I chose to read “As A Man Thinketh” because a friend suggested it and sent it to me. I was familiar with the work because of its popularity in the “self-help” arena. It is credited with being one of the first popular “self-help” books and is said to have influenced some of my favorite authors in the genre, including Napoleon Hill (author of “Think and Grow Rich”) and Dale Carnegie (author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”). Knowing the book had contributed meaningfully to helping change the lives of literally millions of people, I sat down to read it with a voracious desire to learn and apply all of the wisdom, knowledge, and insights it contained. As the author suggested, I read the book in a single sitting (essentially so, minus a few interruptions).
The overarching insight that I gleaned from the book is really ageless truth that has been recorded in wisdom texts and other prolific writings since the dawn of civilization. The truth that I discovered (or, perhaps rediscovered) was that I am the architect of my life by virtue of the thoughts I allow to dominate my mind. My patterns and habits of thinking influence my choices, my choices determine my actions (or inactions), which in turn lead to consequences – otherwise known as the circumstances of my life. So, to improve my circumstances or how I perceive my circumstances, I must improve the quality of my thoughts and habits of thinking. I was reminded that through a deliberate process of thinking differently, I can literally change my reality even while my circumstances – such as my incarceration in federal prison – remain the same. Eventually, my actual reality will match my thoughts and perceptions.
Understanding and embracing the truth that I am the architect of my life, the creator of my experiences, will serve me tremendously when I am eventually released from prison and when I’m confronted with the challenges and obstacles inherent in the “reality” of life as a convicted felon and formerly incarcerated person. Realizing that how I think about an opportunity or obstacle will significantly shape the outcome of any situation will have a transformative effect on my reality. I can create the outcome I desire – a life of purpose and contribution – by intentionally shaping my thinking.
