Better's Blinkist

Tag: religion-spirituality

• Published by Be Better November 26th, 2020

  

  The Miracle Equation

  The Miracle Equation : The Two Decisions that Move Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probable, to Inevitable

  Your highlights:

  The author first discovered the miracle equation in his early twenties.

  After listening to Elrod’s presentation, she commented on what a lucky coincidence it was that he’d turned up at just that moment. She and her husband had agreed to buy a new set of knives after their US trip, and they were also looking for a present for her brother, a keen amateur cook. She bought two of Cutco’s "Ultimate Sets" on the spot. That was enough to push Elrod over his $20,000 target!

  1 August, 2019 09:54 Share

  Establishing unwavering faith is a conscious choice that both mentors and spirituality can support.

  Well, it’s what people sometimes call a "leap of faith." That has two aspects. First, it’s a leap because there’s no other way of getting there – neither reason nor evidence provides a clear route to your destination. Secondly, it doesn’t come naturally. As we’ve seen, there are all kinds of obstacles to self-belief. That means it has to be consciously established in a moment of decision.

  1 August, 2019 09:55 Share

  What keeps miracle mavens going when they’re faced with rejection and setbacks is unwavering faith: the unshakeable belief that they possess the ability to make miracles. But where does that faith come from?

  1 August, 2019 09:56 Share

  Then there are mentors. Before discovering the miracle equation, the author struggled with confidence issues. His Cutco mentor Jesse Levine, however, had an unshakable belief in his protégé’s abilities. At first, Elrod thought Jesse had simply made a mistake. But over time, that unwavering faith began to rub off on Elrod. Maybe, he started thinking, Jesse was right after all. Eventually, he became convinced that he really was capable of doing anything he put his mind to!

  1 August, 2019 09:57 Share

  Learning to define yourself can help you overcome biological and social limitations.

  That’s partly down to the way the adult human brain functions. When you get down to it, it’s a pretty ancient piece of our wiring. Like our prehistoric ancestors, we’re constantly scanning our environment for signs of danger. That’s rational enough if you’re a caveman – after all, if you’re not on your toes you might just end up being mauled by a mountain lion. Unfortunately, our brains aren’t very good at telling the difference between the anxiety triggered by a charging mammoth and, say, the prospect of moving to a new city for a job. That means we end up irra

  1 August, 2019 09:58 Share

  That’s partly down to the way the adult human brain functions. When you get down to it, it’s a pretty ancient piece of our wiring. Like our prehistoric ancestors, we’re constantly scanning our environment for signs of danger. That’s rational enough if you’re a caveman – after all, if you’re not on your toes you might just end up being mauled by a mountain lion. Unfortunately, our brains aren’t very good at telling the difference between the anxiety triggered by a charging mammoth and, say, the prospect of moving to a new city for a job. That means we end up irrationally rejecting opportunities.

  1 August, 2019 09:58 Share

  So how can we break out of these self-limiting patterns? Well, we need to start defining ourselves. That’s not so much about rejecting social labels as it is about refusing to see them as brakes on our capabilities. The author, for example, has been diagnosed with ADHD, but he refuses to let this diagnosis limit him. After all, ADHD makes focusing on tasks harder, but not impossible. And far from being a limit, it even has its upsides – after all, bouncing from one idea to the next can also be a highly effective creative strategy!

  1 August, 2019 09:59 Share

  The five-minute rule can help you achieve emotional peace when things go wrong.

  That’s something he learned from his Cutco mentor Jesse Levine. By the time of the crash, Elrod had been applying it every day for nearly two years. Here’s how it works: it’s okay to feel bad when things go wrong, but not for more than five minutes. When you suffer a setback, you set a timer and do whatever you need to – scream, cry, kvetch or punch a wall. Then, when the time’s up, you say, "Can’t change it" aloud and move on.

  1 August, 2019 09:59 Share

  Wallowing

  1 August, 2019 10:00 Share

  emotional pain isn’t caused by external events that are beyond our control, but by our responses. Wallowing, in other words, is a choice that keeps us trapped in experiences we’re powerless to alter. Letting go and accepting them, by contrast, lets us move on. In Elrod’s case, it meant he could fully focus on his recovery and, eventually, regain the use of his legs.

  1 August, 2019 10:00 Share

  Extraordinary effort is all about consistency and commitment.

  Consistency pays. Rather than using newfangled sales hacks, they were hitting their phones every day at the same time and making the same number of calls.

