Techniques And Strategies From ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’

This article explores various techniques and strategies from the book the monk who sold his Ferrari put down by author Robin Sharma. 

Robin Sharma has explained the 7 Virtues of a happy and successful life in his book ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.’

This book takes you into a fictional story about Julian, a successful lawyer. He sets on an adventure to find the mystical monks of the Himalayas in the magical land of India.

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/buddhism-monk-temple-panorama-2214532/

The Sages of Sivana, or the mystical monks, welcomed Julien and taught him various strategies and techniques to master the 7 Principles of a happy life.

Check out the 7 Principles of a happy and successful life from the book the monk who sold his Ferrari which are as follows:

• Extraordinary garden (master your mind)
• Kindle your inner fire ( having a life purpose)
• Art of self-leadership
• Power of discipline
• Most precious commodity (time)
• Ultimate life purpose (helping others)
• The timeless secret of lifelong happiness ( Living in the present)

Techniques and strategies to master your mind

• Heart of rose

Robin Sharma advises you to take a natural, fresh rose. Sit in a silent place and observe the rose. Observe its texture, color, fragrance, design, etc.

Don’t fret if your mind is distracted or other thoughts occupy your mind. It is just a sign of an untrained mind which you can train with practice. 

Every time your mind is disturbed, return your attention to the rose again. Practice it regularly, and soon your mind will become calm, strong, and disciplined. 

• Opposition thinking

Our mind is capable of holding only one thought at a time. Using this principle, whenever bothersome thoughts appear in your mind, immediately replace them with uplifting ones.  

You do not have the luxury of thinking one negative thought. Even one negative view is like an embryo. It begins small but then grows and grows bigger. 

• The secret of the Lake

The Secret Lake is a highly effective method to manifest your desire into reality, no matter how big. Ancient sages used to travel steep and narrow mountains towards a lake.

The Lake was calm and still. They looked into the tranquil Lake and envisioned their dreams coming into reality.

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/lake-mountains-hut-mountain-lake-1681485/

This technique uses positive images and the magic of visualization to influence your mind. You can easily use this technique at your home or office. Just shut the door, close your eyes, switch off your phones, and visualize a mental picture of what you desire. 

Techniques and strategies to kindle your inner fire

• Power of self-examination

People studying others are intelligent, but people examining themself become enlightened. Self-knowledge is the DNA of self-enlightenment. Examine your inner self and ensure what you actually want in your life.

• 5 step techniques and strategies to attain the goal
• A clear mental image of the outcome 

This simple act of picturizing your goals and desires will open gateways to the actualization of the same. The more precise the picture, the more influential the process will be. 

Source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/destination-goal-purpose-the-goal-1285851/

• Getting some positive pressure to get inspired

Pressure is not always harmful; some pressure can help people achieve great heights. One of the best ways to do the same is telling people your goals or what you wish to do.

• Attach a timeline and commit on paper

To breathe life into goals, attach your goals to a precise timeline. Further, a goal that is not connected or written on paper is not a goal at all. 

So maintain a journal or Dream book as the author suggests and write all your life goals. You can also fill it with pictures relating to your goals. 

• Magic rule of 21

For any activity to become a habit, the action needs to be made a routine act for at least 21 days. Bad habits are impossible to erase, but you can replace them with other good habits. 

The technique and strategy of the 21-day routine crystalize your new behavior into a permanent habit. This is called the power of ritual.

• Enjoy the process

Have fun and enjoy the progress while advancing on the path of your dreams. Enjoy every moment of your life. Never regret the past. Stay focused on your lifework, and the universe will take care of everything else. 

Techniques and strategies to master self-leadership

The author suggests 10 rituals of radiant living to master self-leadership. This 1-hour formula is to be practiced every day without fail. If you successfully practice these 10 rituals regularly, you will see lasting results and improved life. 

• Ritual of solitude

Schedule some time of your day as a mandatory peace period. This time can be anywhere between 15-50 minutes. 

Initially, start practicing silence or meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes. Later you can add minutes according to your comfort.

This ritual helps you to explore the healing power of silence. If you can not find a quiet place at your home or office, you can also walk in nature. It can bring inner harmony and an abundance of peace. 

• Ritual of Physicality

As you care for your mind, you should care for your body. Physical activities increase your physical potential, ensure dynamic existence and keep your mind fit. 

For this ritual of physicality, you should ensure that you involve yourself in physical activities at least 5 hours a week.

