This month’s theme for book reviews is motivation, so it is appropriate that we examine James Allen’s book, As A Man Thinketh.  This is a book that business executives worldwide, as well as motivational speakers such as Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar highly recommend if you want to be all that you can be in life and in business.  It is a tiny book, (depending on the version you get— the 1902 original is just 26 pages, but updated versions go up to 68 pages with commentaries), but it is jammed solid with inspiration and motivational wisdom.  There are a lot of jewels that can be mined from this book, but today we will focus on three key points that I believe are beneficial for you, your life, and your business. The title of book comes from the Bible in Proverbs 23, verse 7: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Based solely on those ten words, Allen extracted timeless wisdom for all to apply.  Three of those nuggets include:

 I. Character Based on Thought

In the first chapter of As A Man Thinketh, Allen writes, “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all of his thoughts.”  This message, according to Allen, is that the mind is like a garden and if it is not cultivated intelligently, it is left to run wild.  In any case, it will produce either weeds or a good harvest.  Allen states that man is made or un-made by himself meaning that by the right choice of thought and the implementation of that thought, man can direct his paths.  By choosing the right thoughts, a person’s character is revealed to others. For example, in a customer service situation, if you are thinking that this customer is a complete idiot —- a certified bonehead, no amount of polish you try to put on your fake smile will hide your inner thoughts.  People are smarter than that.  Instead, if you try to look for the good in that person and a beneficial solution to the problem, your true character shines and provides a better presentation for the situation.  Key Point: If you are typically a negative person with negative thoughts and have inherited the nickname, Grumpy, begin today making small changes to your thought life incorporating positive thoughts and striving to see the good in all situations.

 II. Health of Body and Mind Based on Thought

In Chapter 3, Allen states that the body is servant to the mind.  The Reader’s Digest magazine used to have a section titled, Laughter is the Best Medicine.  The segment had funny stories, jokes and cartoons.  According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the title is very true.  In several studies, people with cancer and various diseases were given clean, funny movies to watch.  It was discovered that this “treatment” increased the healing and recovery process for a large percentage of patients. Our thought life has such a strong influence on our health that laughing and the relaxing of negative thoughts and stress has now become a prescription.  Allen says that a change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts and that if we want to protect our bodies, we must guard our mind. Key Point: Hospitals are full of people with stress-related and self-induced illnesses.  Begin today to clean your mind of unhealthy thoughts and see yourself as a vibrant, highly productive, healthy person.  You do have control.

 III. Your Vision and Ideas

In the sixth chapter of As A Man Thinketh, Allen states that, “He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it.”  The point of this chapter is the ability of the mind to visualize and dream goals and ideas that will become reality.  As Allen says, “To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to, achieve.”  He says that when we dream lofty dreams, as we dream, so shall we become. A lot of these ideas have been seen as mystical and unrealistic to some.  But the results cannot be disputed.  An architect first dreams of the design or final outcome.  A song writer dreams of a message or lyrics.  A golfer sees the ball landing on the green.  If we don’t first dream, we can never achieve.  Key Point: Dare to dream.  Create BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) on paper.  Visualize them coming to fruition. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”  As you go through your day putting out fires left and right, striking new deals, hiring new people, study closely your thought life.  See how your thoughts are affecting your decisions and outcomes and make changes where necessary.  What you think does have an incredible impact on how your perform.  When you get a chance, pick up a copy of As A Man Thinketh and read it once a year.

 Johnny Duncan, President of Duncan Consulting, Inc., is a business writer and consultant partnering with business leaders to provide workforce management solutions including leadership coaching, customer service training, job analysis, people-to-job matches, and conflict resolution.  He can be reached at johnny@duncanconsult.com or by calling 407-739-0718.