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A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
Man is made or unmade by himself;
The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires,—and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean.
Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns.
His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction.
The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure.
A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life.
and during the process of putting himself right he will find that as he alters his thoughts towards things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him.
Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.
A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.
Though walls of granite intervene. “Be not impatient in delays But wait as one who understands; When spirit rises and commands The gods are ready to obey.”
Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts.
If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.
To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole.
U NTIL thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.
A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it.
Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.
Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.
As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
None but himself can alter his condition.
He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.
A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.
He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.
The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.
The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become.
In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep: wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power.
