As A Man Thinketh by James Allen is a motivating and enlightening book that teaches about the power that is inherent in our thoughts to make significant changes in our experiences and conditions in life. It talks about the control that we have of this power within us, and the positive effects of being conscious and deliberate in the thoughts we allow to linger in our minds.
Below is an interpretation and book summary, compressed into 12 powerful insights that I found very significant and valuable in learning how to regain control of your life.
Insight #1: The thoughts that we think are what creates our reality.
We are powerful creators of our own lives and we exercise this power through the kinds of thoughts that we entertain and allow to take root in our minds. James Allen stated that we “hold the key to every situation”.
Our outer reality is a reflection of the dominant thoughts and beliefs that we have about life, our environment and our destiny, and thus by changing our perception, our habits of thinking and our ways of interpreting our circumstances, we create change in the outer environment we live in. Changing our inner reality first is they key to initiating change in the outer reflection.
Insight #2: We are always continuously evolving and progressing in our lives.
Every situation that we experience are stepping stones and pathways to our growth and evolution. He said that a person is where he is so that “he may learn, he may grow”. In every circumstance, there is a valuable lesson or nugget of knowledge to be learned and remembered that will allow us to move further towards becoming our greater self.
Whenever we are in an unpleasant situation and we are able to look beyond the mere appearances, we then see the underlying benefit that is present in everything we encounter in life. We are able to move past the difficulties, instead of remaining stuck in them, when we already learned what it wants to teach us.
Insight #3: What we put out is exactly what we will get back.
The energy that we send out to the universe through our thoughts, beliefs and feelings will eventually be reflected back to us in the form of experiences, conditions and people that equal the energy we have been practicing. If we desire a change in the fruits that we’re harvesting in life, we must change the seeds of thought that we allow to germinate in the soils of our mind.
James Allen stated “Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit”. Every seed of thought planted will produce its own kind, be it in opportunities, circumstances, and events in our lives.
Insight #4: In order to attract the things that you want in life, you must first be a match to the energy of what you’re desiring.
We do not attract what we want. Rather, we attract who we are. It is not enough that you desire prosperity or a true love relationship in your life, for instance, but you must also be in the same energy or vibrational frequency of it. Our work is to align our thoughts, beliefs and feelings to the things that we want so we can make ourselves ready to receive it.
Feeling love for anything, be it towards yourself, your work, your friends, or towards nature will allow you to practice the energy of love and thereby attract it closer and closer to you. Same is true with prosperity, that as you practice thoughts of gratitude for the abundance that is already present in your life, you will gravitate towards more abundance and things to be thankful for as you maintain this energy of prosperity in your thoughts, actions and feelings.
Insight #5: Every true change comes from within.
Making changes by manipulating your outside reality is a backwards approach in creation and will eventually result to stress, frustration, and disappointment. This is because all the adjustments won’t provide a lasting change without a change within yourself first. The most important work to be tended to, first and foremost, must be our own habits of thinking, perception, and interpretations of ourselves and our lives.
Any change made from the outside will only be a temporary solution without addressing the true cause which is within us. Make the change at the level of the cause, rather than trying so hard to change the effects. We must first choose to improve ourselves before we can see improvement in our circumstances.
Insight #6: Every negative emotion that we feel stems from thinking a thought that is not harmonious with our own desires, our own truth.
Whenever we doubt ourselves, fear a certain outcome, or feel angry towards a certain person or situation, we are in that moment thinking a thought that opposes our own true nature. In essence, we are the energies of joy, love, certainty, security, peace and power. And whenever we deviate from these truths of our being, we experience suffering by not allowing who we truly are. James Allen said a person who is suffering is “out of harmony with himself”. There is a friction or resistance happening inside of us as we deviate from who we really are.
Insight #7: Maintaining a positive mind is the key to a healthy physical body.
Entertaining thoughts that are beautiful, peaceful, happy and harmonious will result in a healthy, vibrant, and youthful physical body. Our body is capable of naturally healing itself when the energy within it is allowed to flow freely and smoothly all throughout. Positive thoughts and feelings allow for this flow, while low energy thoughts and negative feelings create blockages in the flow of life-giving energies through our body.
Having a healthy mind is the secret to maintaining a healthy body, no matter what age you are. To see the goodness all around you, to be kind to all people, and to be thinking positively in life are the essential keys to taking care of your own physical apparatus.
Insight #8: Our actions springs from what we think, what we know, and what we believe.
Our actions are always inspired by our practiced thoughts and beliefs. We can only do to the level of what we think and believe we can do. By first having the knowledge of our own power, that we are at the cause of our experiences, and that the key to all change lies within, we are now able to act from this place of knowing, and cast away the doubts or fears. Continuously thinking thoughts of triumph, success, and victory will inspire the necessary actions and baby steps to produce the desired end result.
Insight #9: We are the creator of our own suffering and our own happiness in life.
Since we are solely the thinker in our minds, we are ultimately the only one responsible for our own suffering or our own happiness. We are the creator of our own lives because no other person can think for us. Putting the blame on others for the way you feel or the way your life is going is putting your power away from yourself, instead of claiming it and taking charge.
Similarly, you can only influence or inspire other people through your own example, and it will be entirely up to their own choosing to practice and consciously apply these changes in their own lives. It is in this context that James Allen wrote “As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains”.
Insight #10: Your success in life will depend on how well you are directing your own thoughts.
The primary work that is needed to be progressing towards our desires is to be aware and conscious of the direction of our thoughts, and be deliberate in choosing the positive, energy-giving ones instead of the opposite. Being the watcher of our own mind, and keeping it harmonious and aligned with what we want are the most important tasks that we can cultivate and practice to bring about wonderful circumstances to our lives.
Insight #11: Hold the vision of your desires and consciously move your energy towards them.
Put your attention into the things that you love and enjoy, towards the ideas that interest you and the activities that ignite your passion. Give energy to the things in life that add value to your well-being, and stay away from things, conditions, and ideas that do not feel good.
Let the good things in life be what you dominantly notice, recognize and amplify. Continuously move towards the direction of your desires and enjoy the baby steps you’re taking along the journey. “Cherish the music that stirs in your heart”, as what James Allen said in his book.
Insight #12: The knowledge of your own power allows you to stay calm and be at peace with life no matter what.
Having these knowledge and understanding of your own power allows for calmness and serenity amidst the uncertainties and seeming contradictions in our reality. It allows you to see the goodness, the value and the opportunity in every situation, and you are able to stay calm and at peace, knowing that in the broader scheme of things, everything is always well and good.
“Self-control is strength; Right thought is mastery; Calmness is power.” – James Allen
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Blessings to you, and namaste 🙂