  1 August, 2019 10:04 Share

  Final summary

  And that’s where the miracle equation comes in: unwavering faith plus extraordinary effort equals miracles. In everyday terms, that means learning to overcome inborn cognitive limits, embracing your true gifts and putting in the hours necessary to realize your desires and ambitions.

  1 August, 2019 10:06 Share

  About the book:

  The Miracle Equation (2019) is a hands-on guide to living your best life and making your dreams come true. Drawing on the wisdom of miracle-makers old and new, best-selling author and motivational speaker Hal Elrod shows how highfliers achieve their success by adhering to two basic principles: unwavering commitment and extraordinary effort. Packed with actionable advice on everything from dealing with emotional pain to prioritizing goals, these blinks will help you put the past behind you and move toward a glittering future.

  About the author:

  Hal Elrod is a life coach, motivational speaker and author. After almost dying in a car crash and defying the odds to beat a rare form of cancer with a 20 to 30 percent survival rate, he knows a thing or two about miracles. Today, he uses his insights to help millions of people around the world overcome their own challenges and reach their full potential. His previous books include The Miracle Morning (2012).

  

  Blinkist takes outstanding nonfiction books and distills their key insights into made-for-mobile book summaries that you can read in just 15 minutes. Learn something new every day - on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

  blinkist.com

  

  Tags

  blinkist religion-spirituality personal-development
• Published by Be Better November 26th, 2020

  

  The Second Mountain

  The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life

  Your highlights:

  The freedom of individualism makes many people feel adrift, leading them to focus on the pursuit of material success.

  Feeling driftless in the open sea of an individualistic society, many young Americans feel desperate to find something to which they can anchor themselves. And that something often ends up being their professional lives. They try to find positions in companies that will provide them with a clear sense of structure, like the one they experienced at school. Go to work, put in long hours, please your bosses, gain promotions and achieve higher levels of status and wealth. This is the way of life that they embrace – a life of workaholism. And in pursuing status- and wealth-oriented ambitions, people are climbing the first mountain: the mountain of worldly success. Climbing the first mountain gives people a sense of purpose and direction, but it’s an unreliable path to fulfillment that ultimately comes at a great cost, as we’ll see in the next blink.

  7 June, 2019 05:37 Share

  The pursuit of material success eventually hits a dead end.

  summit

  7 June, 2019 05:38 Share

  Maybe you get knocked off the slope by some terrible event in your personal life, such as losing your job, getting divorced, developing a disease or experiencing the premature death of a family member. Or maybe you just get weary and decide to jump off the mountain rather than continue trudging onward. Perhaps you’re one of those people who reaches a breaking point with a meaningless-seeming job and simply walks away from it, never to return. Either way, you end up in the valley between the first and second mountains. The valley is a place of loss and suffering. Whether you lose a job, a loved one or some aspect of your health, you also lose your sense of direction, meaning and stability in life, which further deepens the pain you feel as a result. How do you ease your suffering? Well, some people try to blot it out with palliative activities like drinking, but these are only temporary solutions that create further problems of their own. A healthier response is to lean on friends and family members for support, whether by way of a sympathetic ear, kindly words of advice or simply a nice meal together.

  7 June, 2019 05:40 Share

  As an ultimate goal of life, happiness is a flawed objective.

  from the standpoint of individualism, the precise answer to that question depends on the individual’s personality. For one person, it could be a life of adventure. For another, it could be fame. But there’s a general desire that underlies most answers: in one way or another, we all just want to be happy. That might sound like a reasonable motive, but there’s a problem with it, and the problem lies at the heart of the phenomenon of happiness itself. Basically, when you feel happy, it’s because you’ve achieved one of your goals or fulfilled one of your desires. You earned that diploma. You got that promotion. You ate a delicious dinner. Happiness ensues, but not for long, because the afterglow of achievement and fulfillment soon fades away. Happiness is a temporary state. You achieve a goal or fulfill a desire, you feel happy for a little bit, the happiness dissipates, and then it’s time to move on to the next goal or desire. Thus, a life dedicated to the pursuit of happiness becomes a life of ceaselessly hopping from one short-lived episode of satisfaction to another, with long stretches of dissatisfaction in between.

  7 June, 2019 05:42 Share

  Instead of self-centered success and happiness, a life of service leads to self-transcendence and joy.

  transcendence

  7 June, 2019 05:45 Share

  But it gets even better. To the limited extent that you’re giving up on happiness, you’re also replacing it with something far more fulfilling: joy. What’s the difference between the two? Well, joy is a deeper, more permanent emotional state than happiness. And unlike happiness, it’s not about self-satisfaction or self-aggrandizement. On the contrary, it’s about self-transcendence. That means forgetting about yourself, focusing on others, finding delight in them, giving your time and energy to them, and making their lives better in the process of doing so. This will amplify your delight even further, since you’ll feel uplifted by seeing other people get uplifted.

