The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

I have just finished with this book by Robin Sharma.I can’t say I liked it very much.I am something of a purist and mixing the philosophies and practices of different cultures and mis attributing them, really put me off.That said,I don’t deny that the book does a decent job of compiling useful techniques to get more out of life.The following is my summary of tips to life a fuller life,culled from this book.

1.Remember the following nonsense story.It will help you remember the most important things to get more out of life:

You are sitting in the middle of a magnificent, lush, green garden. This garden is filled with the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen. The environment is supremely tranquil and silent. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering, red lighthouse, six stories high. Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden.The Japanese sumo wrestler is naked! Well, actually he is not totally naked. He has a pink wire cable covering his private parts.As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden, he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. Just when you think he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of some fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled at what he sees. Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds. Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to his credit, he does. This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss.

2.The garden is a symbol for the mind.If you care for your mind, if you nurture it and if you cultivate it just like a fertile, rich garden, it will blossom far beyond your expectations. But if you let the weeds take root, lasting peace of mind and deep inner harmony will always elude you. Let only the very best information enter you mind. You cannot afford the luxury of even one negative though.On an average day the average person runs about sixty thousand thoughts through his mind. Ninety-five percent of these thoughts are the same as the ones they thought the day before. This is the tyranny of impoverished thinking.People who think the same thoughts every day, most of them negative, have fallen into bad mental habits. Rather than focusing on all the good in their lives and thinking of ways to make things even better, they are captives of their pasts. Some of them worry about failed relationships or financial problems. Others fret over their less-than-perfect childhoods. Still others brood over more trifling matters: the way a store clerk might have treated them or the comment of a co-worker that smacked of ill-will. Those who run their minds in this fashion are allowing worry to rob them of their life force. They are blocking the enormous potential of their minds to work magic and deliver into their lives all that they want, emotionally, physically and spiritually. These people never realize that mind management is the essence of life management. The way you think stems from habit, pure and simple.We might not be able to control the weather or the traffic or the moods of all those around us. But, we most certainly can control our attitude towards these events. We all have the power to determine what we will think about at any given moment.There is no such thing as objective reality or ‘the real world.’ There are no absolutes. An event that appears to be a  tragedy to one might reveal the seeds of unlimited opportunity to another. What really separates people who are habitually upbeat and optimistic from those who are consistently miserable is how the circumstances of life are interpreted and processed.Once you condition your mind to translate every event into a positive, empowering one, you will banish worry forever. You will stop being a prisoner of your past. Instead, you will become the architect of your future.

Live out of the glory of your imagination, not your memory.Things are always created twice: first in the workshop of the mind and then, and only then, in reality. When you learn to take control of your thoughts and vividly imagine all that you desire from this worldly existence in a state of total expectancy, dormant forces will awaken inside you. You will begin to unlock the true potential of your mind to create the kind of magical life you deserve. Dare to dream that you are more than the sum of your current circumstances. Expect the best. You will be astonished at the results.The boundaries of your life are merely creations of the self.

• Concentration is at the root of mental mastery.When you concentrate its tremendous power on definite, meaningful objectives, you will quickly ignite the flames of your personal potential and produce startling results.
• The very fact that you have a desire or a dream means that you have the corresponding capacity to realize it.
• Find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it. The happiest, healthiest, most satisfied people of the world have found their passion in life, and spend their days pursuing it. This calling is almost always one that, in some way, serves others. Once you are concentrating your mind power and energy on a pursuit
  that you love, abundance flows into your life, and all your desires are fulfilled with ease and grace.
• Take time daily to silently contemplate where you are and where you are going. Reflect on your purpose and how you are living your life, every day. Think deeply and genuinely about how you will improve the next day. Daily incremental improvements produce lasting results which, in turn, lead to positive change
• For the most part, fatigue is a creation of the  mind. Fatigue dominates the lives of those who are living without direction and dreams.Tiredness is nothing more then a mental creation, a bad habit your mind has cultivated to act as a crutch when you are performing a tedious task.Your interest and mental focus give you energy.

