The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Steps to Finding Success

Books are a revelation of wonder, inspiration, insight and great teachers. The first book that I received as a gift made such a huge impact on my life that I have been forever grateful to the uncle who gave it to me.  From this first book, I was intrigued to expand my knowledge and nosedived into a huge selection of inspirational and motivational books, which I strongly believe helped me deal with the major upheaval that I later experienced in my life. The Monk who Sold his Ferrari is no different, an exceptional book and one that definitely deserves its spot on my bookshelf.

Robin Sharma, the author uses two fictional characters to explain the recipe for success. Two highly successful lawyers, both of whom have it all, until one day Julian Mantle decides to trade the fast and luxurious life for a life of meaning.

7 key steps to finding success:

1. Exchange a Life of Money for Meaning

It is not uncommon these days to hear of stories of individuals giving up their day jobs to discover a life of meaning and value. Many reach a point in their lives when they realise that simply working for a dollar, no longer provides happiness and that work has to have more meaning and significance.

In the book, Julian Mantle travels to the Himalayas and is enlightened by a group of monks. He then returns home where he shares his knowledge and newly found wisdom with the western world and his colleague John.

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Robin Sharma

2. Worrying Negatively Impacts the Mind

Worrying is a negative state of mind, therefore, its impact will have negative consequences. Seriously, think about it, when you worry, do you honestly do anything constructive? No, you shut down as a wave of negative emotions overwhelms and you stay in limbo until you change your state of mind.

The book explains that worrying is futile and that success is buried deep within ourselves. You just need to remove the worrying thoughts and cultivate a positive thought process. Once the switch has been made, finding solutions and being open to opportunities present themselves that can be fully explored.

3. Tragedy Can Trigger Possibilities

A major theme in the book is the power of the mind and what it conceives is what you believe. For many of us we perceive a tragedy as a knock back, something terrible but if we shift our focus we can allow our mind to reveal an opportunity. Rarely, do we have control of a tragedy, however, we can be open to the possibility of planting the seeds for a new beginning.

 4. Waking Up Early For A Life Of Purpose

It has often been said that we sleep too much – guilty as charged, I often used to wake up at the weekends at 11am. There was no particular purpose or incentive for me to wake up earlier. When a colleague mentioned to me that I was wasting the day by waking up so late, that I realised the truth in his words. People who have no purpose have no reason to wake up early. When you have set goals, a defined mission, wasting time is not an option and making constructive use of your time is essential.

5. Understanding The Power of Simplicity

As John becomes enlightened, the simplicity of a fable that was revealed to him becomes apparent. Initially dismissing it due to it lacking complexity, he later understands the need in keeping things simple. As humans we often over complicate things, we conveniently try to impress others with complex language, mixed messages when simplicity would be the best course of action. Steve Jobs got it right when he overhauled and innovated the Apple product range keeping them simple and easy to use, even getting rid of the stylus.

This book teaches us the power of simplicity and avoiding overcomplicating matters.

6. Learn The Lesson And Move On

In life there will be many unwanted experiences beyond our control, the book teaches you to overcome these encounters simply by learning the lesson to be learned and moving on. Avoid judging the situation as either positive or negative, instead take in the experience and focus on the message.

The mind has two levers, memory and imagination. When you focus on your memories, you are reliving your past, whereas your imagination allows you to create the future you desire and is a more positive outlook to adopt.

7. Change is Possible When You Open Up Your Mind

The book teaches you that change can occur when you dispose of your firmly held beliefs and open your mind to the possibility of new ideas. It is not to say that you should readily accept new ideas without first challenging and questioning them beforehand. However, when you have an open mind, the likelihood of accepting change meets less resistance.

Consider the people you work with and observe those willing to take on new ideas compared to those who are opposed. Generally, those who are inclined to be more agreeable are those who do not have deep rooted beliefs in how things should be done and are open to creative ideas.

‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ presents many useful tips for leading a fulfilling and successful life but with anything unless you adopt the principles outlined, nothing in your life will change. The key is to evolve and grow and with each new learning, doorways to new possibilities are being created. Take a leap of faith and make the changes you want to see in your life.

“I once read that people who study others are wise but those who study themselves are enlightened.” Robin Sharma