Overview

Recently I completed reading the book “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma. And I must say I was super motivated and inspired after reading it. The book contains invaluable insights into how to lead a more prosperous and fulfilling life. It narrates the story of a top litigation lawyer in US by the name of Jullian Mantle. Jullian had everything in the world what one needs to be called as ultra successful in life. He was one of the top rated lawyers in the country. He made tons of money and had all the luxuries in life like a Ferrari. He also was well-known for his splurging habits and expensive parties after work. He led an exotic life dining and wining at the best restaurants in town.

But things suddenly took a U turn in Jullian’s life when one day he collapsed on the court while working on a case. He had a severe heart attack and was immediately admitted to the hospital. He decided to quit his law practice once and for all. And instead he decided to go to the mystical land of India to seek answers to some of the pressing questions in his life. He went high up in the Himalayas in search of the legendary band of sages who had found out the secret to leading a great life. He trekked for days in the midst of snow and several hardships before finally meeting one. The sage then took him to his community and inducted Jullian into their family. They taught him the secret principles which if followed can lead anyone to lead a happier and more prosperous life.

Jullian came back to the western world a more enlightened and a completely changed man. He then shared the learnings which he received from his mentor Yogi Raman with his best friend John. The book revolves around the conversations that Jullian had with John regarding the teachings of Yogi Raman for a more fulfilling life. Below I have tried to capture the main learnings from this book.

Practice daily self improvement

The Japanese have a philosophy known as Kaizen where they focus on continuous improvement one step at a time. You need not change in a day, start small. Focus on improving 1% every day. By the end of a month you would have improved by 30% and by the end of the year almost by 365%! If you are trying to wake up early from bed, try waking up 15 mins earlier than your usual time. And then gradually keep decreasing that time until you reach your goal.

The magic of visualization or creative envisioning

Visualization is the technique where you vividly picture yourself as having already reached your goal in as much details as you can. This technique is widely used by champions to manifest their dreams into reality. It makes use of the law of attraction to attract your desires to you. Let’s take an example so that it becomes clearer.

Let’s say that you want to own a splendid BMW car in the future. Then close your eyes and see yourself standing in front of the marvellous BMW car. Picture the colour of the car, its metallic body, the lights at the front with the BMW logo in between. Then picture yourself putting the key into the door lock and unlocking the door. Then feel the seat leather as you go inside and take your seat and put your hands on the driving wheel. Imagine in as much details as you can, try to feel the smell of the car interior and see the interiors of the car. Then imagine yourself finally turning on the engine and taking the marvellous car for a ride.

Be a lifelong learner

Education/learning don’t stop the moment we graduate from college. It is a lifelong process. Make it a daily habit to be a student for at least 60 mins. It can be anything such as reading a book, watching an online course, listening to an audio book, etc. The goal is to become wiser than what you were when you woke up in the morning.

Take care of your health

In today’s busy world, people often complain of not having enough time to take care of themselves. They are so held up with the daily grind that they ignore the most important person on earth which is themselves. As a result we see so may people falling prey to deadly diseases early on in their lives. Self care starts with the step of right nutrition. Make it a point to include lots of fresh fruits and green vegetables in your daily diet. Also do moderate to intense amounts of exercise for at least 30 minutes on 5 days a week.

Also read: 11 laws of legends to make you ultra successful in life

Practice daily gratitude

The habit of gratitude works wonders in our lives. I have experienced that myself. Instead of being caught up with the things that we don’t have, if we can shift our focus to the things that we already have then we will be able to see that we are truly blessed. For example, there are so many people in the world who have been born with some physical or mental deformities. Then there are people who were born normal but then met with an accident and became disabled. I believe we should be truly thankful to the Almighty if we are not in that state. The kind of daily struggle which these people have to go through is outside our imagination.

Time management is critical

Highly productive people understand that time is the most critical resource available to mankind. It is limited and non-renewable. No matter wherever you are in the world you will always have 24 hours in a day, no more no less. Time mastery is focusing on doing productive things that really matter.

Don’t waste time on things that will not matter to you and your life 10 years down the line, e.g. watching movies, browsing your social media feeds, reading junk mails, watching crappy TV series, etc. Instead spend your precious time on things that really matter, e.g. learning a new skill, self-improvement, spending time with your family and thus working on your relationships, reading a good book, etc.

Live in the now

Practice living in the present moment, stop living in the past. This practice can help to reduce your stress and worries. Practicing daily gratitude is one great way of living in the present.

Live as if today was your last day on earth

Please stop acting like you have 500 years to live on this earth. You don’t. You have may be at most 70-80 years on this planet. Your time in this world is limited, so make the most of it. Ask yourself this question immediately after waking up from bed:

If today was the last day for me what are the things that I will do?

This question will make you think on your current state of life. You will realize if the things that you are currently doing are actually what you wanted to do in life. Are these the things that will give meaning and purpose to your life? So that on your last day you die happy and contented. Are these the dreams and goals which you truly wanted to pursue in your life?

Lead a simple life

Robin Sharma is not asking you to give up all your material possessions and lead a life of complete abstinence like a monk. That is not the point. The point here is to not attach your happiness and well being to the material possessions in life. Instead link your happiness to the simpler things in life like enjoying the beauty of Nature, watching the daily sunrise and sunset, your relationships with your near & dear ones, etc. Material possessions are fine since they are the reward for the hard work and sacrifice that you have done to get to the point in your life where you currently are. But they should control your happiness and peace of mind.

The power of spoken word(affirmations)

The sages of Nirvana taught Jullian the power of reciting daily mantra(or positive affirmations). Word repeated over and over again are very powerful. They send a signal to the universe and helps to attract all the positive and good things in your life. Jullian advises to repeat the following short phrase at least 30 times in a day. It will help to build tremendous will power and discipline into ourselves. It will be even more effective if you can practice it with visualization.

I am more than I appear to be. All the world’s strength and power rest inside me.