As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

THOUGHT AND CHARACTER

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts

EFFECT OF THOUGHT ON CIRCUMSTANCES

Every man is where he is by law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err.

Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions.

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.

Man imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.

A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.

Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body.

THOUGHTS AND PURPOSE

Until thoughts 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-pitying, all of which and indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins, to failure, unhappiness and loss.

As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplished anything, and never can. They always lead to failure.

He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.

THE THOUGHT-FACTOR IN ACHIEVEMENT

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.

He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs nether to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.

He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

VISIONS AND IDEALS

Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result.

The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart this you will build your life by, this you will become.

SERENITY

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence in and indication of ripened experience, and of a more that ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.

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.