly. However, although they have achieved tranquility and peace in their lives, some do not succeed in life and to others their Christian thoughts block them from succeeding or making a big influence for good in the world. I still agree that unless there is a rapid transformation in the way one thinks, it is not automatic that he will be a power for good. This is why the author also revealed that a man may be honest in certain directions, yet suffer privations.
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, it required to complete an assignment narrating the key lessons I have learnt from the book and how it has impacted my life which I have done. Performing this exercise has been very helpful because it required me to have read the entire book and digested it thoroughly. The exercises also required me to sweep all corners of the entire book and this has been interesting to understand it better.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment? Or that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
No, there was nothing
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
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Mutyaba James Claude (Uganda)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea of the book is about challenging world views, traditions and ordinary typical mentality that stand in our way to move forward like the way Jonathan seagull refused to accept the limitation and mediocrity of the gulls to deter him from flying despite the intense pressure and discouragements inflicted on him by his family and the council of flocks. The book is about beating all odds to achieve your purpose in life no matter the insurmountable challenges you face. The author has empowered me to always learn new knowledge and master skills in order to fly to higher heights of life like Seagull learnt that a streamlined high –speed dive could bring him to find rare and tasty fish which was below the surface of the ocean that he no longer needed fishing boats and bread for survival because he could eat any fish he wanted. I have learnt that at whatever level, we can lift ourselves out of ignorance and achieve excellence, it is not too late to learn a new skill, therefore we should unlock our potential to achieve whatever dream or vision we cherish. The author has energized us to always challenge the status quo, refuse to give up amidst severe challenges and pass on the new knowledge and skills acquired to others in order to leave a legacy like Seagull did to Fletcher and other students.
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.
The seven ideas which were personally important to me are:
i. A man becomes what he repeatedly does.
Like Seagull it was not easy for him to fly at first, but through practicing repeatedly and refusing to give up, he mastered the skill of flying to an extent that he became the fastest gull alive. This has taught me that, to master any skill, we need to repeat it many times and even if we fail, we should try again until we master perfection and achieve excellence. I have also learnt that to master the game, we must try many angels in order to discover what works and what does not work like Seagull did. This therefore requires us to know what we want to achieve.
ii. Unless we change our poor mindset we shall never discover the unknown.
I was fascinated by the flocks when they said that they were put into this world to eat, to stay alive as much as possible so they did not want to be challenged but only to be comfortable. They had been accustomed to wait for the fish boats and scrab after fish heads, so they were not concerned about Seagull who wanted to teach them how they could discover the higher purpose of their lives especially in how to fish so as to discover maximum freedom. I have learnt that we need to change our mindset. Sometimes we may be misunderstood by society, family and our cultures. This should not make us abandon our dreams. Sometimes everyone surrounding us can say that what you are pursuing is impossible, it cannot be done like the flock used to tell seagull. Although he was accused of violating the dignity and the tradition of the Gull Family and they made him an outcast, he never accepted that poor mindset nor abandoned his dreams.
iii. The Power of focus
The author has demonstrated that the power of focus is so vital in achieving success. We should not lose focus or be distracted by any obstacle .if we are to make big achievements, we need to focus and concentrate our mind to what we want to achieve. Like an English proverbs goes that ‘winners never quit’ I have learnt to be persistent, determined and focused until results are realized. It is said that a successful man falls a thousand times and rise up. There is where it is said in the book that Seagull floated in moonlight on the surface of the ocean. His wings were ragged bars of lead, but the weight of failure was even heavier on his back. He wished, feebly, that the weight could be just enough to drug him gently down to the bottom, and end it all. However later, he regained focus and moved again.
iv. Overcoming our fears
The book has revealed that there are times when we are overwhelmed by fear and feel that we cannot make it, but this requires us to put fear under control. This principle is revealed all through the book. Like it was written of Jonathan how he reached the terminal velocity in his flying after overcoming his fears and many failures. In many ways, we are normally discouraged by failure and we feel we want to give up. Like in the book, Jonathan reached a point when he nearly believed that his father was right he should forget that foolishness of trying to learn how fly. Thoughts of discouragement started lingering in his thought that he was not meant to fly but instead be home to the Flock and become content like others. The author revealed that sometimes thoughts of failure are closer to us when we feel that we should abandon our dream and become comfortable with our limitation and situation. However I realized that failure is one of the training meant to harden us in order to move forward. We should never allow to be overwhelmed by challenges and failures. We must not accept self-defeat but always practice critical thinking to find solutions of our failures.
v. We should always listen to that inner voice in our sub conscious that is driving us and motivate us to try again and push harder.