You can do yoga, hand pushups, workouts, running, or short nature walks. The fundamental point is to keep your body moving and active. 

• Ritual of live nourishments

A poor diet affects your mental as well as physical energy. It dampens your mood, clarity of mind and takes your energy. 

The author suggests you eat live food. Live food is food that is not dead, i.e. vegetarian food. 

Red meat takes more time and energy to digest. Red meat digestion takes most of your body’s energy, leaving you lethargic and inactive. 

If you are a meat lover and cant become vegetarian, try to minimize the intake of non-veg, or you can schedule days for them.

• Ritual of abundant knowledge

Knowledge is power. So ensure you work on expanding your knowledge base regularly. Reading any random books will not do. Read nourishing self-improvement books that actually benefit you and your life.

Source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/reading-books-man-stack-education-6833367/

The author advises you to at least read for 30 minutes every day. Cultivating reading habits comes with various distinctive benefits for you. Moreover, the solution to any and every life dilemma is in print.  

• Ritual of personal reflection

Take some time to know yourself, and you will connect with a dimension of yourself you have never known about. 

Personal reflection is nothing but a habit of thinking deeply. The author says you should write a journal containing the written inventories of everyday activities. Assess all those activities. 

It will help you benchmark activities for further improvement. You can only understand what you did wrong today to improve it tomorrow. 

• Ritual of early awakening

Rise with the sun and start your day well. Sleeping is a habit, and you can train yourself to sleep more or less. 

An average person needs 6 hours of sleep. Remember, the quality of sleep is essential to ensure you wake energized, not the quantity.  

Initially, getting up early could be tiresome and exhausting. But as you form the habit of getting up early, you will see the long-term benefits of being an early riser. 

• Ritual of radiant music

Music is one of the finest motivators available to us. Whenever you feel down or weary, just play some music. 

Music makes us laugh, sing, and dance. It cheers us and instantly boosts our mood. 

• Ritual of spoken words

Recite a series of mantras to keep your focus, strength, and happiness intact. Mantra is a Sanskrit word in which ‘man’ means mind and ‘tra’ means free. 

Mantra is positive self-talk or words in written or spoken form. Series of practical and motivational talks or phrases have a pronounced effect on your mind in the most powerful way.

• Ritual of congruent character

You should take slow daily steps toward incrementing actions that help build your character. Character directly affects the actions you take. 

Actions come from habits formed, and habits lead you to your destiny. So make sure your activities are congruent to industry, compassion, patience, honesty, humility, and courage to live a virtuous life. 

• Ritual of simplicity

Live a simple and fulfilled life. Focus on priorities to ensure an uncluttered and rewarding life. Your needs are ever-growing, and all requirements can never be fulfilled.

So reduce your needs and develop a content mindset. Know when you should demand more and when to restrain your requirements. 

Nothing in the extremes, nothing too small, but everything in moderation.

Techniques and strategies to develop discipline and willpower

• Mantras and creating envisioning

Words and thoughts have a more significant influence on your mind. Thoughts are physical things that you can transform from negative to positive. Mental mastery and willpower come from controlling every thought you think. 

Words are the verbal embodiment of power. If you fill your mind with hope words, you become hopeful; if you fill it with sad thoughts, you become depressed. 

Robin Sharma has given a powerful mantra and suggests you recite this mantra at least 30 times a day.

“I am more than I appear to be, all the world’s strength and power rest inside me.”

Blend this mantra with creative envisioning by sitting in a peaceful place and closing your eyes. Control every weak thought and body part and repeat this mantra aloud. 

Also, imagine yourself as a disciplined and firm person who is in control of his mind, body, and soul. 

• The vow of silence

Start doing small things that you entirely dislike to mold your will to listen to you. It can be as trivial as washing your plate or making your bed. Doing such activities will challenge your resolve and exert all your weaker impulses. 

Vow of silence is an excellent way to build your willpower. Holding one’s tongue for a profound period enhances one’s discipline while convincing your will to do as you command. 

Curbing the impulse to speak and remaining quiet will ultimately enhance the control of your will. 

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-meditation-nature-yoga-4981766/

Stop blaming the situation and walk on the path of least resistance by waging war against the gravitational force of bad habits and weaker impulses. It will help you rise above any bad situation and ensure goal achievement. 

• Momentum

Momentum is the secret ingredient in building self-discipline and willpower. Start with small steps, achieve victories, and slowly advance towards big steps. Small wins will lead to big achievements. 

