Sunday, August 21, 2011

"As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen

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  • "The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."
  • "Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits"
  • "cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things"
  • "A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favour or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harbouring of grovelling thoughts."
  • "Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought 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."
  • "man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny"


  • "As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills."
  • "Man is always the master, even in his weaker and most abandoned state"
  • "Only by much searching and mining, are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul; and that he is the maker of his character, the moulder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove, if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, and utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, everyday occurrence, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself which is Understanding, Wisdom, Power."
  • "only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge"
  • "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"
  • "Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts."
  • "a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life"
  • "Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state."
  • "Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself."
  • "The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves"
  • "Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act"
  • "As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss."
  • "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself"
  • "Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are."
  • "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound."
  • "Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results."
  • "A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life."
  • "he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself"
  • "justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life; and righteousness, not corruption, is the moulding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world"
  • "he will find that as he alters his thoughts towards things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him"
  • "Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance."
  • "impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances: thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence: lazy thoughts crystallize into habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary: hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution: selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more or less distressing. On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances: pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace: thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom: energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness: gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances: loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches."
  • "A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances."
  • "The body is the servant of the mind."
  • "Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought."
  • "Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it."
  • "If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind."
  • "A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts."
  • "a sweet and sunny disposition"
  • "you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity."
  • "There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow."
  • "To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole."
  • "to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven"
  • "to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor."
  • "Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment."
  • "They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness"
  • "A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts."
  • "make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought"
  • "the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success"
  • "Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear."
  • "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."
  • "Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements, which break up the straight line of effort"
  • "Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplished anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do"
  • "The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step."
  • "Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force: he who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers."
  • "individual responsibility must be absolute"
  • "A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man's; they are brought about by himself"
  • "As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains."
  • "A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped"
  • "A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts."
  • "Not having commenced to manfully control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone. But he is limited only by the thoughts, which he chooses."
  • "There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice, and a man's worldly success will be in 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."
  • "Intellectual achievements are the result of thought consecrated to the search for knowledge, or for the beautiful and true in life and nature."
  • "Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought."
  • "He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly."
  • "The dreamers are the saviours of the world."
  • "He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it."
  • "Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all, heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."
  • "Dreams are the seedlings of realities."
  • "you will always gravitate toward that which you, secretly, most love"
  • "you will receive that which you earn; no more, no less"
  • "You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration"
  • "The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune, and chance."
  • "In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result."
  • "Gifts, powers, material, intellectual, and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort; they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized."
  • "Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control."
  • "The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others"
  • "The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm."
  • "Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character, which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold"
  • "How few people we meet in life who are well balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!"

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