"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities."
James Allen
Author, Philosopher
James Allen was a British philosophical writer known for his seminal work 'As a Man Thinketh', which explores the power of thought in shaping one's life.
- Born
- November 28, 1864
- Died
- September 18, 1912
- Quotes
- 97
- Rank
- #315
About James Allen
James Allen — Life and Legacy
James Allen was a British philosophical writer whose work has had a lasting impact on self-help literature. His most notable work, 'As a Man Thinketh', articulates the profound idea that our thoughts shape our reality. Allen's philosophy centers on the concept of personal responsibility, asserting that individuals have the power to create their circumstances through their mindset. He famously stated, 'You are today where your thoughts have brought you', encapsulating the essence of his belief in the transformative power of thought. In his writings, Allen challenges the notion that external factors determine success, instead proposing that true achievement stems from inner clarity and discipline. His quote, 'Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him', reflects his understanding of human nature and the importance of self-awareness. By advocating for a mindset focused on positivity and purpose, Allen encourages readers to take control of their lives and destinies. Today, Allen's insights remain relevant as they resonate with those seeking personal growth and empowerment. His emphasis on the connection between thought and action continues to inspire individuals to reflect on their mental habits and strive for a more intentional life.
Quote collection
James Allen quotes (page 1 of 5)
97 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts inevitably bring about right results."
"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound."
"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life."
"In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result."
"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
"Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power."
"A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of the hidden powers and possibilities within himself."
"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."
"Our life is what our thoughts make it. A man will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him."
"The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs."
"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks."
"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears."
"As the smallest drop of water detached from the ocean contains all the qualities of the ocean, so man, detached in consciousness from the Infinite, contains within him its likeness; and as the drop of water must, by the law of its nature, ultimately find its way back to the ocean and lose itself in its silent depths, so must man, by the unfailing law of his nature, at last return to his source, and lose himself in the great ocean of the Infinite."
"Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly, and every need shall be supplied."
"Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him."
"Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace."
"Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are."
"They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pitying, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a power evolving universe."
"Man, as a spiritual being, cannot be maintained in strength, uprightness, and peace except if he periodically withdraw himself from the outer world of perishable things and reach inwardly towards the abiding and imperishable realities."