The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Short Summary

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma is a very philosophical book. Its protagonist, Julian Mantle, doles out loads of advice, tricks and tips of living life to the fullest, to his ex-colleague and friend, John.

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The author intends to help the reader help himself reach his goals and live a happy and healthy life.

Overview of  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Julian Mantle was a successful lawyer, who leaves his practice after his health fails. He then joins the sages of Sivana in the mystical land of Sivana and discovers the path to enlightenment.

Mantle wants to share the secrets to lead an enriched life with his friend John, who was also his colleague in the past.

The fictional conversation between Julian and John is the core of the book where the author shares a number of techniques to help the reader live happily and healthily.

My understanding and summary:

Julian shares the following fable with John: ‘A Sumo wrestler comes out of a light house into a blossoming garden, wearing nothing but a pink wire cable. He spots a watch in the garden, wears it and suddenly falls down. After sometime, he is awakened by the fragrance of yellow roses and he follows the path covered with diamonds. This helps to easily remember the various principles to be followed in life to be happy.’

In short, this fable contains everything that the author has to say.

The main tips shared by Julian’s character in  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny are as below: (quoting the author’s words)

• “Assign a Dream Book for yourself. Divide it into separate sections for goals relating to the different areas of your life. For example you might have sections for your physical fitness goals, your financial goals, your personal empowerment goals, your relationship and social goals and, perhaps most importantly, your spiritual goals.”
• “Fill your Dream Book with pictures of the things you desire and images of people who have cultivated the abilities, talents and qualities that you hope to emulate; Then review this book daily, even for a few minutes. Make it your friend. The results will startle you.”

• “If you care for your mind, if you nurture it and if you cultivate it just like a fertile, rich garden, it will blossom far beyond your expectations. But if you let the weeds take root, lasting peace of mind and deep inner harmony will always elude you.”
• “To live life to the fullest, you must stand guard at the gate of your garden and let only the very best information enter. You truly cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought—not even one. Mind management is the essence of life management.”

• “When you run inspiring, imaginative pictures through the movie screen of your mind, wonderful things start to happen in your life. You must spend some time every day, even if it is just a few minutes, in the practice of creative envisioning.”

• “See yourself as you want to be.”

• “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. It doesn’t matter what other people say about you. What is important is what you say to yourself. Do not be concerned with the judgment of others as long as you know what you are doing is right. You can do whatever you want to do as long as it is correct according to your conscience and your heart.”

• “Kaizen Philosophy: This Japanese word means constant and never-ending improvement.”

• ‘The only limits on your life are those that you set yourself’ is a powerful quote from page 110 of the book.
• “When you dare to get out of your circle of comfort and explore the unknown, you start to liberate your true human potential. This is the first step towards self-mastery and mastery over every other circumstance in your life. When you push beyond your limits, you unlock mental and physical reserves that you never thought you had.”

• “Your daily schedule should include a mandatory period of peace. Commune with nature daily.”

• Some Rituals for well-being:
  • The Ritual of Physicality
  • The Ritual of Live Nourishment
  • The Ritual of Abundant Knowledge
  • The Ritual of Personal Reflection
  • The Ritual of Music
  • The Ritual of the Spoken Word
  • The Ritual of a Congruent Character
  • Ritual of Simplicity

Quotes from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari:

• “The fundamental principle to keep in mind is the importance of starting your day off well. The thoughts you think and the actions you take in the first ten minutes after waking up have a very marked effect on the rest of the day.”

• “When you control your thoughts, you control your mind. When you control your mind, you control your life. And once you reach the stage of being in total control of your life, you become the master of your destiny.”

• “When you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your own life in the process. When you take care to practice random acts of kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more meaningful.”

•  “Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Live for today — there will never be another one quite like it.”

Techniques to reach one’s goals

1) To master the mind

• The Heart of the Rose
• The Secret of the Lake
• Opposition Thinking

2) The Power of Self-Examination

• The 5 Step Method for Attaining Goals
• Have a clear vision of your outcome
• Create positive pressure to keep you inspired
• Never set a goal without attaching a timeline to it
• Allow 21 days for a new behavior crystallize into a habit
• Enjoy the process

3) Practice Kaizen

• The 10 Ancient Rituals for Radiant Living
• Do the Things You Fear

4) Live with Discipline

• The Vow of Silence
• Mantras / Creative Envisioning

5) Respect Your Time

• The Ancient Rule of 20
• Have the Courage to Say “NO”
• The Deathbed Mentality

6) Selflessly Serve Others

• Give to Those Who Ask
• Cultivate Richer Relationships
• Practice Daily Acts of Kindness

7) Embrace the Present

• • Practice Gratitude
  • Grow Your Destiny

• Live Your Children’s’ Childhood

You will have to look up each technique to learn more to use it effectively. Read the book and make notes for yourself.

All in all, the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a very good self-help book. At least a few tips and techniques can be used everyday, if all cannot be used immediately.

I hope my summary helps you decide to read the book entirely. It is a truly encouraging force to reach your goals.

Check out the book on Amazon. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.

Robin Sharma’s most helpful books

Also check out Robin Sharma’s The Secret Letters Of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. This book is like a continuation to The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and interesting as well.

Also read: eBook Vs. Paperback..which one do you prefer?