This has been one of those books I finish in record time and not because of its few pages but because I was extremely intrigued by what I was getting from it. Or maybe what it got out of me.
Robin Sharma, the author, uses fictional characters to tell a story of how you can use the unlimited potential in your mind to practically enjoy every day of your life.
Julian Mantle is a hotshot lawyer from New York who rolls a 7 figure payday, drives a bright red Ferrari, owns mansions all over the United States… well you get my point. Then something happens to him and he decides to quit his practice and moves to the Himalayas where he stays with a group of monks who then gladly share with him their teachings.
He shares these teachings with his former law partner John.
Here are some points that really stood out for me:
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Embrace the present.
My grandmother drilled this in me as soon as I could understand what it meant, and I couldn’t emphasize enough on the satisfaction it brings.
The book explains how living in the now and savoring the gift of the present brings a lot of peace and contentment. Thinking about the past or the future while in the present distracts us from what we have been set to do at that time.
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Selflessly serve others.
Some of the greatest human beings to ever walk the face of this earth dedicated their lives in service of others. Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ… I could go on…
Serving a need of someone in need should be in our nature. Putting a smile on a sad face, feeding the hungry, dressing the warm, giving a hug to someone who needs it, and many more. All these should be acts that we seek to practice every day.
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Respect your time.
Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich satisfying lives.
Julian Mantle explains to his former law partner how simplifying your life by focusing on your priorities and letting go of the things that do not matter brings deep satisfaction.
A technique that one has to learn to master this is to have the courage to say “No”.
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Live with discipline
Discipline is built by consistently performing small acts of courage.
Courage can be choosing to overcome the comfort of your warm snugly bed on a cold morning in order to get some extra work done I still struggle with this, or use the time to exercise or meditate. Courage is foregoing your comfort zone for what you believe is or will be good for you.
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Follow your purpose.
The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Imagine waking up every day knowing that you will spend a major part of it doing what you love. That’s a “secret” to constant happiness.
Find that which you love and dedicate all of your time and energy into it.
As a bonus, your passion becomes worthy when in some way it improves or serves the lives of others.
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Master your mind.
The most powerful thing in this world is the human mind. That is because it has the same power that created this world. The power to create. Our minds are what build our lives and determine our destinies. However mastering and controlling it is probably the most difficult task to do. I can attest. But once you have it down, once you chose what goes in and what gets blocked out, then you have the power to control how your life turns out down to a tee.
You will become luckier every day if your mind is prepared and conditioned to think of the world as filled with opportunities, and to think of pain as part of all journeys of success
The book explains the mind in the analogy of a garden with beautiful flowers. We choose what goes into that garden for the benefit of its flowers. I sometimes wish it was as simple as it sounds.
These are tips to practice every day in order to find contentment, happiness, success and peace in the time we spend on earth.
I hope you find them as helpful as I have.
Current read: Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
