By James Allen

Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, And man is his mind, and evermore he takes The tool of thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:— He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking glass.

Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forged 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.

The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires—and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.

The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought

As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss

Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself

You do not attract that which you want but that which you are

To fight against circumstance is to fight against an effect while likely continuing to nourish the cause

Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit and habit solidifies into circumstance

A man cannot directly choose his circumstance, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstance

Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment

Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until his weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.

Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything and never can. They always lead to failure.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.

As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains

He who achieves much must sacrifice much

The dreamers are the saviors of the world

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a loft ideal in his heart, will one day realize it