The Thought That Changed My Life
As a 17 year old, I came across the little book As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen. It was a provocative little treatise on how our thoughts shape our reality. As a typical teenager I was angry, selfish, misunderstood. Of course my era was pre-smartphone, internet was still dial-up and there weren’t enough distractions to feel “whatever” with life. In my short existence I had developed some pretty poor thought habits and felt trapped as a victim of my circumstances.
I found the book on a long forgotten shelf in my house. The book fit handily in my pocket and one day while working my call center job I decided to crack into it during my 15 minute break. It caught my attention and when I got home I finished it off.
An hour later, I was a bit livid. Who was this guy to tell me that I was responsible for my life?--I may have had dial-up internet but let’s not forget that by many standards I’m still a millennial :)--
It goes without saying that Allen’s sweeping statements about people choosing their destiny applied to other people, but certainly not me. And yet, the truths he shared wouldn’t let me go. I read it again and began asking other people about the principles the book contained. Eventually I realized I could either continue fighting against the laws of the human condition or I could embrace them and charge ahead.
Allen’s governing principles are found in the quote:
“The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
While James Allen died relatively young of a lung infection, his basic concepts can be found in the heart of nearly every motivational guru out there. Many of the sermonettes shared by Earl Nightingale in his reverberating bass voice were likely birthed in James Allen’s writings.
I do think Earl Nightingale sums it up well in his quote, “We become what we think about.” From this truth stems a host of other empowering truths; truths that give us power over our environments, our experience and our lives.
At least I can attribute this concept to when I started thinking...
Do you remember the quote or concept that triggered your new thinking?
Standup Humorist, MLIS
5 年Even in our moments to fake it until we make it, i like to think that has an effect shaping our identity. also, this following quote comes to mind: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend.” -Kurt Vonnegut
Director of Global Recognition and Incentives at USANA Health Sciences
5 年Big fan!
Data Design and Development
5 年I love the quote: "Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof." John Kenneth Galbraith? - When I read that I thought, "I am doing that."? Then I thought, "How many times have I missed the opportunity to improve because I was working on the proof why I was continuing to do something stupid"? It's part of my habit now to try to see other perspectives when I am presented with new ideas in hopes I can find a way to improve.