  7 June, 2019 05:45 Share

  The Dalai Lama provides a vivid image of what joy looks like. The author was once at a dinner with him, and the most striking aspect of the man wasn’t the wisdom of his words, but his laughter. Periodically, he’d just start laughing for no apparent reason; he was simply so full of joy that he couldn’t contain it. And his laughter was contagious. The author couldn’t help but laugh along with him, even though there didn’t seem to be anything to laugh about!

  7 June, 2019 05:46 Share

  Living a life of service requires hard work, and a love for humanity alone is not enough to pull you through.

  And whether it’s maintaining deep, healthy and loving relationships with our friends, family or romantic partners, there are many additional problems to be solved in our personal lives as well, such as working through communication issues and finding the time for others in today’s hectic world. If you believe in a monotheistic religion, you’ve also got another problem on your plate: living a life of service to others while simultaneously living a life of service to God and your religious community. No pressure, then!

  7 June, 2019 05:49 Share

  About the book:

  The Second Mountain (2019) poses an age-old question: What’s the secret to living a joyful, meaningful and fulfilling life? David Brooks provides a provocative answer that rubs against the grain of present-day society: reject individualism and the almost totally unrestricted personal freedom it promises, and embrace a life of service to other people instead.

  About the author:

  David Brooks is a center-right columnist for the New York Times, where he writes about politics, culture and society. He is the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. He is a regular commentator on The PBS NewsHour, NPR’s All Things Considered and NBC’s Meet the Press. He also teaches at Yale University and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  

  Blinkist takes outstanding nonfiction books and distills their key insights into made-for-mobile book summaries that you can read in just 15 minutes. Learn something new every day - on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

  blinkist.com

  

  Tags

  blinkist mindfulness-happiness philosophy religion-spirituality
• Published by Be Better June 18th, 2020

  

  Search Inside Yourself

  Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)

  Your highlights:

  What’s in it for me? Understand the emotions of yourself and others.

  ut one of the most important determinants of professional success is actually emotional intelligence, which you can learn outside of school. These blinks will show you how to increase your emotional intelligence and guide you through the steps to becoming a better leader, coworker or partner. They will also reveal how mindfulness can improve your happiness.

  18 June, 2020 05:53 Share

  You must first develop your capacity to direct your attention as you see fit, and here mindfulness meditation is very useful. With this improved attention, you can get a better understanding of your own cognitive and emotional processes, increasing your self-knowledge. Finally, building on this foundation, you can establish good mental habits for yourself that will increase your happiness and effectiveness.

  18 June, 2020 05:54 Share

  The basic principle behind the methodology is a three-step approach: You must first develop your capacity to direct your attention as you see fit, and here mindfulness meditation is very useful. With this improved attention, you can get a better understanding of your own cognitive and emotional processes, increasing your self-knowledge. Finally, building on this foundation, you can establish good mental habits for yourself that will increase your happiness and effectiveness.

  18 June, 2020 05:54 Share

  In these blinks, you’ll discover the different types of emotional intelligence; how meditation benefits your happiness; and that empathy can save your relationships.

  18 June, 2020 05:55 Share

  Emotional intelligence is one of many different types of intelligence.

  Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist at Harvard, was the first to propose a theory of multiple intelligences. He argued that a child who lacked skills in math, but showed talent in languages or the arts, for example, should still be considered intelligent. To illustrate his argument, Gardner came up with a list of different types of intelligence, which includes among other items intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence. Having intrapersonal intelligence means being aware of your own inner feelings, values and goals. Interpersonal intelligence, on the other hand, involves awareness of the feelings, emotions and motivations of others.

  18 June, 2020 06:05 Share

  The author of the book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, grouped emotional intelligence into five categories: Self-awareness is your knowledge about your internal state and about your preferences, resources and intuition. Self-regulation is the ability to control your impulses, resources and state of mind. Motivation is the emotional ability to steer yourself toward your goals. Empathy is your awareness of others’ feelings, needs and concerns. And the final category is social skills: your ability to influence others.

  18 June, 2020 06:06 Share

  Through emotional-intelligence training, Duane realized that he needed more time for himself and reduced his workdays to four a week. With one less day of work, he found the time to focus more on his well-being, and became motivated to accomplish more while doing less. He became a better listener, learned how to regulate his temper and to understand situations from different perspectives. As a result, Duane became a more effective manager, not only improving his life, but also the lives of those who worked for him.

