Review of "The Monk who sold his Ferrari" by Robin Sharma

This book is written in a very simple conversational style that grabs your attention. I think the USP of the book is the fable that the author uses as a mnemonic aid to impart the timeless lessons.

The fable is simple - talks about a beautiful garden with a lighthouse, a heavy-weight wrestler wearing only pink cable wire who comes out of the lighthouse , falls on a watch and goes into unconsciousness. He gets revived by the sweet smell of yellow flowers and then sees a path full of diamonds and proceeds towards it.

That is it ! Sounds simplistic but therein lies the beauty of the book.

The garden exemplifies the mind - which should be tended to without allowing the weed of negative thoughts into it ( He makes the point in a better way of course ! ) , the lighthouse represents the need for distinct goals, the heavy weight-wrestler stands for "Kaizen" - which means continuous , small improvements, the pink cable represents discipline, the watch depicts time and the fact that it should be utilized wisely , the sweet scent of the flowers symbolizes acts of kindness and the path of diamonds is the path to enlightenment.

The only place where I think the book gets a little tedious is when he talks about the 10 Rituals of Radiant living. Not that the points are not relevant but the presentation could have been better I think.

There are numerous nuggets of wisdom throughout the book but to re-iterate , it is the unpretentious depiction of ageless principles that is the clincher. Definitely a good read.

My favorite learning from the book though is this "On an average day the average person runs about 60,000 thought through his/her mind. 95% of these thoughts are the same as the ones you thought the day before" !!! Talk about being stuck in a rut !!!

Some quotes/learning's/inspirational points from the book

-- Worry is a toxic waste into the fertile garden of the mind.

-- A worrisome thought is like an embryo, it starts off small but grows and grows. Soon it takes on a life of its own.

-- "Success like happiness cannot be pursued. It must ensue. And it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself" - Viktor Frankl

-- There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. Try true nobility lies in being superior to your former self.

-- What lies in front of you and what lies behind you is nothing when compared to what lies within you.

-- The ten minutes period before you sleep and ten minutes period after you wake up are profoundly influential on your subconscious mind. Only the most inspiring and serene thoughts should be programmed in your mind at those times.

-- We don't laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh.

-- You are what you think about all day long.

-- People have liberty but no freedom.

-- It is the busiest people who have time to spare.

-- We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

-- Happiness is a journey not a destination.

-- On an average day the average person runs about 60,000 thought through his/her mind. 95% of these thoughts are the same as the ones you thought the day before.

Delegate to Mom .. :)

It occurred to me that my child's physical development has come a full circle. She started unable to eat by herself, dress by herself and walk by herself. Then came the messy attempts to eat her food on her own - the amount of food dropped could probably feed an army or two. Trying to walk was littered with numerous falls none of which made her tired or unable to attempt again. As for dressing - the strident cries of "I can wear it" accompanied by the invariable twisted arms and legs made for funny moments. But now my daughter has mastered the art of walking, eating and dressing up herself. ( Or so she thinks - I mean now what she drops while eating can feed just one segment of an army ! : ) ) So what is the best thing to do ? Delegate of course !!

The novelty of walking has long gone ; to be replaced by "Mom carry me ... my legs are paining". She tells me ever-so-sweetly that I should dress her up because - I can dress her up so prettily right ? Which she cannot do by herself ; it is complicated handling those lovely pins / clips , princess gown, glitter shoes , handbag and oh - the nail polish too ... [ if you did not get it ; it means I am to dress her with the items mentioned ... :) ] As for eating .. she gives me a woe begone expression and tells me so soulfully "Mom - you never feed me " .. I more often than not fall for this appeal . Who can resist that tone and those guileless eyes ?
Now I realize - her mobility has come a full circle !!!! :)

Am just wondering when she is going to say she is tired of talking ..... :) May be then I will get a chance to talk to my hubby without interruptions .... :)

Sojourn to Lakshadweep

To say Lakshadweep is stunning is an understatement ! However one cannot help but rave about the place - the views are fabulous , the water is that wonderful shade of turquoise, the beaches are pristine clean , the beach sand is unbelievably soft, the islands are not commercialised beyond recognition and the water sports are great. Scuba diving off these coasts is a must - the waters are so clear that even snorkerlling will ensure you can view the amazing coral life.

We went on the Coral Reef Package from SPORTS. Went on the 2 island tour - we did Kavaratti and Minicoy. The cruise ship is no cruise though ! :) It is a passenger ship which is the only mode of transportation from the islands to the mainland ( Cochin ) .. you get to see the transportation of goods/materials etc in plenty ! :). However the entire trip is very well organized especially considering it is a govt undertaking. We need a permit to go to the islands. And no souvenir shops ! Amazing that the place is so unspoilt.

Since we went just after Chaitu's Brahmopadesham - we got designer tans :) The henna covered areas remained untanned .. so we are still sporting the mehendi designs albeit differently :)