Browse 8 quotations connecting James Allen with Purpose, with meanings, source notes and related themes.
Sources represented here include As a Man Thinketh, The Mastery of Destiny.
“He who would achieve much must sacrifice much.”
Large aims usually require giving up some competing comforts, distractions, or immediate rewards.
As a Man Thinketh, “Achievement”; this is the middle clause of Allen’s three-part conclusion.
“The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.”
Belief in possible action strengthens willingness to act, connecting confidence with persistence.
As a Man Thinketh, “Thought and Purpose.”
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.”
Ambitious ideals can shape development when they influence what a person practices and pursues.
As a Man Thinketh, “Visions and Ideals.”
“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.”
Large achievements begin before they are visible, as imagined possibilities that must survive long enough to become plans and sustained effort.
As a Man Thinketh, chapter “Visions and Ideals”; Allen follows with natural images of the oak in the acorn and the bird in the egg.
“Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.”
Purpose gives thought a direction, turning ideas into a standard for choosing and completing useful work.
As a Man Thinketh, “Thought and Purpose.”
“Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart.”
Sustained ideals can organize attention and effort, giving a person a picture of the kind of life or work they intend to build.
As a Man Thinketh, chapter “Visions and Ideals”; this is an excerpt from Allen’s longer exhortation to remain true to constructive ideals.
“The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become.”
Repeatedly honored ideals influence choices and habits, so the picture a person keeps returning to can become a practical standard for action.
As a Man Thinketh, end of “Visions and Ideals”; Allen summarizes the chapter by linking dominant ideals with the life a person builds.
“Purpose is the key-stone in the temple of achievement.”
Allen presents concentrated purpose as the structural element that holds effort together and directs it toward a defined achievement.
The Mastery of Destiny, “The Power of Purpose”; Wikisource 1909 text. This compact sentence follows Allen’s contrast between scattered thought and concentrated purpose.