  18 June, 2020 06:07 Share

  With practice, emotional intelligence can drastically improve your work performance.

  One advantage of developing your emotional intelligence is that it can lead to better work performance. For example, a higher level of motivation – one of the five categories of emotional intelligence – increases optimism, which in turn will improve your performance at work, as shown by a study conducted in the 1980s by American psychologist Martin Seligman. He found that, in their first year of sales, optimistic insurance agents outperformed their pessimistic colleagues by 8 percent and by 31 percent the following year. The study demonstrates that emotional competencies such as optimism can have a considerable effect on employee performance. Understanding and possessing emotional intelligence can also make you a better leader.

  18 June, 2020 06:08 Share

  Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a case in point. In the beginning, Scrooge demonstrates very low levels of intrapersonal emotional intelligence, and, despite his wealth, he is unable to feel happy. As you likely recall, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, who each seek to counteract his poor self-awareness. In the end, by coming to terms with his thoughts and actions, Scrooge succeeds in improving his emotional intelligence. You, too, can improve your emotional intelligence – even without the help of supernatural visitors. So let’s look at some real-world techniques on how you can achieve that.

  18 June, 2020 06:09 Share

  Meditation improves concentration, relaxation and alertness, and it makes us happier.

  Meditation might seem like something magical, but it’s really nothing more than a mental workout. Just as the many training machines at the gym are designed to exercise different muscles, so different types of meditation are designed to exercise different parts of your mind. The best mental training for developing emotional intelligence is called mindful meditation, or just mindfulness. It improves our concentration by training both our attention and meta attention.

  18 June, 2020 06:11 Share

  Attention, as defined by the late nineteenth-century psychologist William James, is "taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form." Conversely, meta attention is "attention of attention." It’s your ability to realize when you’re paying attention, or when your attention has wavered. To demonstrate this, imagine riding a bicycle. When cycling, you maintain your balance with lots of micro-recoveries. If the bike leans one way, you adjust yourself to the other side, and vice versa. Performing these micro-recoveries keeps you upright and balanced, creating the sensation of a smooth ride. The same goes for attention. When your meta attention is trained well, you can perform a micro-recovery every time you begin to lose focus, bringing your attention back to the task at hand. Doing this often enough will lead to long periods of deep concentration.

  18 June, 2020 06:11 Share

  mindfulness also clears your head and helps you become more relaxed. Picture a pot of water, full of sediment, that’s constantly being stirred, causing it to turn cloudy. If you stop stirring and leave the pot alone, the water will become calm and clear, and the sediment will sink to the bottom. Similarly, when you relax your mind, your stresses and anxieties will sink to the bottom, allowing you to see more clearly.

  18 June, 2020 06:12 Share

  clearing your mind through meditation helps it reach its natural state of happiness. To get started with mindfulness meditation, find a comfortable sitting position where you feel relaxed and alert at the same time. Start by taking three slow, deep breaths and then begin to breathe naturally. Now focus your attention on your breath. This can mean observing, for example, the rise and fall of your abdomen or the sensation in your nostrils. Whenever you find your attention has drifted, gently bring it back to your breath. You can do this for ten minutes or however much time feels right to you.

  18 June, 2020 06:12 Share

  About the book:

  Search Inside Yourself (2012) teaches how the power of emotional intelligence and mindfulness can be harnessed to thrive both personally and professionally. Tan’s teachings are based on years of research and afford you the opportunity to improve your happiness, creativity and productivity.

  About the author:

  Chade-Meng Tan, who spent years promoting mindfulness at Google, is an award-winning engineer, Nobel Prize nominee and founder of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. In 2010, he delivered a TED talk on compassion at the United Nations. In 2013, he was invited to give a speech on kindness at The White House.

  

  Blinkist takes outstanding nonfiction books and distills their key insights into made-for-mobile book summaries that you can read in just 15 minutes. Learn something new every day - on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

  blinkist.com

  

  Tags

  blinkist mindfulness-happiness religion-spirituality
• Published by Be Better May 22nd, 2020

  

  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A guide to using ancient practices to improve your quality of life and achieve your goals

  Your highlights:

  What’s in it for me? Change your view of life by reading a mystic fable.

  Now imagine you were told a fable so powerful that it made you sell your most prized possessions and leave behind the life you’ve accustomed yourself to. What kind of fable could be so persuasive? Well, these blinks unfold a fable with the power to change the way you look at life. It concerns the life of a fictional lawyer who ends up selling his Ferrari and becoming a monk.

