The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.

The words of James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh, shine like a beacon across the centuries: “The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.” In this short and powerful phrase, he reveals the secret bond between belief and action. For men and women do not rise to great deeds out of accident or mere chance. They rise when they are convinced, deep within their minds, that the power to act is already theirs. The will is not born in emptiness; it is born from certainty, from the inner conviction that the deed is possible.

The origin of this teaching flows from Allen’s philosophy of thought and character. Living at the turn of the twentieth century, he saw that many were crushed by poverty, doubt, and despair, not because they lacked opportunity, but because they lacked belief in themselves. He wrote to awaken the human spirit, to show that knowledge of our own strength ignites the will like a spark in dry wood. Without this knowledge, the will remains dormant, weak, hesitant. But once the heart knows, truly knows, that a thing can be done, then courage springs forth, and the body moves to fulfill the vision.

History provides shining examples of this truth. Consider the story of the Wright brothers, who dreamed of human flight. For centuries men looked to the sky and said, “It cannot be done.” But when Orville and Wilbur gained the knowledge through their experiments—when they saw the wings lift in the wind—they knew it was possible. And from that knowledge came the will to do: they risked ridicule, danger, and failure, but at last, the first airplane rose into the air. Their will did not appear by accident; it was born from the certainty that the dream could become reality.

So too with Mahatma Gandhi, who looked upon the vast British Empire and declared that India could be free. At first, many of his people doubted. The empire seemed unbreakable, its armies and laws overwhelming. Yet Gandhi taught them the knowledge of their own inner power: that nonviolent resistance could shake the very foundations of tyranny. Once the people believed this, their will to do was unstoppable. They marched, they fasted, they resisted without fear. And at last, the mightiest empire on earth had no choice but to bow to their will.

O seekers of wisdom, learn this well: the will is not an empty vessel; it is fed by knowledge. If you believe you are powerless, you will never act. If you believe the task impossible, you will never begin. But if you know, even faintly, that the strength lies within you, your will awakens, and no obstacle can stand in your way. Doubt chains the hands, but knowledge frees them; despair paralyzes, but conviction sets the heart ablaze.

The lesson is clear: cultivate the knowledge of your own ability. Study, practice, and prepare until you are certain that you can act. For certainty gives birth to will, and will gives birth to achievement. The man who knows he can climb the mountain will begin the ascent; the woman who knows she can change her life will take the first step. Action does not wait for perfection—it waits only for the assurance that the path can be walked.

Practical action lies before you: feed your mind daily with truth, remind yourself of your victories, and strengthen your confidence by learning and practice. Begin with small acts, proving to yourself again and again that you can do what you set out to do. Each triumph builds knowledge, and from knowledge springs a stronger will. In this way, you prepare yourself for greater challenges, until nothing dares to stand before you.

Thus let Allen’s words echo within your soul: “The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.” Take them not as mere poetry, but as the law of achievement itself. Believe in your strength, know your power, and from that knowledge let your will rise like a storm, carrying you to the farthest heights of destiny.