The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

"Everything is created twice,

first in the mind and then in reality." 

                                                           Robin Sharma( The monk who sold his ferrari).

Overview

The monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma is a very interesting self help book. The best past about this best seller is its practical approach towards optimism by nurturing some good habits within. It is not filled with fancy statements of  positive vibes which you will find in most of the self help books. It emphasizes  on building habits which ultimately leads you towards your goals and  changes your circumstances.

All these points have been depicted in the form of a story with the intention to keep you interested. The story is told from the perspective of one of the associates of the main character( Julian Mantle), who admires his work and aspires to be like him. Its basically two person talking over dinner, mainly Julian Mantle sharing his experiences.  

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Brief Summary

The story revolves around Julian Mantle, a high profile lawyer with his core centered around money, power and fame. Although, he was a very successful man but his personal life sucked. Since, he focused mostly on money, fame and power, he never had time for his family as a result of which his wife divorced him. Most of the time he was alone and was always under a huge pressure. He was of 53 but looked like 80 years old.

One day, while case proceedings in the court, he suffered a severe a heart attack. After that he decided to leave the profession. He sold all his possessions including his luxurious Ferrari which has been highlighted, don't know why(maybe for the sake of publicity ;) ). He left to India somewhere in the Himalayan ranges in search of a meaningful life. 

There he meets yogi Raman, who taught him the true meaning of life when Julian agreed to spread his knowledge once he gets back to his home town.

He was a completely changed man when he returned and later on shares his knowledge with one of his junior associate and readers.

The seven major lessons:

This book mainly revolves around these seven habits explaining them by various examples, quotations and facts. These lessons are:- 

• Master your mind
• Follow your purpose
• Practice Kaizen ( Kaizen means attaining self mastery through continuous  self-improvement).
• Live with discipline
• Respect your time
• Serve others selflessly
• Embrace the present

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Although, some lessons has have been repeated in one or other form which you may find a bit boring but, at the same time author has used some highly inspiring quotations which will touch you .

Although, a formation of new habit in 21 days and a lifestyle in 90 days by continued efforts is something which you must try. I know its not easy but it will turn out to be a game changer for you. May be, a kind of hope which you have been looking for.

A word from Pen Enchanted

Well, the form in which this fable has been depicted may appear to be a kind of podcast but one can't neglect the fact that the author has explained some very important life lessons with practical approach. You may find it boring due to the kind of plot set-up it has .

I recommend this book to the people the who are highly motivated and possess some aspiration in their  in their life. This will definitely help you in keeping motivated and maintaining emotional balance which is very necessary. Also,  If you are not able able to manage your professional and private life, then you must read this book atleast once.

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Do write in comments, the books you would like to be reviewed next. If you are a kind of foody person and love trying new recipies, then do check this wonderful blog Food Pedia. Here, you will find some mouth watering stuffs.

The Secret

    The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a kind of self help book which gives you positive vibes in abundance.This book is based on the belief of Law of Attraction.  The author has drawn attention towards the importance of self-belief, gratitude and various thought processes giving out various facts and examples which may be contradictory for some.  

Self belief is definitely an important ingredient in achieving your goal but just having self belief alone isn't sufficient. Action, consistent efforts along with self belief sets the tone for moving forward in the direction of our goals. 

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source:reading sanctury

What I loved about this book was about the thought processes that it explained, which we needed to get going. Most of the problems can be solved just by having a right kind attitude, synchronized thought and planning out your day. Right kind of thought means focusing on your desires and not stressing about the things which you don't want. 

Rhonda Byrne also focuses on the importance of Gratitude and how it makes a difference in one's life. This is an important value because most of the people are loosing this sense of gratitude these days. They often complain about what they don't have. They never appreciate the things and people around them, often realizing their importance after loosing them and thus spend rest of their life in regret.

The author explained in her own words saying "It is impossible to bring more into your life if you are feeling ungrateful about what you have. Why? Because the thoughts and the feelings which you emit as you feel ungrateful are all negative emotions. Whether it is jealousy, resentment, dissatisfaction, or feelings of not enough, those feelings cannot bring what you want". 

This book definitely helps you get in a better frame by  encouraging and motivating you. However, there were some beliefs that I felt were exaggerated.  You can't be responsible for each and everything which happens in your life. The examples like millions of people born in poverty doesn't quite fit the reality. With this book you may go about chasing everything around you but remember that you can't control everything around.

A word from Pen Enchanted

This book has proved to be a life changing and has transformed the lives of millions of people.If you are a kind of person who takes too much of stress, then I would recommend this book to you. It would help you in changing your thought process and leading towards a healthy life by positive emotions.

A person with rational thought process may find it to be exaggerated.   

Overall, I would suggest reading this book once, as it provides a roadmap for a better thought process and a healthy life.   

For those, who have already read this book, let me know in the comment section how you felt about this bestseller by Rhonda Byrne. 

  

Wise and Otherwise

Wise and Otherwise is a beautiful collection of 51 short story by Sudha Murty. She is the founder of the CSR wing of the Infosys, a famous IT company from India. Apart from that, she is a prolific writer and a professor. Her stories are drawn from the vast experience acquired by her lifetime service to the people.

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Every story will amaze you as it touches one or other aspects of life, sometimes bringing forward the harsh realities of life. She writes about the ordinary people of India with not so ordinary life. Their stories will touch you and at times may fill your heart with heaviness and leave your mind thought provoked. 

Everyone around us is suffering, either mentally (most of us these days) or physically .Its the ability with which they handle the situations, turns out to be a hero, villain, victim or sometimes an unsung hero.

After reading these stories, a thought which came to my mind was that, " The life of an ordinary  person is the most extraordinary one, of which, we know nothing about". Obviously, most of their life passes fighting against the odd situations. A poor father arranging dowry for his daughter's marriage. The same father getting harassed by his son and daughter-in-law in some other story. A  girl was tortured and murdered, the story airs that she lost her life due to stove-fire. Everyone knows the truth but ignores. The one who faces is the one who suffers, people around you will just show their sympathy and walk-off most of the time.

However, there were some inspirational stories as well, a thought provoking, i must say. One of the story that really amazed me was "Bonded by Blisleri". Often natural calamities like earthquakes are very destructive and are reason of pain and misery. I had never heard that somebodies life changed  in a positive way just because of an earthquake.(You may have heard but I, never.. never..). After reading the story, i was awestruck by the fact that how such a destructive natural calamity turns out to be a boon in someone's life.

Some stories also dealt with the principles of success and failure. Success may have many fathers but failure has none. Hard work is important but its the confidence which is one of the greatest asset which one must acquire.

With her stories, Sudha Murty has touched almost every section of daily life. At times, I just wondered how was she able to manage all her works. Managing official works, social works, her teaching obviously and then pocketed out some time for writing as well. Well, i am no one to judge but she is doing her work passionately and is a source of inspiration for today's generation.

image: Sudha Murty

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I would that say that, a string of 51 stories may sound too many for some but you will find a glimpse of real, untouched life in her stories.  You will have a wonderful opportunity to learn some values and read some experiences. These things are pure gold  because no one teaches them.

Some other articles from this blog are-

• Hope.. that keeps us going 
• The subtle art of not giving a fuck 
• Ofcourse i love you! till i find someone better.
• A walk to remember.