Momentum fills you with excitement and delights you in the process of doing activities. It fills you with vigor and energy to conquer your biggest desires. 

Techniques for time mastery

• Ancient Rule of 80/20

Being busy can never be an excuse for doing important things. Old sages of Himalaya believed 80% of the results you achieve come from only 20% of activities done by you. 

So only 20% of work is yielding lasting results. So ensure you are doing more high-impact activities, which counts in the long run. 

These activities include boosting your knowledge base, enriching your relations, time spent with family and nature, etc. Design all your high-impact activities to renew your mind, soul, and body. 

Ensure all the activities actually matter and ensure you get the quality of life you demand and desire. 

• Power of No

Most enlightened and successful people are priority-driven. This is the secret to time mastery. 

Time management is holistic and does not stop after your office hours. It applies to all areas of your life. 

Be ruthless with your time and learn to say no to time stealers and thieves. They steal your time, and you are left with nothing. 

Having a little courage to say no to small things will enhance your power to say yes to big things in your life. People value you more when they see you treasure your time.

Also, never get into the habit of procrastination and time-killing. Instead, cultivate the habit of doing things less productive people don’t do. Do it even if you don’t like it. 

• Deathbed mentality

Deathbed mentality is a new and more empowering way of looking at your life. It reminds you that today could be your last day which helps you savor each day to its fullest potential.

Every day after waking up, ask yourself what I would do if it was my last? This question alone will help you focus on essential things. 

It will also enable you to stop squandering time on petty issues and things that drag you down. This deathbed mentality will fill you with zest and energy to expand your dream.

Remember, the best time to plant a tree was 40 years ago, but the second-best time is today. 

Techniques and strategies to ultimate life purpose

• Practice daily acts of kindness

Lose your self-consciousness and start focusing on the higher and elevated purpose of serving others. You can do this by giving others your time and energy, the two most valuable assets. 

The act of kindness can range from anywhere near 1-year long work with poor, voluntary work, or it can be as simple as letting a car pass through first in a traffic jam. But you must ensure at least one act of kindness every day before going to sleep. 

Compassion and kindness drive your life into a magical dimension as you strive to make the world a better place. When we were born, we cried, and the world rejoiced. Do things to ensure that the world will cry when you die, but you will rejoice. 

• Cultivate richer relations

Make time in the morning to meditate about good things you will do for others during the day. 

Ensure you shower sincere words of appreciation to those who least expect it. Show your gesture of warmth to your friends in need and give your token of affection to your family members for no reason at all. 

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/friendship-dog-together-friends-2939535/

Always keep friendship in constant repair. A person with 3 good friends is indeed very wealthy. 

Good friends add humor, fascination, and beauty to your life. They keep you humble, make you smile, rejuvenate you with belly-busting laughs, and help you through tricky times.  

Make sure you have someone to share your thoughts, to take long walks, and to whom you can open your soul and fill it with joy and warmth.  

Techniques and strategies for living in the present 

• Live your children’s childhood

There is no meaning in climbing the ladder of success if you are not there when your child takes his first step. Give your time and watch your children as they grow and flourish.

Don’t miss the forest for mere trees. The best gift you can ever give to your children or anyone is your attention, time, and love. 

Make sure your children know that they are far more critical to you than any fleeting work rewards. Soon the time will pass, and they will be out making their own lives. Then it will be too late for you to give them time. 

• Practice Gratitude

Whether it is financial crises, emotional loss, or bankruptcy, there is always something you can thank for no matter what the situation. 

You can be thankful for so many things, even in challenging situations. A roof on your head, your family and friends, the ability to dream and work hard are some. A simple bird singing on trees can also be a gift to a wise person. 

Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/pray-hands-grateful-thankful-1989042/

By being grateful for what you have, you will develop the habit of living in the moment. Even if you have very little money or assets, be thankful. 

Because the world is full of unhappy millionaires. The size of your house or bank balance has nothing to do with living a wonderful and joyful life. Life doesn’t always give you what you want, but it gives you what you need.

Every day spend 5 minutes of your day practicing gratitude and be thankful for what you have. If nothing, you can always be grateful for your life, health, and family. It will help you cultivate a richer and satisfying life. 

Final Thoughts

The key to ensuring you live a happy and successful life lies in understanding and applying these techniques and strategies in your life. 

Even if you are super busy, make sure you apply these techniques and strategies in your life every day. Continuity and momentum are the two things that will ensure the success of these strategies in your life.