  22 May, 2020 05:54 Share

  You’ll also learn why your mind is like a garden; how the image of a lighthouse will help guide you to a better life; and what a sumo wrestler can help you remember.

  22 May, 2020 05:54 Share

  While working as a wealthy, high-power lawyer, Julian Mantle had a spiritual awakening.

  However, underneath it all, he was struggling. His workload was far too heavy for him to handle. Each day there was a new, important case for Mantle to take on and he approached every proceeding diligently. Eventually, the stress became too much for him, and one day Mantle suffered a severe heart attack and collapsed in the courtroom.

  22 May, 2020 05:55 Share

  In fact, no one at his firm heard from him after his heart attack. Rumor had it that he’d moved to India in search of some answers and a simpler life – and, indeed, that’s exactly what he had done. Before moving, Mantle sold his mansion and his Ferrari; he was sure that his quest for meaning was more important.

  22 May, 2020 05:55 Share

  Mantle had been traveling from village to village in India by foot. On his journey, he had learned about yogis who seemed to defy aging. In Kashmir, he had heard about the Great Sages of Sivana. And these new discoveries inspired him to venture to the Himalayan Mountains, where he came across the monks that lived there.

  22 May, 2020 05:57 Share

  A mystical fable teaches the seven principles of the Sivana System.

  He was taught all of this on one condition – that he’d return to where he came from and spread the word. And this is why he went back to his law practice: to teach the life-changing Sivana System.

  22 May, 2020 05:58 Share

  In the middle of the garden is an enormous red lighthouse. But the tranquility is suddenly disturbed by a sumo wrestler who comes striding out of the lighthouse door. Nine-feet tall and weighing 900 pounds, the wrestler is clad in nothing but a pink wire cable to cover his modesty. While wandering around the garden, he stumbles upon a golden stopwatch. Out of curiosity, he puts it on – and immediately loses consciousness and crashes to the ground. Eventually, he awakens and is filled with energy thanks to the fragrance of the surrounding yellow roses. He quickly leaps up and looks to his left; to his amazement, he sees a path covered with diamonds. Entranced, he walks along it. And this path leads him to everlasting bliss and joy.

  22 May, 2020 05:59 Share

  Finding fulfillment is a matter of mastering your mind.

  The garden from Yogi Raman’s fable represents the mind. A lot of people end up littering their mental gardens with waste – that is, negative thoughts or fears. The first virtue of the Sivana System, then, is to control your mind. You have to tend to your mental garden, and the best way to take care of it is to stand guard at its gates. Only let pleasant, positive thoughts in and ban the detrimental ones.

  22 May, 2020 06:01 Share

  But how do we get our minds to focus solely on fulfilling thoughts? Well, we all have the ability to choose what we think about, so it all comes down to exercising our minds like a muscle. The first step is to boost your concentration. There’s a technique for improving your ability to focus that the Sages of Sivana call The Heart of the Rose.

  22 May, 2020 06:02 Share

  Try to perform this on a daily basis, each day spending a longer period of time enjoying the rose. Eventually, you’ll find it easier to command your thoughts. You’ll stop worrying and instead be filled with a sense of calm and joy.

  22 May, 2020 06:02 Share

  To lead a fulfilling life, you need a purpose to guide you.

  The Sages of Sivana have a clear sense of purpose, and therefore never waste time. They know that they have a duty to fulfill this purpose. When referring to their purpose, the monks use the Sanskrit word dharma – which means "life’s purpose." Dharma comes from the ancient belief that, while on earth, we each have a mission to complete. By honoring dharma, you can achieve lasting satisfaction and inner harmony.

  22 May, 2020 06:03 Share

  Here’s the five-step method developed by the Sages to achieve personal purpose: First, you must create a mental image of the outcome. If your goal is to lose weight, you’d envision a leaner, fitter version of yourself. The second stage is to place pressure on yourself, but in a good way. Pressure can be a wonderful source of inspiration as it can often push a person to realize their full potential. A great way to generate pressure is to tell others about your plan. The third step is constructing a timeline. To get your goal under way, you have to have a deadline in sight. The fourth step is what Yogi Raman dubbed the Magic Rule of 21. This is the idea that a new behavior becomes a habit after you’ve done it for 21 days in a row. The last step? Just enjoy the process!

  22 May, 2020 06:04 Share

  Constant self-improvement is key to a radiant life.

