As a Man Thinketh

by Sam Torode

Behavior is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits. We reap the harvest—sweet or bitter—of our inner garden.

Of all the uplifting, ennobling thoughts you can dwell upon, none is more powerful than this: that you are the master of your own mind, the author of your own character, and thus the maker of your own destiny.

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Just as a gardener weeds, waters, and cares for his or her plot, we must cultivate our minds—weeding out negative, mistaken, useless thoughts, while encouraging positive, true, fruitful thoughts. Even good seedlings, not cared for, will be choked out by weeds.

Character is simply the sum of our thoughts. And character manifests itself in our environment and through our circumstances. So, the outer condition of your life is always a reflection of your inner state.

Even when events and situations are outside of our control, our thoughts about and responses to them are within our control.

The soul attracts whatever it secretly holds—that which it loves and that which it fears. It rises to the height of its highest ideals; and it falls to the level of its basest desires. The soul broadcasts its frequency, and the world returns it.

Circumstances do not shape us so much as they reveal us. As the masters of our thoughts, we are the authors of our environments. As the sole gardener of your own mind, you have more power than any other force in shaping your environment and your destiny.

People do not attract what they want, but what they are.

Your wishes and dreams will only come true when they are in harmony with your thoughts and actions. It is futile to fight against circumstances.

It is not enough just to have a positive goal. As the above examples show, our goals must be in harmony with our thoughts—both conscious and unconscious—or they will never be realized.

The purpose of suffering is to teach, strengthen, and purify. Do not whine and pity yourself; learn and grow from your faults and failures. Search for the hidden justice that rules your life. Instead of kicking against circumstances, use them as stair-steps to greater heights, as challenges that reveal new powers within yourself. Law, not confusion, rules the universe. Justice, not injustice, is its guiding principle. You attract what you are. You get what you give.

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A blessed life is the sure result of right thought. By blessed, I don’t mean merely wealthy—a person can be rich and miserable, after all. Blessedness is a state of harmony and happiness. This is the measure of a good life.

As you change your attitude towards things and other people, they will change towards you. Gates that were previously locked will open; people will be eager to help you. New opportunities will spring up at every turn.

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Our health and appearance, like our circumstances, are shaped by our thoughts. Negative thoughts direct the body to disorder, disease, and decline. Positive, constructive thoughts energize the body and impart a youthful glow.

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While you may inherit a genetic blueprint from your parents, the tools for building your body are in your hands, and the materials that will be used are up to you. (These include the foods you eat and the exercises you perform.) Two builders, working from the same blueprint, can produce two entirely different houses—one cheap, sloppy, soon-dilapidated; the other fine-crafted, stately, and enduring.

Healthy thoughts become healthy habits. Hold a vision of yourself glowing with energy and vitality, act in harmony with that vision, and you will grow to embody it.

As you cannot have a light-filled, airy home unless you pull back the curtains and open the windows, you cannot have a bright, happy countenance without opening your mind, releasing negative and harmful thoughts, and letting in thoughts of joy, goodwill, and peace.

To wish the best for all people; to find the good in everything; to be content in all circumstances—such thoughts are the portal to heaven.

Conceive a central purpose for your life and set out to accomplish it. It may be a noble ideal, such as spreading justice and freedom, or a worldly attainment, such as founding a successful business. Whatever it is, make it the focal point of your thoughts.

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To begin to think with a purpose in mind, laying aside distractions and daydreams, is to enter the ranks of the successful—those who learn from their failures, find the advantage in every circumstance, think strongly, dare fearlessly, and act masterfully.

When a person realizes that their thoughts determine their experience of life, they have no desire to oppress others, nor can they be oppressed. They understand that the oppressor and the oppressed are cooperators in ignorance. They have compassion for all. They are free.

Those who give little accomplish little; those who give much accomplish much; those who give the most become the greatest.

Cherish your visions and ideals; cherish the music that moves your heart. For out of your love will flow your purpose—your unique contribution to better this world.