As A Man Thinks

 

I truly look forward to reading your posts each week! I always walk away feeling inspired.

I appreciated what you shared from James Lane Allen’s book ‘As a Man Thinketh’ and how  Allen  “believed his thoughts, dreams and action made all the difference, not making excuses and blaming circumstance.” It is an important message for everyone to hear.  Far too often, people use their circumstances as a crutch in life and an excuse for not achieving their goals and aspirations.

There are many circumstances in life that are terribly crushing, there’s no doubt about it. It’s how we choose to deal with them that define us and help shape us into who we are and what we will become.  Each year, I am always awed and completely humbled watching my Karen refugee students who fled from terrible violence and slaughter  (that none of us can even imagine) exceed all expectations. I am reminded that my struggles are small compared to what they have witnessed and experienced in their short years. Link to learn more about the Karen Refugee Camps They have never made excuses or blamed circumstance when they had every right to do so.  Instead, their thoughts, dreams and actions truly made all the difference.  One of my refugee students wrote me a letter at the end of last year, and in it she shared “I’ve uncovered (that) you have 3 things you could choose in life. Give up, give in or give it your all.”   She signed her name at the bottom and next to her name wrote, “Dare to live”.  I keep her letter pinned to the bulletin board next to my desk as a reminder to give it my all and to dare to live.

Letter from Nuengrutai, my student