As A Man Thinketh (1903) by James Allen

Master Key Society・2 minutes read

The text delves into the idea that man's thoughts shape his character and circumstances, emphasizing the importance of cultivating positive thoughts for a fulfilling life. It highlights the power of self-control, sacrifice, and focused planning in achieving success and influencing others positively for the betterment of humanity.

Insights

  • Man's thoughts shape his character and circumstances, with the mind as the powerful force behind joy, suffering, success, and failure, emphasizing the critical role of thought in determining one's life path.
  • Achieving success and harmony requires cultivating positive, purposeful thoughts, as they not only influence personal well-being but also impact interactions with others, highlighting the transformative potential of one's mental outlook on life.

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Recent questions

  • How does the mind shape a person's character?

    The mind is the master power that molds and makes a man, with thoughts being the tool that shapes joys and ills. Thought and character are intertwined, with a man being what he thinks, his character a sum of his thoughts. Acts stem from hidden seeds of thought, whether spontaneous or deliberate, with joy and suffering as their fruits. A noble character is a result of right thinking, while an ignoble one comes from groveling thoughts. Ultimately, man is made or unmade by himself, forging weapons of self-destruction or tools for heavenly joy through thought.

  • What role do thoughts play in attracting circumstances?

    Man attracts circumstances based on his thoughts and desires, reaping the fruits of his own thoughts and actions, ultimately becoming the maker of himself. Circumstances grow from thought, with a man's mind likened to a garden that must be cultivated with right thoughts. Life is justly ordered, with past experiences being the result of one's evolving self. Good thoughts lead to good results, bad thoughts to bad outcomes. Suffering indicates disharmony with oneself and the law of being, serving to purify and eliminate impurities.

  • How can one achieve happiness and prosperity through thoughts?

    Indigence and indulgence stem from mental disorder, with happiness, health, and prosperity requiring inner-outer harmony. Man evolves by seeking justice in life, adapting thoughts to regulate circumstances, and using challenges for growth. Thoughts crystallize into habits, shaping circumstances; pure thoughts lead to grace, while impure ones result in disease and decay. The body reflects the mind's thoughts, responding to positive or negative mental influences with health or illness.

  • What is the relationship between thoughts and success?

    Purposeful thoughts, linked with action, lead to intelligent accomplishment, steering one away from failure and towards success. Success and achievement require lifting thoughts above animal indulgence, sacrificing some selfishness for clarity and methodical planning. Progress and achievement demand sacrifice, with worldly success tied to sacrificing animalistic thoughts for focused planning and self-reliance. Intellectual achievements stem from dedicated thought towards knowledge or truth, while spiritual achievements result from noble aspirations.

  • How do visions and ideals contribute to achievements?

    Visions and ideals drive achievements, with dreamers being the world's saviors, as humanity thrives on their visions and ideals. Self-control, resolution, and well-directed thought lead to success, with achievements reflecting the focus and sacrifice put into them. Serenity and calmness, products of self-control and understanding of thought, lead to success, influence, and power for good, fostering reverence and reliability in others. Conquering weakness and selfish thoughts frees a person from belonging to either oppressor or oppressed, allowing independence.

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Summary

00:00

"Master Your Mind, Shape Your Destiny"

  • "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen, read by Randy Scott, originally self-published in 1903 by James Allen, this recording is a production of the Master Key Society, copyright 2021 Master Key Society.
  • Mind is the master power that molds and makes a man; he takes the tool of thought and shapes his joys and ills.
  • This volume is a result of meditation and experience, aiming to stimulate the discovery that individuals are makers of themselves through their thoughts.
  • Thought and character are intertwined, with a man being what he thinks, his character a sum of his thoughts.
  • Acts stem from hidden seeds of thought, whether spontaneous or deliberate, with joy and suffering as their fruits.
  • A noble character is a result of right thinking, while an ignoble one comes from groveling thoughts.
  • Man is made or unmade by himself, forging weapons of self-destruction or tools for heavenly joy through thought.
  • Man is the master of thought, shaping his character, environment, and destiny, holding the key to every situation.
  • Circumstances grow from thought, with a man's mind likened to a garden that must be cultivated with right thoughts.
  • Man attracts circumstances based on his thoughts and desires, reaping the fruits of his own thoughts and actions, ultimately becoming the maker of himself.

17:32

"Thoughts Shape Life: Harmony, Evolution, Success"

  • Life is justly ordered, with past experiences being the result of one's evolving self.
  • Good thoughts lead to good results, bad thoughts to bad outcomes.
  • Suffering indicates disharmony with oneself and the law of being, serving to purify and eliminate impurities.
  • Mental and moral harmony dictate one's circumstances, with blessedness reflecting right thoughts and wretchedness wrong ones.
  • Indigence and indulgence stem from mental disorder, with happiness, health, and prosperity requiring inner-outer harmony.
  • Man evolves by seeking justice in life, adapting thoughts to regulate circumstances, and using challenges for growth.
  • Thoughts crystallize into habits, shaping circumstances; pure thoughts lead to grace, while impure ones result in disease and decay.
  • The body reflects the mind's thoughts, responding to positive or negative mental influences with health or illness.
  • Cheerful thoughts dissipate bodily ills, goodwill disperses grief, and peace towards all beings brings inner peace.
  • Purposeful thoughts, linked with action, lead to intelligent accomplishment, steering one away from failure and towards success.

35:06

"Success through sacrifice and noble aspirations"

  • A perfect love sees suffering in both oppressor and oppressed, condemning neither, embracing compassion for both.
  • Conquering weakness and selfish thoughts frees a person from belonging to either oppressor or oppressed, allowing independence.
  • Success and achievement require lifting thoughts above animal indulgence, sacrificing some selfishness for clarity and methodical planning.
  • Progress and achievement demand sacrifice, with worldly success tied to sacrificing animalistic thoughts for focused planning and self-reliance.
  • Intellectual achievements stem from dedicated thought towards knowledge or truth, while spiritual achievements result from noble aspirations.
  • Visions and ideals drive achievements, with dreamers being the world's saviors, as humanity thrives on their visions and ideals.
  • Self-control, resolution, and well-directed thought lead to success, with achievements reflecting the focus and sacrifice put into them.
  • Serenity and calmness, products of self-control and understanding of thought, lead to success, influence, and power for good, fostering reverence and reliability in others.
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