Character Development Lesson Two

As A Man Thinketh, So Is He

I have always been impressed by the ancient philosophy that a man becomes that which he thinks. That a man’s character is the outward expression of his inward thoughts.

You can trace that philosophy all the way back to the Mediations of Marcus Aurelius where he wrote: “Your life is what your thoughts make it.”

You can find the same basic idea in the writings of Aristotle, Socrates and scores of others.

Solomon said, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

There is a small book entitled, “As A Man Thinketh” – written in 1905 by a man named James Allen. James Allen was an educator and a writer. In this book he makes a very powerful statement. It is a statement that every Coach should have solidly in his/her mind. It is statements that can help our athletes understand a very important principle of success in life.

This is what James Allen said:

“The divinity that shapes our ends is in ourselves…all that a man achieves or fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.”

In this Allen teaches two essential truths:

• Today we are where our thoughts have taken us, and
• We are the architects – for better or worse – of our future.

It seems as if people are forever complaining about things outside themselves, blaming their condition and circumstances on everything but their own thoughts and ideas. It is important that we realize that we make our own “good fortune,” that our lives are the result of our own thinking. Strong thoughts generate strong actions, weak thoughts generate weak actions. A man is literally what he thinks. Who we are and what we become is a direct result of our own thoughts. A man can only rise, conquer and achieve by lifting up his thoughts.