ONE OF MY FAVOURITE LIFE-CHANGING BOOKS : THE REVIEW

If you have read The Monk who Sold His Ferrari, then it wouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I have chosen it as one of my favourite life-changing books to read. I don’t think I had imagined what the content would be when I initially started reading it; the title was already a little  twisted anyway, what’s my own with a monk that decided to sell his Ferari, however it was catchy, and I had imagined all sorts of stories in my head, except the actual story in the book.

Imagine a man who had worked all his life, had all he ever wanted; bought a Ferrari, (who doesn’t want a Ferrari), and seemingly had everything working for him, but still felt empty.

This book truly gave me some answers to questions about the very essence of life and finding true happiness.

While I was reading it, it felt like God was speaking to me through the character’s experiences. They were so relatable that I found myself thinking “isn’t this what I’m going through now”. It changed my life in ways I never would have imagined. Don’t get me wrong, I am still a work in progress (phew! Does the journey ever end), but applying the principles from this book helped me experience growth in my personal life.

Besides the intriguing title, the writing style of the book is captivating. The author, Robin Sharma, weaved a fable from his life experience and created the golden and evergreen pieces of advice you will come across in the book.

A Brief Summary of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a book that explores different themes such as enlightenment, self-awareness, self-discipline, mindfulness, and servitude: all the things needed to create a life of peace, passion, and purpose. The book is centred on the life of Julian Mantle (a fictional character), who quit his job as a result of stress. He sold his holiday home and his red Ferrari and went on a journey to the Himalayas. Each chapter of the book tells the story of his spiritual experience during the journey, which he recounts to his best friend, John.

Robin Sharma broke down the 7 virtues required for a life of inner peace, joy, and a wealth of spiritual gifts, and from the first one, I am certain you will start to feel the impact of the book, just like I did. 

One part that stood out for me was where he mentioned that mistakes do not exist; rather, they are lessons to learn from. That part changed my approach to living life and accepting mistakes as lessons to benefit from. 

Most of the teachings in this book are things you’ve probably heard before, but reading it and seeing it from Julian Mantle’s perspective gives it a whole new meaning.

The 10 Rituals of Radiant Living.

Another portion of the book that I would never forget was the detailed explanations of the 10 Rituals of Radiant Living. I even wrote them down in my journal, let me skip my explanations and share them with you; 

1. The ritual of Solitude talked about having a daily mandatory period of silence or peace.
2. Physicality emphasised the importance of daily exercise and recommended at least an hour for it.
3. Live Nourishment talked about eating right and recommended having a portion of salad with every meal and taking fruits daily.
4. Abundant Knowledge explains learning as a life-long process. It stressed the need to expand your knowledge base for your good and the people around you as well. He also recommended reading regularly.
5. Personal Reflection focused on the importance of having deep reflections on the things you do. He encouraged the practice of personal introspection.
6. Easy Awakening talked about improving the quality of sleep we get and not the quantity to rise early.
7. Music encouraged listening to good and uplifting music daily as a source of inspiration. 
8. Spoken Words emphasised having positive mantras and engaging in positive self-talk.
9. Congruent Character explained the principles to live by to build and strengthen character. These principles include; honesty, patience, courage, compassion, and humility.
10. Simplicity encompassed living a simple life by focusing on your priorities and activities that are truly meaningful. Your life will be uncluttered, rewarding and exceptionally peaceful.

Conclusion of my review of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

I realised how little habits that are like a daily ritual change things. They may look so insignificant like day-to-day activities we easily imbibe, but they make a lot of difference. 

Practising these rituals helped me in becoming a better person and live a better life, and I’m sure they can help you too. 

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari might just be another self-help book for some people, but it remains one of my favourite life-changing books because of the effect it had on me, and I’m grateful for it. If you need the motivation to start living a well-rounded life, then this book is a must-read for you. 

Drop a comment if you have read it before and if it had any impact on you.