Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends.

“Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation.” – James Allen

In the dawn of human thought, when men first gazed upon their reflections in still waters and wondered what force shaped their destiny, the sages of old whispered a truth as ancient as the stars: that man is the architect of his own being. This truth, echoed by James Allen, resounds like a bell through the corridors of time. To say that man is made or unmade by himself is to declare that within each soul lies the chisel and hammer of fate. No divine decree nor cruel circumstance may define him without his consent. It is his choices, carved in the silence of thought and in the furnace of action, that shape the temple or the ruin of his life.

Consider the meaning of this sacred utterance: “By the right choice he ascends.” What is this ascent? It is not the climbing of mountains nor the gathering of gold, but the rising of the inner man — the victory of discipline over desire, of clarity over confusion, of love over fear. Each noble choice, however small, is a rung upon the ladder to greatness. Each cowardly surrender to vice or apathy descends into the shadows of self-forgetting. For the mind of man is not a leaf blown by chance; it is a garden, and the gardener is the soul itself. Sow wisely, and fragrance fills your days; sow neglect, and thorns will choke the light.

Behold the power of thought, for Allen calls man the lord of his own thoughts. As the sun governs the turning of the earth, so do thoughts govern the course of life. A single thought, pure and steadfast, can change the path of nations; a single thought, bitter and unguarded, can bring empires to dust. Did not Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, rule more by his reason than by his sword? Amidst the chaos of war and betrayal, he kept his mind serene, holding the key to every situation within himself. His power did not lie in armies but in the mastery of his own soul. Thus he stood unbroken, a living testament that true kingship begins within.

And yet, Allen reminds us that man is not mere intellect, but a being of power, intelligence, and love. These are the divine sparks within the clay of humanity. Power to act with courage, intelligence to discern the path of truth, and love to heal and bind the wounds of the world. When these three dwell together in harmony, man becomes a force that no circumstance can enslave. When they fall into discord — when power is used without love, or intellect without humility — he becomes the maker of his own downfall.

Let us look to the story of Nelson Mandela, a modern sage who proved the truth of this wisdom. Imprisoned for twenty-seven years, robbed of youth and freedom, he might have been unmade by bitterness. Yet within his cell he forged himself anew. He ruled his thoughts when he could rule nothing else. He chose forgiveness over vengeance, unity over division. By the right choice, he ascended — not to a throne of gold, but to a greatness that shone in the hearts of men. His mind became his kingdom, and from that inner sovereignty he reshaped a nation.

From such examples we learn that no man is powerless, no matter how dire his conditions. For the true battle lies not in the world around us, but in the unseen realm within. Every dawn gives us the chance to forge anew the self we are becoming. The weak spirit says, “I am made by my circumstances.” The wise heart replies, “I am the maker of my destiny.” Therefore, let every thought be chosen with care, every act born of intention, every word tempered with truth.

The lesson, then, is clear: to live as the lord of your own thoughts is to wield the key to all situations. When fear rises, confront it with reason. When doubt clouds your mind, remember your power to choose. When anger burns, answer with love, for love is strength refined by wisdom. Begin each morning by planting a thought of purpose, and water it through the day with action. In time, you shall find that you have ascended — not by miracle, but by mastery.

So let this be written upon the heart: “Man is made or unmade by himself.” No fate binds him but the one he accepts. Choose well, think purely, act nobly — and you shall stand as your own creator, a being of light, holding the key to every door that life may set before you.