As A Man Thinketh
Assessment by Rev. Obiako Louis I (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea the author is trying to convey in the book is that As A Man Thinketh and necessarily so he is: man is exactly what he thinks himself to be, through his thought he chooses the kind of condition, circumstance, environment and his destiny lies in his hand. He chooses to be happy or sad, whether to be pleased or displeased, whether to be strong or weak, proud or ashamed. He can turn his vision into reality simply through his power of thought. He can choose to be positive or negative in his thought moment by moment, day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year. He is indeed the maker of himself, the architect of his destiny and no power in the universe can alter it without his permission. In fact the author was not attempting to establish another religion or to adhere to the existing ones rather to encourage anyone who is so convinced in his idea to look inward to identify the latent potentials and unlock them. The author is trying to convey a self-improvement opportunity through a careful and thoughtful preparation of oneself. Through the book one may know that his mind is the master weaver and he is a growth by law and not by chance.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal example from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally most important to me are: (a) thought (b) Character (c) Act (d) Condition (e) Destiny (f) Environment and (g) Law, and this is because these seven ideas constitute the man.

Thought is the man indeed, let a man radically alter his thoughts and he will be surprised at the rapid change it will have in the material conditions of his life. Men consider that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot. It quickly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance. Stupid thoughts crystallize into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circumstances of destitution and disease. Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into loosing physical and moral strength and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, and doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habit which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence and slavish dependence. On the contrary, beautiful thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial sunny circumstances. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty and freedom. Thought which emanates from the mind has the freedom to choose what to express each moment,

Character represents the complete total of all a man's thoughts. A shabby or scrupulous character reveals whom the man is. I recall that my wife will like to look me up to see how cute or how shabby I dress before I step out of the house anytime or how gently I do things and she would comment especially if I am not on. And sometimes I felt she was poke-noising, It didn't matter how I express myself I Thought. The book has helped to confirm to me that it matters a lot, shabby character does not assist me to reveal my divine nobility or true manhood. True character should be consistent, reliable and dependable.

Act, is said according to the author, “the blossom of thought”. Our act springs from our thought. An armed robber for instance cannot wake up one morning and start acting out robbery, he must have given some thoughts over the action. Isn't it? I realized that my one time aged landlady enjoyed getting on my nerves, and in my mind I was bidding time when to rebuff her bluff. In any case on the appointed day I lost my control and I attempted to march out of the house raging with anger ostensibly to give it back to her, but my wife stopped me from acting in that way; she argued that I should not degrade my nobility. Thus, one's act develops from previous thought and the thought determines the action.

Condition, the saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It perhaps make sense to say that one's condition is dependent on how one thinks or how one determines to make it. Prior to owning a car I had thought my condition would be wonderful soon I have a car, but to my utter disappointment my condition did not change much except I could move about and carry my business more conveniently but my expenditure had to increase because I had to maintain the car and the stress driving a car in my country.

Destiny, it gladdens to know that man's destiny is in his hand. This calls for controlled thought and action and no one outside has the gut to alter one's destiny except your permission is granted. Indeed, man is the builder of his destiny according to the author. This is as a result of hard work. This has proved to be a reality in my life and my entire family. And consequent upon the fact that work has become part of the family the destiny of the family has no choice but change.

Environment, perhaps, it is more fitting to start this consideration by quoting briefly the author “…….that man is the master of thought, the moulder of character and the maker and sharper of condition, environment, and destiny”. One has to create whatever kind of environment he wishes, enabling or unfitting.

Law, behind every man there is a law that governs and it behooves him to discover the law himself and keep to the law otherwise the effect of disobedience to the law will manifest in due season and the associating compliant of life is hard will ensue. Some years back when I was much younger I attended a naming ceremony of a friend's son and there was much to eat and drink and no payment attached to whatever you eat and drink and for the abundance of the eatables and drinkables I was lured into drinking to excess. I sauntered home. And I laid down to sleep but sleep eluded me and it appeared to me that the room was revolving and I felt uncomfortable and I threw up that night and I got a hang-over the next morning. Then I resolved never to be excessive in my eating and drinking or to whatever I do. And wonderfully, this book delved into this subject and I am encouraged to respect and honour the law of my body and indeed the laws whether divine or natural because once beaten twice shy.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a particular way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you create a better world? Use personal examples of your own life.

