It’s a brand new year once again and this season is always filled with enthusiasm, mood for a fresh start, ‘material detox’, renewal and resolutions. Every time I think of coming up with New Year resolutions however, I noticed that I keep repeating the same things over again, which is a sad indication that I was not able to stick with them. So I decided to break up with this tradition and just vowed to always keep a list. Mobile apps don’t work well with me when it comes to organizing my life so I always carry a small notebook where I can jot down pretty much everything as I can be very forgetful, though at work I can be a walking directory.
There is one thing though that I never failed to do every year despite my New Year resolutions failure and that is to read Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari book. I got this book as a gift in Kathmandu in 2014 though strangely I never heard of it before then, even if I read a lot on meditation and was surrounded with meditators. Honestly though, I wasn’t very eager to read the book when I got it because I thought it is another story of a person who gave up everything to become a monk and promotes a life void of any form of attachments. But when I did read it, I finished it in a day! It’s not the typical story that I expected nor about how to empty your mind. Instead, it offers insights on how to live a simple but passionate life, what truly matters, and teaches us the value of time.
I resolved to read this book every year to constantly remind myself of the lessons it offers. I find it a good grounding especially when I feel I’m slipping out of direction because it also offers practical guides on how to live a life of purpose. I won’t talk so much about its contents so as not to influence your impressions of it. However, I’m happy to share some of my favorite quotes from the book.
“Never overlook the power of simplicity.”
“You truly cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought – not even one.”
“…the best thing you can do for yourself is move beyond it.”
“…never get into the petty habit of measuring your self-worth against other people’s net worth.”
“You will never be able to hit a target that you cannot see.”
“The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself.”
“Fear is nothing more than a mental monster you have created, a negative stream of consciousness.”
“Never forget the power of music. Spend a little time with it every day… When you feel down, play some music. It is one of the finest motivators I know of.”
“…truly enlightened people never seek to be like others.”
“Live for today – there will never be another one quite like it.”
“Slow things down. Enjoy the beauty and sacredness of all that is around you. You owe this to yourself.”
“There is a huge difference between making a lot of money and making a lot of life.”
“Starting today, learn more, laugh more and do what you truly love to do.”
Click here to see the list of the books I’ve read.
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