I learnt that there are moments when we speak to ourselves, questioning and challenging our ideas and views. Like the author has revealed that there was a time when in the subconscious of Seagull he reasoned that seagulls never fly in the dark! If he were meant to fly in the dark, he would have the eyes of an owl but the Jonathan in himself banished those thoughts. We should always listen to that inner voice that speaks to us to ignite our passion to try again. Related to this, I have also learnt that we need to overcome stereo types and conditioning. Like we get conditioned to get a pay check and live on salary which blocks our brains not to start any business. We feel that we are comfortable but the day we learn how to fly, we get the real freedom. There is need to lift ourselves out of stereo types and ignorance because we are creatures of excellence and intelligence. When Seagull was cursed and banished from the flock, he continued chasing his dreams no matter the many forces against him.
vi. Trying new things and discovery is the mother of invention
I learned that we should always try new things in order to get experience like Seagull learnt that when a single wingtip feather is moved a fraction of an inch, it gave a smooth sweeping curve at tremendous speed. Before he learnt this, he had found that moving more than one feather at that speed will spin you like a little ball. I learned that we should always be eager to learn new knowledge and skills needed for our success and the moment we master the art of success, it brings much joy, we become filled with joy and peace. Like we have seen in the book that when Seagull discovered that speed was power, joy as well as beauty, he made history. I have learnt that history is not made by cowards and to succeed we must try and try again by discovering new things.
vii. We need to share our skills in order to empower others.
I learned that to create lasting legacy, we need to pass on the skills we have learnt to others like Jonathan did to Fletcher and other students in teaching them how to fly. I liked the words of Jonathan when he said that … I want no honors. I have no wish to be leader. I want only to share what I’ve found, to show those horizons out ahead for us all. This is the true quality of a leader to have responsibility of impacting other lives such that we can make the world a better place to live in for everyone.
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?
As a Founder of a Nonprofit Organization; “Empowerment for the Poor-Uganda,” these lessons are going to help me in my work that unlocks the potential of youth and women living in socio-economic vulnerabilities to change their mindset, empower them to challenge the status quo in order to alleviate them from poverty, help them live respectful and dignified lives. I have been motivated to push myself until I will physically see my dreams. I am going to integrate these principles into our training program for children and youth that trains them to acquire skills of the 21st century which help them to become entrepreneurs at an early age.
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 statements which got my attention include the following:-
“I don’t mind being bone and feathers mom. I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can’t, that’s all. I just want to know.”
I learned that our dream and vision should be the overriding motive that moves our lives no matter what others say.
“This kind of thinking, he found, is not the way to make one’s self popular with other birds. Even his parents were dismayed as Jonathan spent whole days alone, making hundreds of low-level glides, experimenting.”
I learned that if you are to achieve any big achievement, you have to pay the price of making huge sacrifices to an extent that sometimes you may be misunderstood. In fact, the probability of being misunderstood when you are pursuing your goal is always very high however we should not be discouraged but instead continue pushing our dreams.
“`Poor Fletch. Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation.”
“ Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly.”
This taught me that there are many possibilities if we resolve to move ahead and refuse to be discouraged by limitation
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
I failed to understand when the author switched to the ideas of heaven especially when he said “Why so few gulls? Heaven should be flocked with gulls! And why am I so tired, all at once? Gulls in heaven are never supposed to be tired, or to sleep.” These ideas we so abstract to me and they looked like metaphysics to my mind. I think the idea of heaven was an old man out in the book, I believe that while we are still on earth, however much we try as much as possible we cannot reach to that level of heaven where everything is in perfect bliss . I believe that the author should have concentrated his thoughts in normal lines of the things we can do here on earth
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, after reading the book, it required me to write an essay of least 1,500 words revealing the key lessons I have learnt from the book and how it has impacted my life. Doing this exercise was the best thing to help me understand the book better because it required me to read the book many times in order to grasp every thought conveyed by the author.
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, there was nothing.
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? 10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10