In 1903 a quiet Englishman moved with his wife Lily and their daughter Nora to Ilfracombe, a harbour town on the coast of Devon. He would spend the rest of his life there.
That same year he published a slim book of seven short chapters. Its title came from a verse in Proverbs about how a person thinks in the heart. You can read the whole book over one slow cup of coffee.
More than a century later that little book still passes from friend to friend like a gift. The book is As a Man Thinketh, and its author is James Allen.
This is part of Timeless Authors, our daily series on the writers who change ordinary days. This morning Henry David Thoreau taught us to greet each morning simply, and Lao Tzu showed us how a busy mind settles like clear water. Today James Allen teaches us to greet it with a beautiful thought.
James Allen (1864 to 1912)
British philosopher and writer of inspirational books, author of As a Man Thinketh.
The Teaching of James Allen
James Allen taught that your thoughts shape your character, your circumstances and your days. Tend your mind like a garden, cherish a lofty vision and keep your heart calm. As you think, so you become.
Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Visions and Ideals, original English text
I love how Allen pairs dreaming with becoming. In his hands a dream is a quiet promise you make to the person you are growing into, and every morning is a chance to keep it.
In His Own Words, Favorite and Lesser Known Quotes
Allen wrote in English, so every line below comes straight from As a Man Thinketh, free to read on Wikisource and Project Gutenberg.
You Become What You Think
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Thought and Character, original English text
Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Thought and Character, original English text
Allen saw every action as a flower that first grew as a thought. So the kindest thing we can do for our day is to plant the thought we hope to see in bloom.
Your Mind Is a Garden
A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Effect of Thought on Circumstances, original English text
By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Effect of Thought on Circumstances, original English text
This is my favorite image in the whole book. Each morning we get to walk out into the garden of the mind, pull a weed or two and plant something lovely.
Clean Thoughts, Clean Habits
Clean thoughts make clean habits.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Effect of Thought on Health and the Body, original English text
If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Effect of Thought on Health and the Body, original English text
Allen believed that the mind and the body walk together. A morning of clear and kind thoughts sets the tone for every habit that follows.
Cherish Your Visions
He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Visions and Ideals, original English text
Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Visions and Ideals, original English text
Allen asks us to treat our dreams the way we treat the people we love. Hold them close, speak of them kindly and give them a little of your time every day.
Calmness Is Power
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Serenity, original English text
Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace, be still!”
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Serenity, original English text
The book closes on serenity, and I think that is the perfect ending. A calm heart is the soil where every other good thought can grow.
Who Was James Allen?
James Allen was born on November 28, 1864, in Leicester, England, the elder of two brothers in a working class family. His father, William, was a factory knitter.
At fifteen he left school and went to work. Through the 1890s he worked as a private secretary and stationer, and in 1893 he moved to London and later to South Wales, earning his living through journalism. In 1895 he married Lily Louisa Oram, whom he met in South Wales.
In 1898 he began writing for The Herald of the Golden Age. His first book, From Poverty to Power, appeared in 1901, and in 1902 he began publishing his own spiritual magazine, The Light of Reason, later renamed The Epoch.
In 1903 the family moved to Ilfracombe, the same year As a Man Thinketh was published. He wrote 19 works in all and died in Ilfracombe on January 24, 1912, at the age of 47, and Lily carried on publishing The Epoch. You can read more of his story on Wikipedia.
What “As a Man Thinketh” Really Means
Allen’s big idea is gentle and practical. Your inner life and your outer life are one garden, and the thoughts you tend each day slowly become your habits, your circumstances and your character.
That makes every morning a planting season. So instead of asking, what will today bring me, try asking, what thought will I plant in today?
If this idea speaks to you, read our letter on how you become what you believe, and our book insights on Allen’s The Heavenly Life.
Why This Teaching Fits Today
This post arrives on a Saturday in late October, the season when gardeners tuck bulbs into the cool soil and trust the spring to do the rest.
A weekend morning is the soil of the whole week ahead. A single beautiful thought planted today has seven days to grow, and by next Saturday you may find it blooming in the way you work, speak and rest.
Your Morning Practice, the Mind Garden Ritual
This takes about ten minutes and follows the shape of Allen’s little book, from thought to vision to calm.
- Walk into the garden. As you wake, take three slow breaths and notice the first thought that arrives.
- Pull one weed. Gently set aside one heavy or anxious thought and let it rest for the morning.
- Plant one seed. Write one sentence that describes the person you are becoming this week.
- Read one chapter. Open As a Man Thinketh and read a single chapter, each one about five minutes long.
- Speak to your heart. Close with Allen’s own words, peace, be still, and carry that calm into your Sunday.
To make it a habit, pair it with something you already do. If I pour my first cup of tea, then I write one sentence about the person I am becoming this week. More on that in If Then Planning.
Essential Reading
- As a Man Thinketh (1903), his best loved book, free on Wikisource and Project Gutenberg.
- From Poverty to Power (1901), his first book, free on Wikisource.
- The Heavenly Life, a book of quiet devotion, free on Wikisource, with our book insights.
- The Way of Peace, a short guide to a calm heart, free on Wikisource.
Quick Answers About James Allen
Who was James Allen?
James Allen (1864 to 1912) was a British philosopher and writer of inspirational books, born in Leicester, England. He is best known for As a Man Thinketh, published in 1903.
What is As a Man Thinketh about?
It is a short book of seven chapters on how our thoughts shape our character, circumstances, health and achievements. Its title is loosely based on a verse in the Book of Proverbs.
What is James Allen’s most famous quote?
His best loved line comes from the first chapter of As a Man Thinketh. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
Where did James Allen live and write?
He grew up in Leicester, worked in London and South Wales, and in 1903 moved with his family to Ilfracombe in Devon. He lived there for the rest of his life and wrote 19 works in all.
Where can I read As a Man Thinketh for free?
The full text is in the public domain and free to read on Wikisource and Project Gutenberg. It is short enough to finish in a single quiet morning.
A Small Book From a Harbour Town
Picture that harbour town in Devon in 1903, and a quiet man finishing seven short chapters about the power of a single thought. He planted a seed, and it is still flowering in readers all over the world.
Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Visions and Ideals, original English text
So this Sunday, give one thought the care a gardener gives a seed. What lofty dream will you cherish this week?
Start early. Start dreaming. Start today.
Complement this with Wake Up With a Dawn in You, Henry David Thoreau on Mornings and Simple Living, Emerson on Self Reliance and You Become What You Believe.
Want a calm, intentional start every day? Hold Until Sunrise is our little app for mornings that matter.
For a little goodness in your inbox every Sunday, join us here.
With love,
Paolo
Sources
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Chapter 1, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Chapter 2, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Chapter 3, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Chapter 6, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Chapter 7, Wikisource
- James Allen, As a Man Thinketh, Project Gutenberg
- James Allen, author page, Wikisource
- James Allen (author), Wikipedia
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Carry this into tomorrow morning
The practice in this post lives in an app we built, Hold Until Sunrise. Your alarm becomes a moment of stillness. You hold your phone, rest with one affirmation, and let the sunrise welcome you into the day. Begin tomorrow gently and on your own terms. Find it on the App Store here.