Why ‘Think Like a Monk’ Should be the First Book You Read in 2021
As devastating 2020 has been, we all hope that 2021 will be the year of healing and that much-awaited year of happiness. We all have found different coping mechanisms, and for me, one of my coping mechanisms was reading books.
As 31st December 2020 approached, Amazon, displayed ‘Think Like a Monk’ by Jay Shetty as a hot favourite, so I thought why not give it a shot. As the book arrived, I first glanced through the questions addressed at the back. They are:
How to find your purpose? How to overcome negativity? How to stop overthinking? Why does comparison kill love? How to use your fear? Why you can’t find happiness by looking for it? How to learn from everyone you meet? Why you are not your thoughts? Why kindness is crucial to success?
Each of these questions is something that I was thinking about in 2020.
When one is confined between four walls for months together, fear, anxiety, stress, and a deep sense of loneliness are just waiting there to wash over you thoroughly. As these questions seemed the most relevant to my current state of mind, I didn’t waste any time and just got straight into it.
This book is divided into three parts.
- Let go — it caters to some of my most favourite topics such as Negativity and Fear.
- Grow — this part focuses on the importance of Routine and the benefits of having a monk mindset.
- Give — where a great emphasis is given to Gratitude, Relationships and the act of Service.
Negativity was a constant companion for all of us in 2020. In this book, Jay Shetty teaches us how to deal with negativity in unique ways possible. He focuses on a concept known as ‘Spot’, ‘Stop’, ‘Swap’.
Here is how this works. Spot or identify the negative feeling. Stop and find out the root of that negative feeling, address it, and then Swap it with positivity feelings. I am not going to explain the details of how this works because I cannot explain it as beautifully as Jay Shetty does, so go and grab the book.
The Importance of Routine
The next thing that stuck with me is the importance of having a morning and evening routine.
As uncertain 2020 has been, we all have learnt that sticking to a schedule is the only way to keep ourselves sane. In the chapter of ‘Routine’, Jay Shetty explains “that the only way to find some certainty is to stick to a routine when nothing is certain”.
It gives you a sense of purpose about what that day has in store, and then you are not left wondering where your life is supposed to be.
A routine gives you a sense of calm and tells you to live in the present and take each day as it comes.
The perspective put forth by Jay Shetty on the importance of a routine helps you start your day as usual, but it forces you to find creativity in your routine. The way Jay Shetty explains it leaves a profound impact on you and how you can find happiness in a monotonous routine.
Gratitude
The last year has taught us that we have so many things to be grateful for and that if we took some time in the day to reflect on them, we would realise how lucky we are.
But how to put gratitude into practice?
Jay Shetty has the answer.
We all set intentions for the new year. We all have visions to achieve them. But in the process of doing so, we forget how to live each day. We get 365 days. But we only see 12 months. We get 24 hours in a day, but after our 9 to 5 routine, the rest many hours feel inadequate.
This book gives a whole new meaning of how different our lives can be if we adopt the monk mindset, how meditation can help us heal from the most painful traumas, how we are not our thoughts if we learn how to think the monk way, and how if we follow our true dharma with the intention of service we can find true happiness — Such vital insights and a lot more are discussed in this beautiful book.
If you have read it already, please go ahead and share your experience in the comments. For those who haven’t, well it’s never too late to get started. It may or may not have the same impact on you, but I can guarantee that the time you invest in this one will be worth it. As by the time you reach the end of the book, you will have learnt something to make your life a whole lot better than it is at this moment.
