Category: as a man thinketh

A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts.” — James Allen Have you ever looked at someone and immediately thought, Something is bothering them? They haven’t said a word. You don’t know what happened. But their face is saying enough. Now think about yourself. Have you ever been frustrated, […]

“If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.” — James Allen When we think about renewing our bodies, we usually think about physical things. We may start exercising again, change the way we eat, drink more water, get more sleep, or finally give our bodies the rest they have been asking for. All of […]

“If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.” — James Allen We spend a lot of time talking about protecting our bodies. We exercise to keep them strong. We try to eat better, drink enough water, get enough sleep, and avoid things that could negatively […]

“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.” — James Allen Changing what you eat sounds simple. Eat more vegetables. Drink more water. Cut back on sugar. Stop eating so much fast food. We usually know […]

“Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate unclean thoughts.” This is another one where we’ll want to separate Allen’s philosophical point from the literal medical claim. “Poisoned blood” is very strong language, especially through a modern health lens. The core idea I see underneath it is: What we […]

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.” Your body is adaptable, and your repeated thoughts matter more than a single thought. That’s a strong connection to fitness because it’s […]

“Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body.” Our thoughts don’t always stay in our heads. Sometimes they show up in our bodies. Think about the last time you were extremely nervous. Maybe your stomach started hurting, your heart began beating faster, your palms became sweaty, or you suddenly felt like you couldn’t sit […]

“At the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.” There is something refreshing about being around a person who is genuinely happy. You can often see it before they ever say a word. It shows in their smile, their energy, the way they carry themselves, and even the way […]

“At the bidding…” The word bidding means a command or instruction. So Allen is saying the mind gives orders. Just like we talked about earlier: Mind → commandBody → response Your body is constantly responding to signals from your thoughts. “of unlawful thoughts…” This is the part people often misunderstand. Unlawful does not mean illegal. […]

-The Mind Gives Two Types of Commands- Deliberate Thoughts Allen is explaining that the body responds to two kinds of thinking. These are the thoughts you intentionally choose. Examples: These thoughts are conscious decisions. They are directed by awareness and intention. When someone deliberately chooses healthier thoughts and habits, the body begins to reflect those […]