As a Man Thinketh
Assessment by Moses Ojukwu (Malaysia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea conveyed by the author is the efficacy of creative thinking. According to the author, the world we live in is a product of creative thoughts. We are not products of circumstances and our present condition is never by accident, rather they portray the quality of our thought patterns. Our minds have been so designed that battles of life are won and lost there. Nature has equipped us with our faculties to enable us to recreate our world and bring into existence that which would make our lives and environment better. Wishful thinking does nothing, rather creative thoughts which culminates into actions make the world better
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. Character is a product of thought
Character formation is borne in our thought process. Nobody behaves differently from the way he thinks. Even the scripture in a bid to make Christians understand how their character should be opined that “we have the mind of Christ.” As a teenager, I was taught to always allow positive thinking and imbibed it. Suddenly, I began to see myself exhibiting the features of those positive thoughts. I always imagined a peaceful world without rancor and suddenly, I started living, with my environment and people around. I was always thinking of how to become great in life and what it takes to be great. These thoughts sharpened my behavioral attitude and made me a great man, in my little sphere of influence among my friends and peers.
ii. Circumstances are influenced by thoughts
According to the author, “People imagine that thought can be kept a secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance”. I sometimes thought that no matter how hard one tries, that one is limited by one’s family background. I suddenly started seeing myself limited by my circumstances of birth. I once thought that driving a car is for some categories of people, little wonder I was unable to drive a car until recently, even when I had opportunities to learn. By our thoughts, we bring into existence, whatever happens around us. Our circumstances somehow are related to our thoughts. Today, I think everything is possible and I see possibilities in my circumstances.
iii. Thoughts affect Health
This is quite revealing yet superstitious to some extent. What we think affects our health. Some people attribute some health crises to worries and they may not be entirely wrong. Many life ailments are treated on the platform of reformed thought-pattern. I was once adjudged sick and all medications proved abortive. Nobody knew I was suffering from a heart-break because I had thought the world had closed up on me. My health never improved until my thinking changed. As soon as I moved on, I became healed.
iv. Achievements are born out of thoughts
In the words of the author, all achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of directed thought. Making any success in life requires good thinking. A vehicle manufacturing company goes with the slogan ‘good thinking, good product’. Good thoughts enable one plan, organize and methodically work towards set goals and achievements. When I was aspiring to serve my fellow students as the Secretary of the Students’ union, I first of all thought of how to increase my popularity, convince the electorates, outwit my opponents and secure the highest number of votes. These thoughts were laid out as plans and methods and eventually came to fruition.
v. Visions and Ideals are thought-sensitive
This cannot but be true. Personally, I see myself gravitating daily towards my vision, which I had as a child. The vision of being a leadership giant in academia. Initially, it was not really looking like it but consciously, with thought and clear ideas, I have seen myself living out the promise I gave myself.
vi. Thought and Purpose are related
Purpose they say if not defined makes abuse inevitable. However, the definition of purpose is simply thinking. In my bid to raise fund for my university education, I worked in a school. While I was there, there were lots of distractions and challenges that almost derailed my purpose but because my mind was always fixed at my purpose, I eventually saved some money and proceeded to the university. This goes to say if not that the thought-process was firstly laid-out, the purpose would not have been achieved.
vii. Serenity
Being at peace with oneself is a virtue. Being at peace with one’s environment is understanding. Being at peace with others is a gift. Calmness simply signifies good thought-pattern. Life may not always give us all we ever envisaged but the ability to show decorum amidst life’s challenges means we have stable minds. Severally, I could not find sponsorship for my doctoral studies, but I refused to be deterred, with the assurance that one day, I shall live to tell the story.
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 real ingredients for living a fulfilled life. I have come to the full understanding of the fact that I have the power to redefine my life and carve a niche for myself in any endeavor I seek to venture into. With the lessons learnt here, I would develop my mind power by devoting more time for self-examination and reading. Seeing that virtues are more precious than vices as nature favors the latter, I would imbibe virtues such as self-awareness, fearlessness, and purpose to make my world a better place.
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.
“Thought and character is one.”
A man’s character is never different from his thoughts. Peoples judgments and attitudes in real life is truly a reflection of their thinking. So many people take advantage of leadership positions as opportunities to exhibit arrogance and garner so much wealth for themselves because they have always thought that leaders are supposed to be powerful and rich. Some people fail in school and business because of how difficult they had thought the adventure is. This influences their character so much that they end up not working so hard in their business and studies. Conclusively, you can hardly separate a man from his thoughts.
“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.”
A man once said it is not what happens to you that matters, rather what you do with what happens to you. Two people suffer hunger and deprivation, one endures and survives, the other resorts to stealing and all sorts of unethical lifestyle to make ends meet. Two people suffer rejection, one moves on, kept trying and improving on himself, the other lives with the rejection and never makes progress
“Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
I have always heard people write down the qualities of their spouse-to-be, without, first of all, placing themselves on the scale to ascertain if someone with those characteristics would want to associate with them. You cannot be a hot-tempered woman and wish to attract the opposite.
“Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.”
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Wishful thinking does no one any good. Folding one’s hand and wishing to attain any level of success is just whiling away one’s time. The only way to have one prayer and wishes come to fruition is to put our shoulders to the wheel
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, maybe because of my Christian beliefs. The author suggests that man molds his destiny himself. This somehow contradicts the divine manipulations and how God decides and influences our destiny. No matter how hard we may try, how good our thoughts are and all that, we must align ourselves to God’s purpose for our lives.
