James Allen was fascinated by many great philosophers that wrote about the idea that an individual’s thoughts ultimately create their reality. Allen was greatly moved and it inspired him to write “As a Man Thinketh,” which originates from the Bible: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs, 23:7). He famously drew the analogy that our mind is like a garden where it cultivates whatever seeds we plant, whether negative or positive thought: we reap what we sow. As Allen states, “good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit – and man is how own gardener” (Watson, 1951: p. 170). Our character is the byproduct of the dominant thoughts that we hold in our mind. As we think, so we are: as we continue to think, so we remain (Allen, 1903: p. 31).
Everything that man has and will ever achieve began as a single thought: after the individual dwelled on that thought, it turned into a dream and through persistence, that seed of a thought was manifested into reality. The dominant thoughts we carry eventually seep into every aspect of our lives, affecting our relationships with all of those around us. Our choice of words become hints on the thought processes going on in our heads. Similar to how water can refresh on a hot day or wreck havoc in a storm, words have the power to tear down and destroy or become a fountain of love and joy to lift others up. Words express our deepest sorrows, convey passionate love, or unite others for a noble purpose (Jameson, 2014). Therefore, it becomes the dominant thoughts, the seeds that we plant in the garden of our mind, that ultimately determine our destiny.
After reading this short story, I remembered the old Chinese proverb (Jameson, 2014) that I heard many year ago while attending elementary school:
Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your characters, for your character becomes your destiny.
Evidently, this proverb had a profound impact on me because I went on to study the power of thought during my personal time. I came to the conclusion that our thoughts should be considered things. They are the ingredients that make up our life. When enough ingredients are mixed together, they create a feeling, which eventually becomes a driver for our actions. With such ramifications, we should be conscious of their power as it rules the very outcome of our lives. As Allen states in As a Man Thinketh:
“Into your hands will be placed the exact results of your own thoughts; you will receive that which you earn – no more, no less. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire, as great as your dominant aspiration” (Allen, 1903: p.40).
Achievement and failure are all but a result of thought. Our worldly achievements and successes boil down to conscious effort directed towards the development of our plans and consistently seeking a higher purpose (Allen, 1903: p.40). I believe that it is a good reminder to fill our minds with material that reap a good, righteous life: thoughts that bring forth generosity, kindness, honesty, compassion, love, and acceptance. One can achieve this by reading wholesome material such as the Bible or the work of great philosophers that have studied how an individual may live a purposeful, fulfilling life. In addition, one must avoid planting destructive thoughts that will bring forth greed, envy, lust, and hatred. Thoughts become who we are, so this short story is a good reminder to be intentional about what we feed our heavily impressionable mind.
How can we protect our mind when close family members are not open to filling their minds with wholesome and righteous material?
Christina
References
Allen, J. (1903). As A Man Thinketh. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Jameson, R. (2014, April 28). Be Careful of Your Thoughts: They Control Your Destiny. Retrieved on November 1, 2018, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/be-careful-of-your-though_b_5214689
Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Hi Christina,
Your post is such a great reminder of how harmful our thoughts can be. I remember being a child and first learning at my Catholic elementary school how our thoughts, even if we don’t act on them, can be sinful. It was hard to comprehend as a child how merely thinking about doing something sinful, was in fact a sin. Especially seeing how this was a “coping mechanism” for me. If I was upset about situation or someone, I would think about bad things happening to them and it made me feel better, almost like I was getting away with something.
As an adult now, I completely understand how negative thoughts can greatly influence your actions. If I am troubled by something, and my mind gets fixated on negative thoughts, soon those thoughts influence my actions.
Your post was a great reminder for me about the importance of keeping ones thoughts kind, positive and pure. I also believe that it’s important to protect ourselves from the negative influence of others because of our susceptibility to be influenced by those around us. I remember once hearing a pastor talk about his son wanting to date a non-Christian. His son explained how he was confident about how he could influence his new girlfriend to live a Christian life. To demonstrate the power of influence, the pastor had his son stand on a chair and hold his hand out. The pastor then said that he represented his son’s girlfriend, standing on the ground as the non-Christian, while his son on the chair represented himself living his Christian values. The pastor then took his son’s hand and asked his son to pull him up onto the chair, an obviously difficult task. This symbolized how hard it is to influence a non-Christian to live a good, positive, Christian life. The pastor then took his son’s hand again and pulled the son right off the chair and showed him just how easy it is to pull someone “down”. This was a lesson that has always stuck with me, and as a result, I always strive to surround myself with people that make me a better person, and minimize those who can negatively influence my life. Obviously we can’t always control who we spend time with, but I think being aware of the possible influence, will help protect our minds.