As A Man Thinketh

I recently picked up a book my grandpa gave me on my 12th birthday. I had read the book several times, as it is a very quick read, but I never understood the contents until I reread it this week. The book is called ‘As A Man Thinketh’. I sat down and read cover to cover with amazement of how clear the message was. Before I put much thought into it, I called my grandpa and thanked him for the book he gave me years ago for now it finally made perfect sense to me.

The book was written in the early 1900s and being in the public domain you can find free versions online if you look around — As A Man Thinketh.

There is one chapter in particular that really resonated with me. The chapter is titled ‘Effect of Thought on Health and the Body’.

**Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the, entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.

**Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it. Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

**Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.

**Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so-called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need to consider the malevolent microbe.

**If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify the mind.

In the last few days I have been blessed with a glimpse of life after recovery. I feel like I am so close I can taste the sweetness of that life. That being the case, now more than ever do I need to adhere to the eloquent and brilliant words written in ‘As A Man Thinketh’. It is the most successful among us who push harder as the finish line approaches. My grandpa always used to tell me “finish the race like a thoroughbred”.

It is in the last few meters of this long race I have been running that I need to be completely present. My thoughts and actions need to be pure.