"As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen, is the little book with the big bang. Your journey in personal development would not be complete without you making this book a part of your constant study and practice. It has truly revolutionized my thoughts.

This should be required reading not only for real estate investors, but in every school across the U.S. (along with Rich Dad, Poor Dad and some other life-changing, thought-provoking tomes). Written by James Allen in an era where thinking was a highly-prized activity and in a language that hardly resembles today's English, this book delves deeply into the idea that our lives, and what we make of them, are completely our own responsibility. In a nutshell, the shape our lives take springs from our own thoughts -- be they base or of high quality. "Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills...He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking glass…" 
He starts off with a bang, stating that our character is the complete sum of all our thoughts -- that what we enjoy or suffer in life is from our own innermost making. Broken up into several chapters on topics like "Effect of Thought on Circumstances" and "Visions and Ideals", this book is filled with take-away quotes and powerful, thought-provoking ideas about the fact that who we are is what we make of ourselves. Grab a cup of coffee, turn everything off (or hide from the kids in a quiet closet somewhere with a light) and start the journey. Although a tough read to start because of the old-English writing style, I quickly became totally absorbed in the amazing descriptions of things I have personally been experiencing, and had no idea were already described in great, clear methodical detail. Here are a few highlights: 

• We are the directors of our lives, and our outer circumstances reflect our inner thoughts.
• We are only buffeted by circumstances until we realize we are in command of the "hidden soil" , out of which the circumstances grow.
• "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself..." Ouch!
• "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound..."

The author goes on to describe how we need to get to the root causes of our circumstances, weed out the thoughts that are causing our troubles, along with adding in thoughts that will change them for the better. He also acknowledges that all "bad" circumstances, i.e. being poor, sick, etc. do not necessarily mean that a person is "poor" internally. It is more about learning what we value the most -- a poor person may be very happy and content in life because their goal is not to make money. Conversely, a rich person may be very good at focusing his thoughts on how to meet his goals, and is willing to personally sacrifice to make money -- but he has given up things that may add to "true" wealth or spiritual fulfillment. 
A few other notable quotes, of which almost the entire book is made up, are: 

• "Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment" 
• After describing focusing our thoughts he goes on to say, "Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose...the strength of character gained will be the measure of this true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph." 

I have personally experienced that last point, and it is of such value to know that we can grab hold of even our failures and use them to set us up for our next victories. 
You can look for Part 2 of this review called, “ More Thoughts on -- As a Man Thinketh.” You will discover more great and timeless nuggets of wisdom.

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