As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Jechira Paul Jighjigh (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
Character is a function of your thoughts; therefore think big enough to actualize your dreams and desires. The main idea is that Character sustains destiny, the strength of your character determines the weight of your destiny. The depth of your character determines the height of your destiny. When you change your thinking you change your actions, when you change your actions you change your future.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
A. Act is the blossom of thought and joy and suffering are its fruits.
Thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry. It is important in my Life in the sense that whatever I center my mind on to do, the negative and positive thoughts comes to my mind discouraging me and the other encouraging me. Giving me reasons why I will not make that a success and why I will make it.
B. A noble and God-like character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in the right thinking, the efforts of long-cherished association with God-like thoughts.
When everything fails in Life, character still stands and character sustains beauty and love. Characters in the presence of God bring me to so many influential people in my locality. Character brings me before many lecturers in my school because I value everyone regardless of age, sex, and status in the society.
C. Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state.
God has given me Authority over myself which is the fruit of self-control so we have a self that must be controlled no matter the circumstances, even in your weakest state. I learnt to control the spirit of anger within me so, when it shows up then I will know and best I can do is to smile and distract myself from it.
D. The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves and also that which it fears.
People turn to flow with the crowd simply because they refuse to stand out. They are being mindful what people will think or say. When I was in secondary school, asking and answering questions was a challenge. I was living on the definitions of others until I was informed and transformed at citizenship and Leadership training center mountain school Shere Hills in Jos, Plateau state Nigeria.
E. Not what he wished and prays for does a man get but what He justly earns.
Preparedness through hard work when they meet with opportunity it results in to huge success. I could not have sat at home then become computer literate. I had to study computer and today I am computer literate.
F. Blessedness and riches are only joined together when the riches are rightly and wisely used. A wealthy man and a poor man are the same except that their level of thoughts, its matter of the heart. A wealthy man has lofty ideas while a poor man is where he is because of shadow thinking and living on the self definitions of others. I consider myself never to be poor be cause God has deposited a lot of potentials in me to use it for the glory of His name and rendering selfless services to humanity. This is why I love to learn and have a greater understanding of what Leadership is all about.
G. Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts.
When a man makes his thoughts pure He no longer desires impure food. Having lofty ideas and thoughts helps in overcoming Life challenges. The thoughts you feed your mind with is directly proportional to the measure of result you get. When I was seeking for admission in the university, I wasn’t applying the university I am in now because within me the course I wanted to read the University don’t the course, so I used that as an excuse not to go there but deep with me I knew that getting admission into that university will not be a challenge and behold as God will always have his way, I changed my thoughts over the university, I applied and I was offered admission on merit.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
These ideas will help me a lot especially in my family, the university and in relationship with people because it helps you on daily basis to change the negative thoughts and actions against people. Feed the heart with productive thoughts that will yield results that will stand the test of time. I cannot achieve great results in that lazy state I am, except I stand to different, to avoid procrastination, jealousy, envy and downsizing other people. Life presents us with so many opportunities and challenges which God has given us the grace to live above it. I do have a positive thought on challenges that I confront on daily basis. Since everything that is created by man spring to Life as a thought, an idea. I must dare to start from where I am today with what I have than to die in fear and shame not taking any step in Life.
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.
“He that seeketh findeth,; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
all bore down to determination to leave your present state in Life and take a valuable step. First, for you to start from where you are, you need courage, faith, and belief and then you envision it happened but it is surely focus and persistence that will take you to your desired destination.
“Fighting against circumstance?”
I resolve in my Life never to smoke and drink alcohol, so I avoid being to parties and beer parlors where such are encouraged. But imagine I took that decision and still accompany people to such environment where when you don’t smoke and drink you are looked down upon as being a child; then it’s better to cut such exist.
“One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves.”
The one man who stand- out turn to be master over the others, who live their lives in fear and slothfulness. They are being enslaved that the negative thoughts they conceive about themselves and begin to use languages like I can’t won’t, it’s impossible and give excuses to every failure.
“How lucky he is!”
When preparedness meet with opportunity in the lives of great men then the poor and average thinking people term it to be luck, but I dare you to believe that people who are highflyers in Life today are people who took a solid decision for change of their negative thoughts and swing into actions. They dare to try in Life no matter the challenges that confront them.
“How highly favored He is!” God loved man so much that he will not bless others and leave others. He said that; I am the God that shows no partiality, whatever He said He will do, He does it perfectly.
People who live within their comfort zone turn to term people who took risk in Life to stand-out as being highly favored but great people with great ideas understudy why and how the other person succeed.
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 dreamers are the saviors of the world.” People dream which is quite true and I believe that every human being dreams consciously or unconsciously, so I suggest the writer should have stated thus; The dreamers who pursue their dreams with faith, diligence and persistence are the saviors of the world. When you have belief of actualizing a dream then you require faith, focus and persistence to realize the dream. There are circumstances in my life when I want to do something then fear and doubt will set in but I will persistently do it until I finished it with the desired result, so how can such condition be fixed?
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?
The book doesn’t contain exercises for reader’s consumption. But the book contains relevant knowledge which when applied in our daily lives will propel you to a greater height above your thoughts and imaginations.
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.
Age is just a number. The length of your years is not proved of valuable contribution to humanity. At times, some people turn to age fast as a result of their genetic make-up, even when they are living fine with good thoughts or the environment turn to affect their age.
People are afraid of following their hearts to what people would think of them, which keep them stagnant in a particular place for quit a long time.