The Heart of the Rose is a technique for mastering the mind.After practicing it for only twenty-one days you will feel more energetic, enthusiastic and vibrant than  you have felt in years. All  you need to perform this exercise is a fresh rose and a silent place. Natural surroundings are best but a quiet room will also do nicely. Start to stare at the center of the rose, its heart. A rose is very much like life: you will meet thorns along the way but if you have faith and believe in your dreams you will eventually move beyond the thorns into the
glory of the flower. Keep staring at the rose. Notice its color, texture and design. Savor its fragrance and think only about this wonderful object in front of you. At first, other thoughts will start entering your mind, distracting you from the heart of the rose. This is the mark of an untrained mind. But you need not worry, improvement will come quickly. Simply return your attention to the object of your focus. Soon your mind will grow strong and disciplined.This ritual must be performed daily for it to be effective. For the first few days, you will find it difficult to spend even five minutes in this exercise.Persist and spend longer and longer periods savoring the heart of the rose.After a week or two you should be able to perform the technique for twenty minutes without your mind wandering onto other subjects. This will be your first indication that you are taking back control of the fortress of your mind. It will then focus only on what you command it to focus on. It will then be a wonderful servant, able to do extraordinary things for you.You will notice that you will feel far calmer. You will have taken a significant step towards erasing the worry habit that plagues most of the population and you will enjoy more energy and optimism. Most importantly, you will also observe a sense of joyfulness entering your life along with an ability to appreciate the many gifts that surround you. Each day, no matter how busy you get and how many challenges you face, return to the Heart of the Rose. It is your oasis. It is your silent retreat. It is your island of peace. There is power in silence and stillness. Stillness is the stepping stone to
connecting with the universal source of intelligence that throbs through every living thing.

Opposition Thinking is another technique for ridding the mind of worry and other negative, life draining influences.The mind can only hold one thought at any one time.  Using this information, anyone can easily create a positive, creative mindset within a short period. The process is straightforward: when an undesirable thought occupies the focal point of your mind, immediately replace it with a uplifting one.Concentrate on being cheerful and energetic. Feel that you are happy. Perhaps you might even start to smile. Move your body as you do when you are joyful and full of enthusiasm. Sit up straight, breathe deeply and train the power of your mind on positive thoughts. You will notice a remarkable difference in the way you feel within minutes. Even more importantly, if you keep up your practice of Opposition Thinking, applying it to every negative thought that habitually visits your mind, within weeks you will see that they no longer hold any power and you can keep depression at bay.

The Secret of the Lake is a technique to manifest desires into reality.It involves using positive images to influence the mind. You can practice this method in your own living room or
even at the office if you really want to.Shut your door, hold all calls and close your eyes. Then take a few deep breaths. You will notice that after two or three minutes you will start to feel relaxed. Next,visualize mental pictures of all that you want to be, to have and to attain in your life. Envision your dreams becoming reality.Mentally rehearse the way you will govern your actions when a similar scene unfolds on the canvas of reality.Within a matter of months, you became the person you mentally see yourself becoming. The mind works through pictures. Pictures affect your self-image and your self-image affects the way you feel, act and achieve. When you run inspiring, imaginative pictures through the movie screen of your mind, wonderful things start to happen in your life.You must spend some time every day, even if it is just a few minutes, in the practice of creative envisioning.Your mind has magnetic power to attract all that you desire into your life. If there is a lack in your life it is because there is a lack in your thoughts. Hold wonderful pictures in your mind’s eye. Even one negative image is poisonous to your mindset.

3.The red light-house is to remind us that the purpose of life is a life of purpose.Clearly defined priorities and goals for every aspect of your life will help guide you through life like a lighthouse.The real source of happiness is achievement. Lasting happiness comes from steadily working to accomplish your goals and advancing confidently in the direction of your life’s purpose.Goal-setting is the starting point. Mapping out your objectives and your goals releases the creative juices which get you on to the path of your purpose.By writing out your desires and goals on a piece of paper, you send a red flag to your subconscious mind that these thoughts are far more important than the remaining 59.9 K+ other ones. Your mind will then start to seek out all opportunities to realize your destiny like a guided missile.You master the art of goal-setting — and goal getting — by starting off small.

The 5 Step Method For Attaining Goals:Step one is to have a clear vision of your outcome. Step two is to create positive pressure to keep you inspired.One way of doing so is to make your goals public. The third step is to attach a timeline to your goals.The fourth step is to commit the goals to paper by maintaining a Dream Book.Divide your Dream Book into separate sections for goals relating to the different areas of your life.Fill your Dream Book with pictures of the things you desire and images of people who have cultivated the abilities, talents and qualities that you hope to emulate. Then review this book daily for a few minutes.The fifth step is to apply the Magic Rule of 21.For new behavior to crystallize into a habit, you have  to perform the new activity for twenty-one days in a row.This is how long it takes for a neural pathway to develop.There is tremendous power in a ritual.When you insert any activity into your routine by doing it the same way at the same time every day, it quickly grows into a habit.