  Remember the sumo wrestler? Well, he represents a virtue in the Sivana System, too. This virtue is called kaizen, a Japanese word that means constant, never-ending improvement. It’s all about unlocking your potential.

  22 May, 2020 06:05 Share

  Let the sumo wrestler serve as a hefty reminder of kaizen!

  22 May, 2020 06:06 Share

  For this virtue, the Sages created ten steps known as the Ten Rituals of Radiant Living. The first is the Ritual of Solitude, and it stipulates that your daily routine must feature a moment of silence. This is so that you can calm your mind and access your creativity. Second is the Ritual of Physicality. The aim of this stage is to get your body moving. By caring for your body, you ultimately care for your mind. Next is the Ritual of Live Nourishment. You should only eat live foods, so it’s best to follow a vegetarian diet. Fourth is the Ritual of Abundant Knowledge. Throughout your life you should keep learning – so find a way to keep your mind stimulated by reading or studying. The fifth is the Ritual of Personal Reflection. This is about looking at the way you behave on a daily basis. Could you have done anything better today? Sixth is the Ritual of Early Awakening. This one’s tough for those who enjoy sleeping in, because the idea is to sleep for around six hours and to rise with the sun. Next up is the Ritual of Music. It’s wonderful to listen to music as much as you can because it lifts your mood. Number eight is the Ritual of the Spoken Word. This is about creating a personal mantra to inspire you. Ninth is the Ritual of a Congruent Character. The point of this step is to make sure that you always follow your principles. Last is the Ritual of Simplicity. Conduct a simple life and focus on your priorities and meaningful activities.

  22 May, 2020 06:06 Share

  About the book:

  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (1997) offers a remedy to the problems of modern life. A fable, it tells the story of the enlightenment of ex-lawyer Julian Mantle and gives advice on how to live a happier, more rewarding and enlightened existence.

  About the author:

  Robin S. Sharma, a former lawyer, is widely recognized professional speaker in the field of life improvement and leadership. His other books include Megaliving: 30 Days to a Perfect Life and The Saint, the Surfer, and the CEO.

  

  Blinkist takes outstanding nonfiction books and distills their key insights into made-for-mobile book summaries that you can read in just 15 minutes. Learn something new every day - on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

  blinkist.com

  

  Tags

  blinkist religion-spirituality
• Published by Be Better May 19th, 2020

  

  Who Will Cry When You Die?

  Who Will Cry When You Die?: Life Lessons from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

  Your highlights:

  What’s in it for me? Attune yourself to a life of success and help others as you do it.

  Self-improvement is all well and good, but for it to be really successful, it’s important also to think about the impact you have on loved ones, your community, and society as a whole.

  19 May, 2020 05:31 Share

  In these blinks you’ll learn: what the Romans thought about exercise; how to make your commute more productive; and precisely how many more hours you’ll live because of exercise.

  19 May, 2020 05:32 Share

  Maintaining perspective and practicing self-discipline will help you to lead a successful and happy life.

  The famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking liked to tell people a simple story. We humans live on a small planet, which circles a very ordinary star, somewhere on the edge of a galaxy that is just one galaxy among hundreds of billions. He’s basically saying that we need to get some perspective: don’t take things so seriously.

  19 May, 2020 05:33 Share

  For instance, say that someone doesn’t hold the doors for you as you approach an elevator. Sometimes, even a minor offense like this is enough to make you fly into a rage about how nobody respects you. But you needn’t. The best answer is to shift perspective and realize that none of this has anything to do with you. Most likely the elevator user was just absentminded or in a bad mood. Don’t pay it any mind. Just go about your day with all the optimism you can muster. Instead of stewing in your own fury, let your goodwill toward others shine out.

  19 May, 2020 05:33 Share

  You’ll find that if you’re disciplined, your life becomes easier. There’s a good reason for this. Life often means fighting your way through difficulties no matter how tricky they seem. Imagine what would happen if you gave up on your friends as soon as you had a fight with them. Before long, you’d have no friends, which would make your life even more difficult. On the other hand, if you’re self-disciplined enough to stick with your friends and talk through difficulties with them, not only will you learn much along the way, but you’ll get to keep the friends, too.

  19 May, 2020 05:34 Share

  For a happier life, be honest with other people and learn how to deal positively with failure.

  Keep tabs on it. Jot down how often you tell little fibs just to avoid confrontation or to make yourself liked.

  19 May, 2020 05:35 Share

  you should try to adopt an approach that makes honesty central to your life.