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?
There are no exercises contained in the book for the reader to complete.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
I think everything has been captured in the questions and my responses so far. Thank you.
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? 8
C. How easy was it to understand? 9
D. Would you recommend it to others? 10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Moses Ojukwu (Malaysia)
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea that the author tried to convey is refusing mediocrity and rising to stardom.
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. Say no to the status quo
Seagull came from a family and environment where a certain level of performance and way of life is a norm and it is expected that he lives and thrives in this set-out rules. In life, I have noticed limitations set out by our family backgrounds and many people end up accepting the status quo without the necessary questions and breaking the limits. I refused the idea that I cannot acquire a university education because of the paucity of funds. I also said no to the aphorism that participating in student’s unionism simply means you have sacrificed academic excellence. It is very important that we live to fully maximize our potentials, then shall we realize that they may have been wrong all these while.
ii. Do not settle for the less
According to the writer, Seagull made inroads and flew above the normal levels and got to some point where the thought of “I have tried mentality” came up. However, he made a little more effort and that saw him attain higher heights. Generally, one may have achieved some level of success and tries to go home feeling it is all over but there is always more to achieve. Someone said, “to the progressive, better is better than the best.” There is always room for improvement. I joined the brigade band as a “snare “drummer.” I became so good at it, that I would have felt satisfied. However, I discovered that our instructor could play all the sets of the band (Snare, tenor, and bass drums) perfectly. So, I decided to learn how to play all and to my surprise, I learnt to become perfect in all.
iii. Rising beyond limits
I am sure Seagull would have surprised himself when he ascended beyond some heights. Some limits are self-imposed. I am often caught telling myself the farthest I could go. I also see myself making some funny moves to ensure I keep moving within those self-set limits. However, it is self-limiting to do so. I could not make a first-class degree because I felt satisfied with a (Second-class (upper division) degree. This made me not to go the extra mile and eventually upon graduation, I realized a little more effort would have afforded me the coveted First-class degree.
iv. Being ready to learn and unlearn
Though Seagull had made some wonderful progress, yet he was ready to ascend the more. Learning is a continuous process and as I posited earlier, there is always room for improvement. I was using Microsoft Excel as a tool for statistical analysis and was home and dry with it. However, I noticed trends in recent journals indicate that there is another software called SPSS that is in vogue and does the same job better. It was difficult at first to learn to use SPSS. however, it is interesting to know that it could a whole of statistical analysis seamlessly and perfectly. All thanks to my instructors. I learnt and was not sorry for the price I had to pay.
v. Do not be discouraged
Often, our disruptive thinking process or efforts are not welcome by our peers, our community and even our colleagues in our different places of life endeavor. Mostly, it is resisted, and we are shamed but we must not be discouraged, provided we are on the right path. I was made a co-coordinator for a seminar presentation. I found out that the presenters were doing it manually by just orally doing the presentation. However, I introduced the use of audio-visuals and it was not easily accepted and I was even reprimanded for doing such. However, I was discouraged because I knew that is the way to go and today, the norm is now that presentations must be made using audio-visuals. Yes, it always works when you know what you are doing.
vi. Replication is the key
Seagull had to teach somehow to do it. I know one’s candle doesn’t go off because you let someone light his, from yours. It is important to teach people how to make the same success you enjoy. Knowledge sharing remains the best way to make our society better. Little wonder my chosen career affords me the opportunity to do so, not minding how it is perceived. Often, it is difficult to teach. “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.” It is difficult to teach, however by patience and persistence, one can impart knowledge,
vii. The top is the destination
Seagull felt so cool and good to fly to the zenith. Getting to the top is always good, not minding the failures and the pains one must go through. This is made possible by the sole resolve to put aside every limitation, just like quoted in the book: “Everything that limits us we have to put aside.” Truly, heaven is neither a place nor a time, it is just perfection- the top.
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 here are very practical to me. It will help me resist every attempt to limit my horizon. I will learn never to be satisfied with any little success I may make. I will refuse discouragement of any sorts until I reach the zenith of success. My world must be made better by the time I replicate myself by teaching and encouraging 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.
“There is more to life than eating.”
Yes, we don’t live to eat. There is more to life than the present status quo. Yes, I can be better than myself today.
“Let’s try it again.”
Often, several efforts do not yield the expected results, and this brings a lot of discouragements but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I will continue to try again. Perhaps, the next try could be the last straw that will break the back of the camel
“This world isn’t heaven at all.”
Yes, it may seem so good now but there could be more success should we dig deeper.
“I don’t care what they say.”
Often, people discourage us by what they say. Listening to people’s comments and views about our efforts may end up causing more harm than good. Even some accolades may hype our minds and complacency may set in. Hence the need to keep my head straight, focusing on the details and the ways for more success.
“You didn’t need faith to fly, you needed to understand flying.”
Everything can be learned. It is not a question of talent or inherent skill, there is always an ability to do anything if and only if one can exercise he patience and be committed to learning. So many feel limited by age, sex, race, etc but I have made to understand that one can do anything, perform any task, become an expert if one can just learn from the experts.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are their ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
There no unclear or conflicting ideas in the book.
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?
There are no exercises in the book for the reader to complete.
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.
Nothing about the book was missing in the previous questions
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? 6
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? 7