This collection of 21 As A Man Thinketh quotes are all focussed on different aspects of the law of attraction and manifesting based on this classic book by James Allen.
I’ve been collecting James Allen quotes for more than 10 years now and always seem to find a way back to them. As a Man Thinketh is one of the most insightful books on thinking and the law of attraction ever written.
More than 120 years ago James Allen wrote about these great truths and gives a timeless blueprint for using your mind and thinking to create your life the way you want it.
If you want to manifest your dreams then understanding the importance of your thinking is half the battle.
Below is 21 As a Man Thinketh quotes that will help you understand manifesting better and give you more insight into how your thoughts and your thinking impacts your life.
1.Thought Is Everything
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
– James Allen
What are you? Are you just a mass of flesh and bones? No! You are much more than that. When you reduce it all down you will discover that you are your thoughts.
Your thoughts lead to decisions which leads to action. What you do or don’t do and how you do it is a direct result of your thinking.
Thought is everything!
2.You Are What You think
As a man thinketh in his heart, so shall he be.
– James Allen
There is a very clear distinction between our conscious thoughts and our subconscious thoughts. On average we have about 60,000 thoughts per day and more than 90% of those thoughts are habitual. They are subconscious thoughts that we do not deliberately think.
Consciously you may want to manifest certain things but your subconscious thinking is filled with thoughts and ideas that contradict what you want to manifest.
That is why James Allen makes it clear that as you think in you HEART – these are your true thoughts. That is what determines what you are.
3.Your Character is Not Given, It Is Created
A noble and God-like character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with God-like thoughts.
– James Allen
How often do you hear people say “I’m just not good at that” – whatever “that” may be. This is usually because they might have failed once or twice in the past and simply decided that they are not good at it.
James Allen reminds us that our character is shaped and created by directing our own thinking. Allowing idle thoughts and negativity to take hold of us is a sure fire way to create a negative character.
4.Your Circumstances Do Not Define You
Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him.
– James Allen
It is easy to think that people who are successful have it “easy” because their circumstances are easy. The truth is that it is the other way around. Your circumstances do not define you – unless you allow it to.
When you look at someone’s life and you look at their circumstances it actually reveals their thinking. It is our thoughts that create our realities and not the other way around.
If you live in reaction though, you will be bound by your circumstances and you will be caught up in a cycle where your thoughts create your circumstances which then leads you to think in a certain way – only to create more of the circumstances you are in.
5.What You Think and What You Attract Is Always a Perfect Match
The outer condition of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.
– James Allen
This relates closely to the previous point but goes even further. You do not attract what you want. Everyone wants “more” or “better”. Wanting is not enough.
What you are is what you attract and as James Allen already pointed out to us, we are the sum total of our thoughts.
6.You Are The Master of Your Thoughts
Man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.
– James Allen
7.To Change Anything You Only Need To Change Yourself
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.
– James Allen
It is not uncommon to see people in our society walking around with a sense of entitlement – especially people who expect handouts.
It often seems that the changes you want in your life needs to come from somewhere or someone outside yourself. The truth is that every change you want or need, only needs to come from yourself.
When you change the way you think, everything changes.
8.Every Action Is The Result of Your Thoughts
Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit. Good thoughts and actions never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.
– James Allen
This is quite logical and at first it sounds a bit too obvious. The reality hits home though when you realize that all the bad in your life is the result of your own thoughts.
This is not about pointing fingers or feeling any form of blame. Its more of a wake-up call to make us realize that the only things that can gro in our lives is that which we give our energy and attention to.
9.Do Not Let Feat Cripple You
All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. They who have conquered doubt and fear have conquered failure.
– James Allen
Doubt and fear are only thoughts. For many it is a thought that they have thought over and over again until it became a belief.
We all have doubts and fears. That is not the difference in people. It is what you do with your doubts and fears that really matter.
10.The Answers Are Within
Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and you can find every truth connected with your being, if you will dig deep into the mine of your soul.
– James Allen
Deep within you lies the answer to all your problems. Deep within you lies your true happiness and fulfillment. At some level we all know this.
The challenge is in creating the time to go within and to “dig deep into the mine” of your soul.
11.Your Thoughts Will Take You Where You Want To Go
You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
– James Allen
If you’ve been working on a dream or something you really want to manifest and you feel frustrated that it has not shown up yet, do not despair.
You can always correct your course. Where you are right now is only the result of past thoughts and actions.
Where you will end up is not a given. You can decide it by deciding what the content of your thoughts will be today, tomorrow and the weeks to come.
12.You Truly Can Do It
The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.
– James Allen
We hear this so often that we’ve become deaf to this great truth. You can do it. You truly can. No matter what it is.
