As a Man Thinketh . . .

"As a man thinketh, so is he" originated from a Bible verse, Proverbs 23:7 , and was incorporated into an essay written in 1902 by James Allen, who began his book with the following poem:


Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.



The essence of Allen's work was that our state of mind determines all of our actions, so be careful what you think about or dwell upon. This idea has been around a long time and many others have commented on the power of the mind and its creative (or destructive) abilities. William James said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote, "We know what a person thinks, not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions." Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A man is what he thinks about all day."



Even Abraham Lincoln noted, that "most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Mary Kay Ash said, "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right." All of our destinies are first formed in thought, how we view ourselves, others around us and the world we live in. If we "act the way we'd like to be, soon we'll be the way we act" according to Dr. George W. Crane; in other words, rehearse a particular role often enough and soon you will become that type of person permanently. Emerson said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased."



Persistence of thought then is key. Vince Lombardi said, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." Will, being of course, the power of mind over circumstance or matter. Lincoln also said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing."



The mind alone has the power to keep us morally straight and free from vice. Plato said, "The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile." Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Mahatma Gandhi asked, "How can I control others if I cannot control myself?"



Above all, the mind has power to make dreams come true and the power to make us better people. "Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul - the blueprints of your ultimate achievements" (Anon.) Believe in the better angels of men's natures, as Lincoln suggested. Take William Shakespeare's advice in Hamlet: "Give thy thoughts no tongue ... give every man thine ear, but few thy voice: Take each man's censure but reserve thy judgement." And remember George Bernard Shaw's saying: "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." Remember, as Emerson said, that "what you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God."

Finally, remember Emerson's words from "Self Reliance": He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must first explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

Our minds are everything, the ultimate source of all that is good and bad in our lives, and the only thing we can take with us when we die. Control your thoughts and the direction of your mind, and you control your fate. All that we can be, all that we can accomplish, lies within our own heads: we truly are the Masters of our Destinies. Now that's something to think about!