The Vision Principle of Proper Thinking As a man thinks, so he is!

The old proverb above states, “As a man thinks, so he is.” This means we may determine our future by being aware and taking control of our thinking.  What we think about today is what we will become tomorrow.

Thoughts always precede actions. A person is what he thinks about. Our society is the product of the environment we create based on our beliefs.  Let’s remember this pattern:  our thoughts will produce actions, actions will form habits, habits become our character and our character determines our destiny.  Knowing this, we should carefully consider what we read, what we see, what we hear, and who we associate with because our minds and futures are at stake.

Our minds are an amazing gift.  A Chinese philosopher once said; “Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life.  If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted.  If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten.  If you want different results in your life or your work, all you have to do is change your mind.” (Lao Tzu)

Proper thinking is about putting positive, useful information in our minds so that we produce positive and useful things.  An aspiring doctor attends medical school so that he has the proper knowledge and information to treat people who need help.  The things that he has put in his mind are what enable him to be successful in his profession.  This same concept applies to all of us.  What we put in our minds is what we will draw from to make our decisions and our decisions affect every area of our lives.  Therefore, it is important that we train our minds to think properly by filling them with the values, principles and information that will enable us to fulfill our potential.

If you practice proper thinking, you will experience these benefits:

1. You will make good decisions and will not have to deal with the consequences of poor choices.
2. You will have influence over others because they respect your use of sound logic in making decisions.
3. Your conscience will be clear because you choose to live by values and principles. You will enjoy your life more and be proud of who you are.
4. You will become better at self control. When you take control of your thoughts, you set up a filter that helps you decide which action is best.

When you base your decisions on proper thinking:

• You will desire and choose to have a positive future and re-evaluate your present state of mind. You will periodically ask yourself if you are becoming who you want to become.
• You will select good and positive media. What you have been thinking has brought you to where you currently are so if you want to get somewhere else or move on, you must choose different input.
• You will consider the outcome of what you put in your mind. Ask yourself “What good will it bring?” Your mind is like a computer and will be programmed based on your choices.
• You will remember that your destiny is in your hands. You become what you think about and you create your environment by the values you promote and choose.
• You recognize it is your responsibility to change. The way you think is your choice.

1. Choose to do what is right regardless of what others are doing.
2. Envision what you want to have and become in life. Control your thoughts by focusing on your destiny and say to yourself, “If I continue like this, I will end up like this.”
3. Recognize that if there are things in your life that you do not like, it is your responsibility to change.
4. Develop your mind with a good selection of reading, TV programs and other media. When you take control of your thoughts, you set up a filter that helps you decide which action is the best.
5. Surround yourself with quality people whose thinking you respect and admire.
6. Seek a wise person to mentor you.

1. Have you had an experience where you know your thinking influenced the outcome? Can you give an example?
2. Are there any specific thoughts you have dwelled on that you believe have limited you?
3. What can you do to change those limiting thoughts and cultivate proper thinking?
4. What do you think you should do to improve what is going into your mind and producing your thoughts?
5. Which of the “Steps to Follow” will you commit to this week?

Evaluate yourself from 1 to 10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Why did you give yourself this rating?
What benefits will you obtain by raising your rating?
What specific action can you put into practice to test the benefits of this principle?