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Think Like a Monk

Opening : When I was eighteen years old, in my first year of college, at Cass Business School in London, one of my friends asked me to go with him to hear a monk give a talk.

Closing : And eventually, when you’ve uncovered your real self, you won’t even need to ask yourself what a monk would do. You can simply ask, “What will I do?”

Why I chose this : Think Like a Monk had been on my to-read-list for a while. But then I stopped reading self-help books primarily because the ideas become repetitive. While I was packing for my camping trip, I wanted something to listen to. Having a choice between music, clubhouse, news, or audiobook, I ended up with this. Jay Shetty talks about values in Chapter One which got me hooked so I decided to give it a go.

Review : Ughhh this is a prime example of why I avoid reading self-help. There’re lots of concepts I’ve already heard of. So I skimmed through many sections and skipped all meditation chapters (I tried it, It’s just not my thing). There’re heaps of quotes from other people, and some of them are pseudo-inspirational and vapid. Maybe it’s a good book, just that it’s not for me. Despite all that tho, there’re some good takeaways like

• Value-based decision making
Motivation framework (fear, desire, duty, love)
To-be list


Highlights

Charles Horton Cooley wrote : “I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.” Our identity is wrapped up in what others think of us — or, more accurately, what we think others think of us. Not only is our self-image tied up in how we think others see us, but most of our efforts at self-improvement are really just us trying to meet that imagined ideal.

Chapter 1 : Identity (Loc 198)

Your identity is a mirror covered with dust. When you first look in the mirror, the truth of who you are and what you value is obscured. Clearing it may not be pleasant, but only when that dust is gone can you see your true reflection.

Chapter 1 : Identity (Loc 264)

Guiding values are the principles that are most important to us and that we feel should guide us: who we want to be, how we treat ourselves and others. Values tend to be single-word concepts like freedom, equality, compassion, honesty. That might sound rather abstract and idealistic, but values are really practical. They’re a kind of ethical GPS we can use to navigate through life. If you know your values, you have directions that point you toward the people and actions and habits that are best for you.

Chapter 1 : Identity (Loc 273)

When people come to me seeking guidance, I constantly hear, “I wish… I wish… I wish…” We never say, “I wish I could be more organised and focused and could do the hard work to get that.” We don’t vocalize what it would actually take to get what we want.

“I wish” is code for “I don’t want to do anything differently.”

Chapter 4 : Intention (Loc 1301)

When asked who we are, we resort to stating what we do: “I’m an accountant.” “I’m a lawyer.” “I’m a teacher.” Sometimes this is just a useful way to jump-start a conversation with someone you’ve just met. But life is more meaningful when we define ourselves by our intentions rather than our achievements.

Chapter 4: Intention (Loc 1313)

Practice Humility : Be like salt

We only notice salt when there is too much of it in our food, or not enough. Nobody ever says, “Wow, this meal has the perfect amount of salt.” When salt is used in the best way possible, it goes unrecognized. Salt is so humble that when something goes wrong, it takes the blame, and when everything goes right, it doesn’t take credit.

Chapter 8 : Ego (Loc 2945)

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