These ideas or lessons will help me in a particular way, both in my daily personal life and in helping me create a better world if I allow a controlled thought to influence my character so that my action would be acceptable anywhere anytime by all and sundry and this is more so if I abide by the law. And it becomes my prerogative right to draw the right condition and beautiful environment. And if I hold this pattern of life consistently as it has been my concern in this recent time I expect the right destiny would be ushered into my affairs. To this end, my life ceases to be hard but a thrill and enjoyable and my identity with any given country shall be over as I begin to see myself as a global being. And to a great extent, I am liberated from smallness into bigness, a crown of God indeed, sent unto the planet earth to establish that coveted connection between heaven and earth and to this effect I stand at the crossover point (stand between heaven and earth) all the time. An opportunity to oversee the pettiness of human action here to fore and at the same time to share in the music of the spheres. I suspect this is the reason for my creation, to be a caretaker and at the same time a reporter to my creator of the event here. These ideas and lessons are helping me also to inculcate into myself the spirit of work the more because work is a very useful tool in this endevaour.

4. Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they are important to you.

Yes, “thought in the mind hath made us what we are by thought was wrought and built”.

What we are determine by our thought e.g. if we think rich we grow rich, if we think poor, we fall into poverty and so on.

“If a man's mind hath evil thought, pain comes on him as comes the wheel ox behind.
If one endures in purity of thought, joy follows him as his own shadow-sure”.

A man receives according to what he gives, as a farmer will sowed so shall he harvest.
One will say, receive the harvest of your thought. You cannot sow corn and receive melon. You receive exactly what you give, no less, no more. These quotes were important to me because they gingered me into being positive all the time.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or unclear about or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

There is nothing in the book that I did not understand or unclear about and I agreed with all the ideas. The book is suggestive rather than explanatory. According to James Allen II Fracom be in the foreword. The object of the book is meant to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that “they themselves are makers of themselves” by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage indicating that the reader is left with his choice.

6. Did book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, the book contains exercises for the reader to complete as far as I am concerned but I did not complete them.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions?

Yes, well, I will like to comment briefly what I suppose to be the focus of the book, Art of Being Oneself, was left out in the previous questions. The book emphasized on man and his various means of expressions which include, thought, character, act, condition, destiny, environment and law. This book suggested how these means or ideas could be best used to let the man's being experience success or failure. Actually, living is an art and except the man develops the knowledge of the art of living, life rather becomes a mirage. However, this is an interesting book I would like to introduce to people if succeeded in being a full-fledged member.

A: How interesting was it to read? 10
B: How helpful were the content? 9
C: How easy was it to understand? 8
D: Would you recommend it to others 8
E: What is the overall rating you would give it? 10

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Assessment by Rev. Obiakor Louis I. (Nigeria)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book is seven-fold: focus, determination, craze, effort, courage, isolation and unashamed.

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

The seven ideas which were personally important to me are the followings: focus, determination, craze, effort, courage, isolation and unashamed and they were personally most important to me because I realized that they formed the basis for me to achieve any feat beyond the ordinary just as Jonathan Livingston Seagull had no choice but had focus which enabled him to stand tall before the other gulls. Thus, focus for me is mandatory in relation to whatsoever I may engage myself in. And, incidentally, my focus or target in the interim is to be accepted as an active student of IIGL. I suppose for me to meet this focus I am determined to undergo any necessary demands. I have been crazy going through the materials time and time again and attempting the questionnaires I have to apply some effort and courage not concerned with the time and resources put in. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull for instance had to sacrifice his food and time to practice to fly beyond the ordinary and just to know “what I can do in the air and what I can't do”, he replied to his mother. In my own case it involves devising unique strategy that will be apt and fitting so as to make a breakthrough in spite of the challenging factors applicable in my country from time to time. I am reminded of the story of Abraham of the Old Testament of the Bible who held the bull by the horn exhausting fear and doubt and moved from the known to the unknown. He actually needed to isolate himself and unashamed to venture in the way he did to set a precedent. Meanwhile, I isolate myself from my family even when I am supposed to retire to bed with them unashamed to investigate new grounds realizing that victory does not come with the snap of the fingers. Nevertheless, its' wonderful to engage in this exercise and I am optimistic it shall work out well. Abraham in the Old Testament of the Christian Holy Book, the Bible was indicated to have isolated himself from his parents and kindreds and moved into a strange land as I choose to stay up writing this piece this night whilst members of my family are enjoying their sleep and sometimes I had to keep away from my family because I needed concentration. And, initially, I am unashamed because I have a focus and I have achieved the focus to whatever extent with consistency in relation to whatsoever I am doing.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so how?