4.The Sumo Wrestler stands for kaizen. Success on the outside begins with success on the inside,so practice continuous self improvement.The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself.When you dare to get out of your circle of comfort and explore the unknown, you start to liberate your true human potential.Fear is a conditioned response: a life-sucking habit that can easily consume your energy, creativity and spirit if you are not careful. When fear rears its ugly head, beat it down quickly. The best way to do that is to do the thing you fear. Understand the anatomy of fear. It is your own creation. Like any other creation, it is just as easy to tear it down as it is to erect  it. Methodically search for and then destroy every fear that has secretly slid into the fortress of your mind. This alone will give you enormous confidence, happiness and peace of mind.

Set aside an hour a day to practice the 10 Rituals of Radiant Living:

1. The Ritual Of Solitude: This involves nothing more than ensuring that your daily schedule includes a mandatory period of silence and being by yourself in beautiful surroundings to help you renew yourself.
2. The Ritual of Physicality:Get your 5 hours of exercise per week in this time.Alternatively practice yoga.To breathe properly is to live properly.Ensure that your belly moves out as you breathe.
3. The Ritual of Live Nourishment:A poor diet drains your mental and physical energy. It affects your moods and it hampers the clarity of your mind.Fill your plate with fresh vegetables, fruits and grains.
4. The Ritual of Abundant Knowledge:Read regularly.Make it something that will improve both you and the quality of  your life.To truly get the best out of a great book, you must study it.Books simply help you to see what is already within your self.
5. The Ritual of Personal Reflection:Every evening, after a full day of work,retire to a silent corner and reflect on your day. Consider all your actions and whether they were positive and constructive or whether they were of the negative sort, in need of repair. By clearly knowing what you are doing wrong in your days, you can take immediate steps to improve.
6. The Ritual of Early Awakening:There is no ideal time to rise.But rise early enough in the day to start it off at a leisurely pace rather than rolling out of bed and starting the day in a rush.Never eat after 8:00 p.m or the digestive activity induced will reduce the quality of sleep.The ten-minute period before you sleep and the ten-minute period after you wake up are profoundly influential on your subconscious mind. Only the most inspiring and serene thoughts should be programmed into your mind at those times.Before you go to sleep, don’t watch the news or argue with anyone or even go over the day’s events in your mind’s eye. Relax. Drink a cup of herbal tea, if you like. Listen to some soft classical music.The first ten minutes after you wake up have a very marked effect on the rest of your day. So think positive thoughts. Give a prayer of thanks for all you have. Work on your gratitude list. Listen to some great music. Watch the sun come up, or perhaps go for a quick walk in natural surroundings if you feel up to it. Laugh.Go to a quiet place and get still and focused. Then ask yourself this question: ‘What would I do today if today was my last?’ Mentally list all the things you would do, the people you would call and the moments you would savor. Envision yourself doing these things with great energy. Visualize how you would treat your family and your friends. Even picture how you would treat total strangers if today was your last day on the planet. When you live every day as if it was your last, your life will take on a magical quality.
7. The Ritual of Music:Spend a little time with music every day, even if it is just listening to a soft piece while you drive to work.
8. The Ritual of the Spoken Word:You are what you say to yourself all day long.The words you say to yourself affect your self-image and your self image determines what actions you take.
9. The Ritual of a Congruent Character:Take daily, incremental action to build your character.Focus on increasing industry, compassion, humility, patience, honesty and courage.
10. The Ritual of Simplicity:Focus only on your priorities, those activities which are truly meaningful.Stop living at a frenetic pace.

5.The pink wire cable is to remind us of the power of self-control and discipline.A wire cable consists of many thin, tiny wires placed one on top of the other. Alone, each one is flimsy and weak. But, together, their sum is much greater than their constituent parts and the cable becomes tougher than iron. Self-control and willpower are similar to this. The way to develop self control is to persist time and again and remember positive always overcomes negative.Repeat the following mantra at least thirty times a day: ‘I am more than I appear to be, all the world’s strength and power rests inside me.’ It will manifest profound changes in your life.For even quicker results, blend this mantra with the practice of creative envisioning.Start doing the things you don’t like doing. For you it might be as simple as making your bed in the morning or walking rather than driving to work. By getting into the habit of exerting your will, you will cease to be a slave to your weaker impulses.Go an entire day without speaking, except in response to a direct question.By keeping silent for a day, you are conditioning your will to do as you command it to do. Each time the urge to speak arises, you actively curb this impulse and remain quiet.

