Mind Building

In this edition, we look at another idea from As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen, that reminds us we are all architects of our own character, whether we realize it or not.

🎯 The Idea In a Nutshell:

• Like everything in nature, our character is a whole comprised of smaller parts.

• Like the bricks that form a building, thought by thought, we build the foundation of our minds.

• The only question is what kind of mind we want to build.

• Without intention, we build minds that are fragile, easily toppled by stress and temptation.

📝 Diving Deeper

Rocks are built from atoms. Books from words. Structures from bricks. Allen argues that our characters are no different:

Allen argues that the characteristics that define us are nothing more than a fixed set of habits of mind. Our anger. Our jealousy. Our sense of purpose. Our joy. They are all driven by ingrained patterns of thought that have been built and reinforced year after year.

We are all mind builders. But only some of us are craftsmen. And Allen argues, we have the power to choose.

Will we approach our work loosely and carelessly, creating “unstable and tottering characters that are ready to go down under the first little gust of trouble or temptation?”

Will we allow our negative inner dialogue to go unchallenged? Will we shy away from the hard work of introspection and personal accountability? And will we fail to see the extent to which our own slipshod work has left our minds susceptible to life’s inevitable storms?

Or, will we choose to build a character that rests on a solid foundation?

This isn’t just abstract philosophy. Building a sound mind is in the choices you make every day:

• The way you respond when your kid disrespects you.

• The tone you use with your wife when you’re tired.

• The voice in your head when you screw something up.

• The discipline (or lack of it) in how you start your mornings.

It begins by bringing awareness to the character you’re building. We don’t have to be perfect, but we do need to be intentional. Strong characters are built brick by brick.

👉 Why it matters:

• Character isn’t built overnight—it’s shaped slowly through habits. And every habit begins with a thought.

• When we cultivate stronger habits of mind, our standards follow. Do that long enough, and it becomes who you are.

• When you embrace your role as a mind builder, you realize that you can’t control every thought that shows up, but you can control which ones you feed and which ones you let go.

• Each response to life’s challenges becomes a chance to strengthen your foundation.

🤔 Prompts for Reflection

• What small thoughts and actions are you regularly engaging in that are tearing you down?

• How can you reframe these situations, turning them into opportunities to forge a stronger character?

• How would the quality of your life and your relationships benefit from a more deliberate approach to building a strong mind?

Make today impactful,
~Jason