Your innermost thoughts do not come from your conscious reasoning mind. Your innermost desires to do something, create something or achieve something comes from a much higher place within yourself.
Because this is built into you, you have the ability to achieve it; to do it. You will never have an innermost desire that you can not accomplish. There may be a lot of work, struggle or failure along the way but haven’t we all seen that a million times with almost every great story of success?
13.There Is No Free Lunch
He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.
– James Allen
Hard work is completely overrated. Most people misunderstand this idea of hard work and sacrifice.
There is a big difference between working hard and hard work.
Hard work is when you are building someone else’s dream. Working hard at something you probably hate just to make ends meet.
Hard work on the other hand is when you do the difficult things. You conquer your won doubts and fear and you work on your own passions. This never feels like work at all. Instead, it feels like you calling; your mission in life.
To the outside world it may look like you are slaving but to you it feels like pure fulfillment. This takes a leap of faith and trusting in yourself.
You may have to let go of many crutches that prop you up but the real sacrifice is in taking this leap. That is what this James Allen quote is trying to teach us.
14.You Determine Your Own Limitations
A person is limited only by the thought that he chooses.
– James Allen
You may have a lot of things that you think you can or can not do. When you really sit down and examine this closely you will realize that these are all thoughts. Your limitations were not handed to you at birth.
It may be true that you have certain physical limitations but we’ve seen thousands of examples of how this is not true.
Helen Keller was deaf and blind yet she became one of the greatest voices of her generation. Stephen Hawking could hardly use any of his muscles yet he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest scientists.
The only limitations you have are the ones you create in your mind. Stop lying to yourself.
15.Powerful Questions That Will Change Your Destiny
For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?
– James Allen
Asking yourself questions is really powerful. It forces your mind to come up with answers. It changes your thinking faster than anything else. This is one of the most practical As a Man Thinketh quotes.
Whenever you feel stuck, feel out of control or even feel like you lack direction in life. Simply ask yourself: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?
16.Everything Starts With A Dream and a Vision
The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. 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.
– James Allen
Inherent in every desire is the ability to achieve it. Within your vision lies the blueprint to achieve it. The oak is already in the acorn but there is a process of unfolding – of growth.
Most people never nurture their dreams for long enough to allow it to become an oak. There is an incubation period for anything to manifest into what we call reality.
The acorn is not an oak but we all know that every day it is getting closer to becoming an oak. It does not need to try to become an oak. It just will. But it needs to be nurtured.
The same is true for any of your dreams. Allow it to unfold naturally and know that to manifest your dreams you simply have to tap into the inherent power within the dream to manifest it.
17.Your Vision For Your Life Will Become Your Reality
The visions you glorify in your mind, The ideals you enthrone in your heart.. This you will build your life by… This you will become.
– James Allen
This is one of the as a Man Thinketh quotes that actually summarize the book quite well. Your thinking creates your life. What you think today will create your future.
Having a vision for your life gives your thoughts direction. If you stop and examine your own life and where you are right now you will see that it is the result of your past thoughts.
18.Strive For Peace
Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace, be still!
– James Allen
Inner peace is not some new age idea that is reserved for yogi’s. Inner peace is something we all strive for. Being at peace is that inner feeling where your soul is content.
Unfortunately our society runs to pills to calm down anxiety and we all try and drown out the inner noise with all sorts of distractions.
These will always only be temporary.
To create true inner peace you need to practice self control. Taking control of your thinking and your mind is not easy but it is simple. You simply take control of this thought, right here and right now. Talk to your subconscious mind. It always responds to your commands.
19.Get Started
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pitying, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power evolving universe.
– James Allen
Sitting around and waiting for something to happen “before” you can do X, Y or Z is a recipe for failure. This is one of the As a Man Thinketh quotes that gives us real life and everyday advice for “how to” do it.
Start where you are. Do what you can with whatever you have. Being idle is riddled with danger because it breeds all those things that causes “sin” (wrong thinking.
20.You Already Know…
The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves, and also that which it fears
– James Allen
There is a place inside of you that know it’s true calling. This calling is not about being a fireman or being a nurse. It is much beyond that.
We are all drawn to certain things and at its core these things we are drawn to is what we are here for. Do not ignore these innermost desires and passions.
21.You can change anything in your life
Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an ideal and strive to reach it
– James Allen
We tend to look at our own circumstances and get overwhelmed by ‘what is’. The law of attraction calls on us to look beyond what is and to create a vision for our lives.
James Allen makes it clear that when you build an image of something you really DO want and stay focussed and stay true to that vision then your circumstances simply can not remain ‘uncongenial’.
Never get discouraged by ‘what is’. Use your mind and your imagination to create what you want and do not let your current situation ever distract you from what you ultimately want to manifest.