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 Jechira Paul Jighjigh (Nigeria)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea is to provoke the reader to strive to go beyond his limitations as a human being. Dare to try something new which will make you different from others. Step-out in your area of endeavor because the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands at the time of comfort and convenience but where he stand at the time of challenges and controversy.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
A. A mile from shore a fishing boat chummed the water and the word for
breakfast flock flashed through the air, till a crowd of a thousand seagulls came to dodge and fight for bits of food.
It is really clear here that life is race and it is highly competitive. We human beings compete for food, clothes and shelter. For many today, Life is just about eating and don’t dare to explore new ventures and places.
B. But way off alone, out by himself beyond boat and shore, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull was practicing. He was different from the other seagulls because He stepped out to live a Life full of courage and not an average Life.
It makes you to think different from others because you are unique and special. I am always different because I don’t flow with the crowd.
C. It is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered but flight. We live not to eat but we eat just to have a life.
Handwork matters a lot since you can explore many areas of your endeavors.
D. He felt better for his decision to be just another one of the flock.
There are decisions we take in life that turns to affect us either positively or negatively but of all, life is a decision. I implore you to make the best decisions out of life.
E. You must pass through a lot of challenges on your way to the top.
These is possible by seeking to find your true self, your strength and challenges as Jonathan Sea spent more time practicing flight. Opportunities are wrapped in form of work for people who unleash them but it is taken by people who are prepared in Life.
F. Jonathan Seagull climbed two thousand feet above the black sea and without a moment for thought of failure and death.
It is same in our lives, when you are curious about something, you forget the dangers and challenges that lies ahead. All his desire was to explore the secrets behind flight. While I was learning Chess game some time ago, my whole focus was on my opponent’s king, my goal was never to be a good chess player but to win.
G. We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence, intelligent and skillful. We can be free! We can learn to fly!
Life is a choice, the decision you take today will determine the height of your destiny tomorrow. The greatest tragedy of Life is not death, but life without a reason.
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?
Life is present us with so many challenges on daily basics, you face it or live in fear all the days of your Life. It is same that you are offered a Job which you are expected to find additional ways of improving on that. Instead, you remain within the walls of fear for improvement. Life is too short to waste it. He spent most of his time practicing. A wise man said practice makes perfect and it makes to stand out in your areas of endeavor. There is something about a purposeful person that makes him always different from others. He stands out in everything he does. Many a times, we live our lives on how people define us. But we need courage to conquer life challenges as they present themselves to us on daily basis. Persistence is the act of tireless pursuit which I am encouraged through the story of Jonathan Seagull.
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.
“One day Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, you shall learn that
irresponsibility does not pay. Life is the unknown and the unknowable, except that we are put into this world to eat, to stay alive as long as we possibly can.”
God created man for a purpose and until this purpose is accomplished. Life is just about a valuable contribution to humanity. You are to dedicate your unknown future to a know God, who sees things that are even done in the secret. Why then be jealous of some one who wants to stand out from the crowd. Greatness is not the massiveness of wealth but a proof of valuable contribution to humanity in general.
“Stand to center for shame in the sight of your fellow gulls!”
Life is full of challenges but that makes it interesting. Whatever you do in Life has either a positive or negative meaning to people, therefore, it is better you do the best you can with what you have at the time. With much power come greater responsibilities. Dare to take responsibility even for the things that you don’t know as that will help you to tackle life challenges.
“For his reckless irresponsibility.”
When you stand out in the in your discipline or any where you find yourself then there is room for criticism. People who are jealous of others always complain about people who are successful. Mediocrity is a state of mind where some one is defeated outside the ring of the heart before he step into the competition and such people turn to criticize people who are successful. My little advice to people who belong to this class is that they should celebrate success in the lives of people. The light you bring in the lives of others. You will never keep it away from yourself.
“The brotherhood is broken.”
People turns to quit relationships with you, on seeing that you stepped-out no matter the challenges but I believe that the best in Life is the function of your inputs. God has a true relationship with us her children which is the ultimate relationship so don’t be afraid to let people who want to leave your life.
“Let’s try it again.”
For you to be perfect in something, you must strive to try it over and over again. Dare to try in Life, since life is full of challenges that confront us on daily basis. Life is a choice and the right choice is a stepping stone in the lives of so many people and these where people who failed some times back but they never gave up on it. Learn to do new things in your life that will increase your thinking ability. Tell your self , let me try again, you are a failure the day you quit trying.
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, Jonathan, there is no such place. Heaven is not a place and it is not a time.” Based on the complete meaning in the book, I agree but I did believe that Heaven exist as a place but to gain eternity in God, it is a function of your character on earth.
“Chiang?” Does this refers to the elderly of all seagulls? It is shown clear that almost all of them has a name ending with Seagull, so I don’t understand “Chiang” or is it a form of greeting the elderly?
I don’t understand the reproduction in Seagull since the author didn’t speak on it. The mode reproduction in seagulls, I mean how they give birth to their young ones.
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?
The book doesn’t contain exercises for reader’s consumption. But the book contains relevant knowledge which when applied in our daily lives will propel you to a greater height above your thoughts and imaginations.
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 don’t understand what the author mean that is when the elderly seagull is ready to go and meet his ancestors. Also the elders of the seagull, why will they be so jealous of a fellow of theirs want to be different from others in the name of living above the law.
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? 7
C. How easy was it to understand? 8
D. Would you recommend it to others? 8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8