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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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As A Man Thinketh summary
James Allen
The classic text that proves the power of positive thinking
8 mins
What is As A Man Thinketh about?
As a Man Thinketh (1903) captures the philosophy of James Allen. These blinks reveal the power that thoughts have over our personalities, our circumstances and our well-being. We discover the benefits of learning to master our minds and direct our thoughts toward the goals we want to achieve.
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As A Man Thinketh
summarized in 4 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 4
By mastering our thoughts, we can change our lives.
Ever sat and wondered what makes us humans what we are? It’s a puzzling question, so here’s a clue to start you off: man is the sum of his thoughts.
Just as a plant sprouts from a tiny seed, each action we perform is an outgrowth of our thoughts. From these actions, patterns emerge. In turn, these patterns come to constitute our character. Our character or personality begins with our thoughts. But why is this important?
Well, have you ever known someone who always seemed to give up on projects or relationships, and at the same time had a pretty pessimistic attitude? You guessed it: those two things – attitude and action – are closely related. Underachievers tend to disappoint themselves because they think very little of themselves to begin with. Attitude problems often snowball and have severe consequences. Yet, there’s a very simple solution.
If our thoughts shape our character, it’s only logical that changing our thoughts will change our character, too. By changing the nature of their thoughts, pessimistic people might find that they have a bit more to smile about.
Anyone who attempts to master his thoughts can do much more than eliminate negative character traits. By working on his thoughts the right way, an individual can even obtain what the author refers to as Divine Perfection. In other words, by weeding out bad or useless thoughts, a person can bring joy, strength, peace and wisdom to his life.
Those are some pretty attractive benefits! So why not start mastering your thoughts today? The alternative, after all, isn’t pretty. Unmanaged thoughts can make you into your biggest obstacle; negative attitudes literally have the power to destroy the things you cherish and love.
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Best quote from As A Man Thinketh
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
—James Allen
Who should read As A Man Thinketh?
- Readers interested in the beginnings of self-help literature
- Individuals looking to improve their lives with advice that’s stood the test of time
- Everyone who loves gleaning new insights from a classic
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