by Cesar Romero

What Are You Thinking About?

How many thoughts does your mind think in one hour?

But most importantly, how many of these thoughts are positive and useful?

Based on research, It’s estimated that the average person has around 70,000 thoughts per day and 80% of these thoughts are negative and useless.

Wow!

That’s a lot of garbage.

Thoughts are constantly battling for my attention. There’s a stream of thoughts when I dress up, brush my teeth, make coffee, go for a run, take a shower, go to sleep, and even now when I’m writing this book review.

It never ends.

Our successes and failures are directly related to the quality of our thoughts.

As a Man Thinketh is a classic personal development book that has stood the test of time and made an impact on several generations by carrying a very simple but profound message:

You are what you think.

Your thoughts have a direct effect on your circumstances, health, body, purpose, achievements, failures, visions, ideals, and serenity.

It was published in 1903 by James Allen for what it became his best known work. He was a British philosophical writer known for his inspirational books and poetry and as a pioneer of the self-help movement.

As a Man Thinketh, has been mass-produced since its publication in 1903 and It has been a source of inspiration to motivational and self-help authors.

Here are my favorite quotes from the book:

-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.

-A noble character is not a thing of favour or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking.

-Man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.

-Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals to himself.

-Thought and action are the gaolers of Fate — they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom — they liberate, being noble.

-Not what he wishes and prays does a man get, but what he justly earns.

-Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.

-Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the Law of his being.

-Men 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.

-The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed.

-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.

-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.

-A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.

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

-You will always gravitate toward that which you, secretly, most love.

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

The Good

It’s a short inspirational reading that will expand your awareness on the importance of your thoughts in the quality of your life.

The Bad

It doesn’t provide any tools on how to improve the quality of your thoughts and put the lessons into practice.

The Verdict

If you are looking for a book to help you get started on the path of self-mastery, this is for you.

Even if you consider yourself a meditation jedi, you should read As a Man Thinketh once a month just as a reminder on how important it is to master your thoughts to achieve a happy fulfilling life.

What other books in the personal development space do you consider to be “Must Read”?