As A Man Thinketh:Effect of Thought on Health and the Body

Strong, pure and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and
grace. The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds
readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of
thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood so long as they
propagate unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life
and a clean body. Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and
corrupt body. Thought is the fountain of action, life and
manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts.
When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure
food.

If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew
your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy,
disappointment and despondency rob the body of its health and grace.
A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts.
Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion and pride.

I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a
girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into
inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny
disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent.

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the
air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a
bright, happy or serene countenance can only result from the free
admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and good will and
serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others
by strong and pure thought, others are carved by passion. Who cannot
distinguish them? With those who have lived righteously, age is
calm, peaceful and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I have
recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except
in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills
of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for
dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in
thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion and envy is to be confined
in a self-made prison hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful
with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all - such
unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven.

To dwell day to day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding
peace to their possessor.

James Allen

James Allen was born in Leicester, England, on November 28, 1864.
When he was fifteen, the family business failed and his father left
for America to find work. His father was murdered before he could
send for the family and subsequently James left school and worked
for several British manufacturers until 1902. His literary career
lasted only nine years until his death in 1912. "As A Man Thinketh"
was his second book. In fact, it was only upon his wife's insistence
that he published it.