As A Man Thinketh summary

Ever failed miserably at something and blamed it on the weather, the unpleasant phone call you had with your mother that day or on some particularly nasty childhood experience? Blaming failure on external factors is something we’re all guilty of. It might make us feel better, but it only sets us back.

Our circumstances – that is, all those external factors that impact our lives – are closely linked to our character. But they aren’t linked in the way you might first assume. It’s all too easy to think that our experiences and our living conditions shape who we are. But the truth is: we shape our world just as much as it shapes us!

Some of us age gracefully, while some of us – to put it lightly! – do not. Bad habits, lack of access to healthcare and unfortunate genes all play a role. But there’s one factor we often forget to consider: our attitude.

We’ve already seen what a powerful influence our thoughts have on both our character and the conditions we face. It should come as no surprise, then, that our thoughts impact our bodies, too. Unhappy thoughts have a slew of unfortunate side effects: a higher heart rate, poorer sleep, headaches, and yes, wrinkles from all that frowning!

In the second blink, we learned that external factors aren’t to blame for the way we are or the mistakes we make. This may seem like a great burden, however. Are we solely to blame for our failures?

This doesn’t seem like a very helpful attitude, so let’s change our perspective. If we think we’re being victimized, we’re bound to feel and act like victims, and continue being oppressed. Yet, if we don’t let ourselves feel like victims, it’s harder for others to make us their victims. Therefore, it’s crucial that we understand that our ability to free ourselves lies in our hands.