6. The shiny gold stopwatch represents our most important commodity — time.Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.Time is a great leveller. We all have been allotted days only twenty-four hours in a day. What separates those who build exceptional lives from the others is the way they use this time.Take one hour on your Sunday morning to organize your entire week.Remember to give adequate time for personal goals.Chalk in times for meetings,times to return calls and time to do chores as well as important work.Plan your week and manage your time creatively. Have the discipline to focus your time around your priorities. The most meaningful things in your life should never be sacrificed to those that are the least meaningful. Failing to plan is planning to fail. By writing down not only your appointments with others but also those all-important appointments with yourself to read, relax or write a love letter to your SO, you will be far more productive with your time. Time spent enriching your non-work hours is never a waste. It makes you tremendously efficient during your working hours.Don’t let others steal your time. Be wary of time thieves. These are the people who always call on the telephone just as you have put the kids to sleep and have settled into your favorite chair to read that thrilling novel you have heard so much about. These are the people who have a knack of dropping by your office just as you have found a few minutes in the midst of a hectic day to catch your breath and collect your thoughts.Don’t be too polite to ask people to leave or to keep your door shut.Be ruthless with your time. Learn to say no.Don’t pick up the phone every time it rings. It is there for your convenience, not the convenience of others.

One of the most tragic things that any one of us can do is to put off living. Too many people dream of some magical rose garden on the horizon rather than enjoying the one
growing in the back yard.

Have a quick nap in the afternoon. It keeps you energetic, refreshed and youthful.

Stop acting like you have five hundred years to live.The best time to plant a tree was forty years ago. The second best time is today. Don’t waste even one minute of your day. Develop a deathbed mentality.Act as if failure is impossible, and your success will be assured. Wipe out every thought of not achieving your objectives, whether they are material or spiritual. Be brave, and set no limits on the workings of your imagination and you will succeed.

7.The fresh yellow roses are to remind us that a little bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.When you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your own life in the process. When you take care to practice random acts of kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more meaningful. To cultivate the sacredness and sanctity of each day, serve others in some way.

Get involved in some volunteer work.

People have special gifts to answer their calling and serve others in some or other special way.

Give to those who ask.

The best thing you can do is to give others your time and/or energy: these truly are your two most valuable resources.

Your life moves to a more magical dimension when you start striving to make the world a better place.Compassion and daily acts of kindness make life far richer. Take the time to meditate every morning on the good you will do for others during your day. The sincere words of praise to those who least expect it, the gestures of warmth offered to friends in need, the small tokens of affection to members of your family for no reason at all, all add up to a much more wonderful way to live.

Make sure you keep friendships in constant repair. A person with three solid friends is very wealthy indeed.Friends add humor, fascination and beauty to life. There are few things more rejuvenating than sharing a belly-bursting laugh with an old friend. Friends keep you humble when you get too self righteous. Friends make you smile when you are taking yourself too seriously. Good friends are there to help you when life throws one of its little curves at you and things look worse than they seem.

8.The path of diamonds stands for enlightened living.A truly joyful and rewarding life comes only through ‘living in the now.’ The past is water under the bridge and the future is a distant sun on the horizon of your imagination. The most important moment is now. So live in it and savor it fully.Don’t spend most of your days fretting over past events that you have no power  to change or worrying about things to come, which may never arrive. If your mind is always flooded by a million little thoughts pulling you in a million different directions. will tire me out,You won’t have peace of mind.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Live for today — there will never be another one quite like it.Just as the sumo wrestler found lasting fulfillment and joy by walking the path of diamonds, you can have the life you deserve the very moment you start to understand that the path you are currently walking on is one rich with diamonds and other priceless treasures. Stop spending so much time chasing life’s big pleasures while you neglect the little ones. Slow things down. Enjoy the beauty and sacredness of all that is around you. You owe this to yourself.Never put off happiness for the sake of achievement. Never put off the things that are important for your well-being and satisfaction to a later time. Today is the day to live fully, not when you win the lottery or when you retire. Never put off living.

Never, ever forget the gift of family. Few things are as meaningful as being a part of your children’s childhood. What is the point of climbing the steps of professional success if you have missed the first steps of your own kids? What good is owning the biggest house on your block if you have not taken the time to create a home? What is the use of being known across the country as a success if you are not successful as a parent?The best gift you could ever give your children is your love. Get to know them. Show them that they are far more important to you than the fleeting rewards of your professional career. Pretty soon they will be off, building lives and families of their own. Then it will be too late, the time will be gone.

Happiness is a journey.It is also a choice that you make. You can marvel at the diamonds along the way or you can keep running through all your days, chasing that elusive pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow that ultimately reveals itself to be empty. Enjoy the special moments that every day offers because today, this day is all you have.By giving daily thanks for all of your assets, whether these are material or spiritual, you will develop the habit of living in the moment.