1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a self-help classic telling the story of fictional lawyer Julian Mantle, who sold his mansion and Ferrari to study the seven virtues of the Sages of Sivana in the Himalayan mountains.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality." - Robin Sharma
3. 3 Lessons:
3.1. Use The Heart of the Rose exercise to guard your mind against unwanted thoughts.
3.1.1. The first of the seven virtues of the Sivana system is to control your mind. Control what even comes into your garden (your mind) in the first place. Think of yourself like a guardian, standing at the gate of your brain, choosing who and what gets in.
3.1.2. To practice The Heart of the Rose exercise you need an actual rose and a quiet space to yourself. Then, you simply stare at the center of the rose and try to fill your mind with thoughts about how beautiful it is.
3.1.3. At first, you’ll have lots of distracting thoughts, but you’ll get better at keeping those out of your head over time.
3.1.4. The more disciplined you become in which thoughts you accept into your mind, the easier it’ll be to turn it into the beautiful, energizing garden you need.
3.2. Develop a simple 10-step morning routine with The Ten Rituals of Radiant Living.
3.2.1. To be always learning and getting better, follow the 10-step morning routine they call the Ten Rituals of Radiant Living
3.2.1.1. The Ritual of Early Awakening.
3.2.1.1.1. Six hours of sleep and seeing the sunrise. Of course, you have to figure out how much you need yourself, but this is what they suggest.
3.2.1.2. The Ritual of Solitude.
3.2.1.2.1. Always make a few minutes to practice silence after waking up.
3.2.1.3. The Ritual of Physicality.
3.2.1.3.1. Move, get up, do some exercise. Whatever gets the blood flowing.
3.2.1.4. The Ritual of Live Nourishment.
3.2.1.4.1. A vegetarian diet based on fresh food is what the sages follow.
3.2.1.5. The Ritual of Abundant Knowledge.
3.2.1.5.1. Keep your mind stimulated with a bit of reading or studying.
3.2.1.6. The Ritual of Personal Reflection.
3.2.1.6.1. Did you do your best today? What could you have done better?
3.2.1.7. The Ritual of Music.
3.2.1.7.1. Listen to music often to never get stuck in a bad mood.
3.2.1.8. The Ritual of Spoken Word.
3.2.1.8.1. Write down a short mantra you can repeat to yourself throughout the day.
3.2.1.9. The Ritual of Congruent Character.
3.2.1.9.1. Always follow your principles. Write them down, be aware of them and stick to them.
3.2.1.10. The Ritual of Simplicity.
3.2.1.10.1. Ruthlessly live your priorities and remove everything else that’s unnecessary.
3.2.2. A good morning leads to a good day, which, ultimately, leads to a good life.
3.3. Selflessly serving others counterintuitively leaves you better off too.
3.3.1. Selfless service is beautifully summarized in this ancient, Chinese proverb: A trace of fragrance always remains on the hands that present you with roses.
3.3.2. It’s a metaphor, which says whenever you help someone else, some of the benefits will come back right to you. You rarely know when and how, but karma always comes around.
3.3.3. This doesn’t mean you have to join the salvation army, small, simple acts of kindness and compassion go a long way. Every morning, take a few seconds to think about what good you can do today.