These ideas or lessons will help me in a practical way, both in my daily personal life and in helping me to create a better world by enabling me to inculcate in me that spirit of determination. Indeed, the seven ideas which I highlighted earlier on my No 2 answer which revolved around: focus, determination, craze, effort, courage, isolation and unashamed will all come to play. For me to come to focus in relation to that which is my objective means that I have come to a point and cannot be distracted or discouraged any longer. It involves my personal effort, the courage of a determined one I am. These ideas to an extent have helped me to have a personal craze to pursue any given endeavour which catches my interest, this programme for instance. Isolation has become my deliberate tendency in pursuing this course to its logical conclusion. It was indicated somewhere that one has to be naked and unashamed to present oneself before the Lord and in relation to me I have accepted ignorance of where this performance is leading me to and I am unashamed to say so and consequent upon this character I hope these ideas or lessons will help me tremendously and also help me to create a better world. I suspect these ideas if properly coordinated will definitely catapult me into characters that heretofore has been alien to me and through me I suspect it will spread like burn fire. I suppose with my association with IIGL I will deliberately draw from my country and the far reaches of the world men and women of like character and courage and determination who would like to express their living from the point of their highest beauty and magnificence, an opportunity to transform the world to accommodate the creator, Father God.

4. Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you?

There were no statements which the author made that particularly got my attention as far as I am concerned.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with, and if so, why?

No, there is nothing in the book that I do not understand or unclear about. I agree with virtually all the ideas and I am particularly interested to note that the book is a fiction taken from the birds community and it conveys a wonderful message revolving around determination and love. If the bird can achieve such a tremendous feat then man, the crown of creation is privileged to direct the affairs of this world to the glory of God.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Yes, the book contains exercises for the reader to complete and these are the following exercises. Stalling once more he was no ordinary bird. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered but flight. For the next few days, he tried to behave like the other gulls. It wasn't long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea. They key, he thought at last, when he came to sea, it was well after dark. The moon and the lights twinkling on the water, throwing out little beacon-trials through the night, and all so peaceful and still in the water. If you were meant to fly in the dark, you'd have the eyes of an owl if I dive from five thousand feet instead of two thousand, I wonder how fast I could be. The years ahead hummed and glowed with promise. “But for his reckless irresponsibility”, the solemn voice intoned, violating the dignity and tradition of the Gull Family” gathering. Thus, “one day, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, you shall learn that irresponsibly? My brothers!” he cried………….let me show you what I have found” at last ……he flew through sea-fogs and climbed above them into dazzling clear skies above in the very times when every other gull stood on the ground, knowing nothing but mist and rain. He folded his wings, rolled, one per hour. They rolled with him, smiling. Why, with half the effort, he thought I'll get twice the speed, twice the performance of my best days on earth. In heaven, he thought , there should be limits. Why, where I came from there were more of us there some thousands and thousands gulls. Do you have any idea how many lives we must have lost before we even got the first idea that there is more to life than eating, or fighting, or power in the flock? He stretched his wings and turned to face the wind. Heaven is meaningful. “You must begin by knowing that you have already arrived” there. Now try again and again. Then one day Jonathan, standing on the shore, closing his eyes,………..Good! said Chiang, and there was victory in his voice. Chiang said, but your control needs a little work to be done. Now about your control mechanism. “We can start working with time, if you wish,” Chiang said, till you can forget the past and the future Sullivan, adept now at top - speed flight and helping others to learn was doubtful. The gull sees farthest who flies highest……but the old eeling came back, and he couldn't help but think that there might. And a flying mosquito does that: “And I'll make them so sorry about it”. Let's begin with Level Flight flying. This rough young Fletcher Gull was very nearly a perfect flight student. Ninety eight, one hundred nine, one hundred ten, you see - Jonathan - I'm running-out-of airspeed hundred eleven miles per hour. I want-good sharp-stops-like-yours hundred twelve miles per hour but-blast it - I just can't make hundred and thirteen miles per hour on these - last three points and without hundred fourteen miles per hour attack! “That's why all this high-speed practice, and low-speed and aerobatics are necessary”. He and his students would be asleep, exhausted from the day's flying. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body too, nevertheless. Fletcher smoothly at his right wing, Henry Calvin struggling gamely at his left. You were all a bit late on the join-up flight. And that disrespect, that can't happen! ”Martin Gull” he shouted across the sky. The next morning from the flock came Kirk Maynard Gull, I want to fly more than anything in the world now. “Come along then,” said Jonathan. As loud as he could scream it, looking curiously at Maynard. The crowd grew larger everyday. There were four thousand gulls in the crowd. I certainly wouldn't object too much if we did leave him. But how did you do that? Jon, I'm just a plain Seagull, and you're instructor. You've the only son of the Great Gull. I'm a Seagull I like to fly maybe in the sky and your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip, is nothing more than your thought itself. Hm. Ah I'm very well he thought.

I did not complete all the exercises and I found them helpful because they posed challenges which I had to tackle to the best of my understanding.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous question? If so, please comment.

Yes, the book is fiction drawn from the animal world. The message infuses a sense of discipline, courage and challenge and it went on to show that what worked in the animal kingdom could work even in the human kingdom if similar principle is applied.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor

A: How interesting was it to read? 9
B: How helpful were the content? 9
C: How easy was it to understand? 8
D: Would you recommend it to others 9
E: What is the overall rating you would give it? 8