  19 May, 2020 05:35 Share

  The next stage is to dedicate yourself to being completely honest for a whole week. The simple aim is to be true to your word, whether with yourself or others

  19 May, 2020 05:36 Share

  You’ll be surprised at just how happy it will make you to keep your promises, especially if you’re unaccustomed to it! There’s another basic rule that's really useful in making happiness part of your life: learn to cope with failure and difficulties. That’s not as negative as it sounds; actually, difficult experiences teach you the best lessons

  19 May, 2020 05:36 Share

  Just look at people who’ve endured serious illness. In the author’s experience, it’s they who turn out to be happiest and healthiest later in life. That’s because they learned how to care for themselves in the most difficult circumstances, and so have a deeper understanding of life. There’s a related trick: put simply, life is better when you take risks and live fully. You may often fail, but that’s much better than living out a life of boring mediocrity.

  19 May, 2020 05:37 Share

  "Failures" such as those are actually rich experiences that can be put to good use later in life – often in finding your alternative career path!

  19 May, 2020 05:38 Share

  A meaningful life entails focusing on what’s essential, but don’t forget to reward yourself with regular breaks.

  you need to get your priorities in order. Otherwise, you’ll find other people’s demands and requests will swallow you up. Above all, if you work out what’s essential and important to you, then your life will become more meaningful as a consequence

  19 May, 2020 05:39 Share

  The story goes that there once was a sword-maker who was so talented that he was charged with forging swords for the rulers of China. One of these kings was so impressed by his weapons that he went to the sword-maker and asked him what the secret to his success was. Much to the king’s surprise, the answer wasn’t that the sword-maker had mastered a secret and mystical skill. No, the sword-maker simply replied that he had dedicated his life to his work. Every waking hour for the previous 20 years had been spent perfecting his art.

  19 May, 2020 05:39 Share

  Just think of the world-renowned basketball player Michael Jordan. He didn’t personally secure his own contracts, pick out his suits, or work out the nitty-gritty of his travel arrangements. He had personal assistants and lawyers to take care of all of that. His own job was kept simple. His energy and time were to be spent training and playing basketball.

  19 May, 2020 05:40 Share

  Meaning also comes from other areas of life. Deep friendships and relationships will help, as will giving yourself time to relax. So while focusing on meaningful life goals will take you a long way, be sure to give yourself time off regularly so you can enjoy life’s other meaningful aspects. Your family will certainly thank you for it!

  19 May, 2020 05:40 Share

  free time doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Be sure to include regular time off in your weekly schedule. There’s a term for this: sabbaticals. Originally, these were religious holidays devoted to contemplation and prayer. But the same principle still applies: you need time to step back from life and relax.

  19 May, 2020 05:42 Share

  Remember how to enjoy life by imitating children and by taking good care of your body.

  But there’s actually much to be said for children’s unapologetic liking for what gives them the most joy. As adults, we should imitate children in order to relearn to love life.

  19 May, 2020 05:43 Share

  hink of all the energy that goes to waste doing things we hate – whether it’s paying bills, organizing cupboards, updating resumes, filling out tax forms, or just worrying. These things just drain the fun out of life. Needless to say, some of those things have to be done, but that doesn’t mean you should invest any more than the absolute minimum of attention in them. A good strategy for shifting your focus away from the drudgery of these day-to-day tasks is to remind yourself of what you actually like to do.

  19 May, 2020 05:43 Share

  Eating ice-cream, rollerblading, dressing up, or playing with your pet are all activities you can enjoy no matter your age.

  19 May, 2020 05:43 Share

  you have to take good care of your body. In ancient Rome, people were well aware that a healthy mind was only really possible if the body was healthy too. That still holds true today, especially if you want to enjoy life.

  19 May, 2020 05:43 Share

  for each hour of exercise people undertook, they added, on average, three hours to their life span.

  19 May, 2020 05:44 Share

  Remember that since life is a process, focusing solely on goals may be counterproductive.

  In reality, it’s the process that goes into achieving goals that is really of use. It allows us to develop and mature.

  20 May, 2020 05:50 Share

  . Rather than toasting to the big result, really try to acknowledge the whole process, and how it has shaped you.

  20 May, 2020 05:50 Share

  say you’ve been learning to drive and you've passed your test. Of course you should celebrate the impression you made on the examiner, and earning your license, but remember the equally important process you’ve been through. Along the way, you’ve taken responsibility for yourself and others, you've gained independence, and you’ve trained your powers of coordination. A key component of positive change is self-awareness.

  20 May, 2020 05:51 Share

  You too should take the same approach. A key part of the dynamic is to recognize areas of weakness en route. Being conscious of them is the first step to improvement!

