As A Man Thinketh – James Allen

As a Man Thinketh is a short book that was published by James Allen in 1903. James Allen was born in England in 1864 and had a very sad start in life when his father was murdered while looking for a job in America. Because his father was no longer there to support the family, James found a job and began working at the age of 15 to help his family. He become well-known for his motivational writings and in 1903 published As A Man Thinketh which became one of his most famous books. It was inspired by Proverbs 23:7:

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7

As A Man Thinketh is a classic book that says that you can master your life by mastering your thoughts. By harnessing the power of your thoughts, you are able to shape your reality and live a happier, healthier, wealthier life! Don’t forget to check out our collection of 100 As A Man Thinketh Quotes if you could like a quick summary of the best quotes from the book!

Download your copy of the full text As A Man Thinketh PDF here to learn from one of the masters of inspirational thought!

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As A Man Thinketh Summary

The As A Man Thinketh PDF is quite short and has only 7 quick chapters. James Allen said that he did not want the book to be a complete and thorough book on the power of thought. Instead, he wanted it to be more of a short, concise summary that would help every man and woman easily see that “they themselves are makers of themselves”.

Chapter 1 – Thought And Character

Chapter 1 of the As A Man Thinketh PDF tells us that your character is the sum of all the conscious and subconscious thoughts. You are what you think! Your thoughts have the ability to create a life of joy or misery for you depending on what you think.

Good and happy thoughts create a life of joy and happiness and bad or evil thoughts will create a life of misery and suffering.

Your character is formed by your thoughts and a good person will be the result of good thinking and an evil person will be the result of bad or evil thoughts. It is however possible to change your character by changing your thoughts with practice and patience.

Chapter 2 – Effect Of Thought On Circumstance

In Chapter 2, James Allen compares your mind to a garden that you can either cultivate or allow to grow wild. Either way, he says that something will manifest in your life. Just like you would remove weeds from your garden, you must also weed out any bad thinking from your mind. By doing this you become the master of your own life.

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.

As A Man Thinketh | Chapter 2

When you think and believe that your circumstances are a result of outside forces then you are controlled by those outside forces. However, if you believe that your circumstances are the result of your thoughts then you can control them. By improving your thoughts, you improve your circumstances. You also attract and manifest what you think about. If you think about love, you attract love. If you think about fear, you attract fear.

Allen says that suffering in life is a sign that a person is out of harmony with himself. If you are struggling in your life you can complain about how bad things are, or you can use your struggles to help you change your thinking so that you can begin moving in a more positive direction.

Chapter 3 – Effect Of Thought On Health And Body

In Chapter 3 of the full-text As A Man Thinketh PDF, James Allen says that your thoughts have a direct impact on your body and your health. If you are always thinking thoughts that are filled with fear and anxiety, you will manifest an unhealthy body.

The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.

As A Man Thinketh | Chapter 3

Likewise, if you think good and happy thoughts, these thoughts will lead you to good health.

Chapter 4 – Thought And Purpose

When you intentionally align your thoughts with purpose you are on the right path to creating a happy and fulfilling life! Aimlessness in life almost always leads to bad thoughts and you will become consumed by petty worries, fears, and troubles; not to mention self-pity.

James Allen says that every person should decide on what their purpose in life is. And that they should set out to achieve that goal by focusing on it with their thoughts and their actions. He says that even small tasks that seem insignificant should be tackled with just as much dedication and commitment as any big tasks and goals.

Once you have a purpose, work diligently towards it avoiding all thoughts of doubt and fear as these may lead to failure.

Chapter 5 – The Thought-Factor In Achievement

All of your achievements and failures are the result of your thinking. You cannot blame other people, your environment, your circumstances, or anything else for anything. You are the master of your universe. The person who has conquered their weaknesses and selfish thoughts is truly a free person.

If you want to achieve your goals and live a happy life you must be willing to make any sacrifices that are necessary and this will take self-control in both thought and in action. Your achievements are often almost equal to the sacrifices you have made. Small sacrifices will lead to small successes. Greater sacrifices lead to greater success.

Allen also warns that success is not permanent. If you allow negative thoughts to enter your mind then it can often transform any of your successes into failures. Your successes must be maintained by intentional thought.

Chapter 6 – Visions and Ideals

Anything that has ever been accomplished first had to be created in the mind. And all the greatest achievements have always started as a dream. If you want to change your life, decide on what your perfect life looks like and begin working towards it today.

Chapter 7 – Serenity

Your mind becomes calmer when you gain wisdom and when you gain control over your thoughts you achieve serenity. You will be successful if you have a calm, serene mind and by mastering your thoughts you can master how you react and adapt to other people. When people see that you are calm they will be happy to deal with you, rely on you and trust you. The calmer you are, the more success you will achieve because when our thoughts are calm, our circumstances will be calm.

When you have explosive and hostile thoughts, your circumstances and surroundings will also tend to be explosive and hostile.

A serene, balanced, and happy life is the ultimate goal for all people.

Conclusion

As A Man Thinketh is one of James Allen’s most famous and popular books that teaches about the power of thought and how to create the life of your dreams. His book has been read and used by people from all walks of life to improve their lives by improving the way they think. Download a copy of the full-text As A Man Thinketh PDF to start working towards your ideal life.