This week's book: "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen.
"A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances."
James Allen
This week we read a really short book, barely 30 pages, that was written in 1903. And the question I started the week with was simple: can something that old and that small still teach us how to live in 2026?
My answer is yes, mostly, and I'll get to the "mostly" in a minute.
James Allen's central idea is that our thoughts shape our character, our actions, and ultimately the direction of our lives. His best image is the mind as a garden: tend it with care, or leave it alone and let the weeds grow, but either way, something grows. We get to decide what we cultivate. "A man is literally what he thinks," Allen writes, "his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."
There's some real truth in that. What you repeatedly dwell on will shape who you become, your focus, your attitude, your habits, the stories you tell yourself. That part is as true today as it was in 1903, maybe more so in a world constantly trying to hijack our attention.
Now, the "mostly."
But Allen pushes the idea further than I agree with. The book suggests our thoughts essentially create all our circumstances, good and bad. And I just don't believe that. Life sometimes deals us cards we didn't ask for and we didn't simply think them into existence. A child born into poverty didn't think their way there. A good person who gets sick doesn’t attract it with bad attitudes. To suggest otherwise isn't just wrong, I think it’s cruel and unfair, blaming people for sh*t storms they didn’t create.
So, here's what I think, and it's the lesson in this little book I'll remember the most. That quote at the top says it better than I can: we can't directly choose our circumstances, but we can choose our thoughts, and over time those thoughts shape what we do about our circumstances. We don't get to pick every hand we’re dealt but we do get to decide how we play it.
My take on the book: it’s worth the hour it takes to read, genuinely. And you can get it for under $10. Take to heart the core principle, that your inner life shapes your outer one. It is short, dense, and with more wisdom than its length suggests. A lot of it you’ll want to read twice to get the meaning Allen is trying to convey.
One challenge for the week ahead
Notice one recurring thought; a worry, a grudge, a story about yourself, and ask whether it's a weed or something worth cultivating. If it's a weed, yank it out and plant something better in its place. It's your garden.
What's one thought you'd like to stop watering? I'd love to hear, if you feel like sharing.
I'll go first: "I’m not a writer." I've caught myself thinking about it as I start this newsletter. It's a weed and I’m pulling it out. Time to move on and replace it with something positive like… I am building this newsletter, and my writing will get better with time and practice. There, that’s much better!
Next week
We slow down. We're spending two full weeks on Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy, our first deep dive. I'm reading ahead, and I think it might be one of the best we've done. Grab a copy and read along with me.
If someone forwarded you this, you can get the daily insights free at www.allstarmentors.com.
I'll be back Monday,
Mike
Helping you become the best version of yourself