  20 May, 2020 05:52 Share

  Recognize the value of time and learn to control your emotional reactions.

  Most people amble through life as though time were unlimited. That’s why people often procrastinate, too. And you’d be amazed just how much time you waste on life admin, hobbies, vacations, or just staring into the air.

  20 May, 2020 05:54 Share

  Just think of any occasion when you’ve rehashed an old argument to yourself long after it’s over. Your partner or colleagues couldn’t care less! They’ve long forgotten it, but you’re still wasting time mulling it over.

  20 May, 2020 05:55 Share

  And if your emotions are burning red-hot, then really take some time out. You need at least 30 minutes to calm down; maybe a little meditation will help, too.

  20 May, 2020 05:57 Share

  Each one of us needs to appreciate the time that we have and ensure that we plan tasks accordingly. A good start is to work out which activities are important to you and incorporate them into your daily routine. Meditation, skills acquisition, care of the home or project work can all find a spot in the schedule. You just need to make sure you keep to your schedule and don’t let your plans drag on. Time management is one way to stay happy. But if you complement this approach with emotion management, you’ll find yourself happier still. Think about it: if you unleash negative emotions on the world, you’ll not only waste a load of time, but it’ll also lead to all sorts of negative consequences. All those friendships you’ve spent years nurturing? Poof! Too many tantrums, and you may lose them.

  20 May, 2020 05:57 Share

  Connecting with nature and making use of your commute will ensure happiness and success.

  If you live in a town or city, you’ll know the feeling: everything seems to happen all at once. That’s what it is to be overloaded. But things used to be different. Think about just how much information is in one copy of the New York Times. If you lived in seventeenth-century England, it would take a whole lifetime to be exposed to the same amount of material. Given all of that, it’s critical that you take the opportunity to turn off your brain for a little while every now and then and relax.

  20 May, 2020 05:58 Share

  A great way to foster relaxation and happiness is to connect with nature

  20 May, 2020 05:59 Share

  A beautiful park or the woods are places conducive to letting the mind relax. The sound of the wind rustling through the trees is enough to bring him into a meditative state.

  20 May, 2020 06:00 Share

  It may seem like an effort to get close to nature. But you can make it easier by incorporating a little greenness into your daily commute, for example by walking through a park.

  20 May, 2020 06:00 Share

  If you’ve got a radio or a smartphone, you can use that time to listen to educational audiobooks or podcasts. And if you’re on public transport, you can do all kinds of constructive things, from meditation to reading. If you use your commute for self-improvement, then you’ll soon begin to reap the benefits. There’s really no reason to spend those hours idling and daydreaming!

  20 May, 2020 06:00 Share

  Rather than complaining, focus actively on what you can bring to the world.

  We all love it when we can gripe about something, but sometimes it can go too far. You know the type of person – someone who is always sighing, complaining that he or she doesn’t have enough time to work out or learn a new language or skill. But such complaining has little to do with the real world. It’s just the result of a negative mindset. If that’s you, then you’ll be pleased to know that just by being a bit more proactive, you can get out of the rut.

  21 May, 2020 05:51 Share

  Griping about pollution will get you nowhere, but proactive recycling and carbon footprint reduction will make some difference.

  21 May, 2020 05:51 Share

  And if you feel that the economy’s stopping your career development in your company, then start polishing your CV or getting your portfolio ready to be sent out. If, say, you’re a designer, sit down and create a couple of new posters or object designs. Those first steps are critical. Once you see that change is possible, you’ll realize that complaining is just wasted energy.

  21 May, 2020 05:52 Share

  recognizing your own value to the world. So when you choose your vocation, think hard about what you can contribute to others’ lives.

  21 May, 2020 05:53 Share

  Knowing your worth will push you to get the well-paid and gratifying job you deserve. After all, you’ll know your efforts will truly be adding something to the world. Surgeons are the classic example here. A surgeon isn’t intrinsically better or cleverer than any other professional. But surgeons have spent countless hours working on highly specialized skills. Their expertise allows them to make contributions that are significant and life-altering. That explains why surgeons are seen as so valuable by society

  21 May, 2020 05:53 Share

  It’s never too late to begin. You, too, can work on acquiring rare skills that are needed in your community. Start reading, studying and preparing yourself to think originally.

  21 May, 2020 05:53 Share

  Final summary

  Ask yourself who will cry when you die. If you feel that few people will miss you, it may be time to make some changes. To give your best and to enrich other people’s lives takes a bit of effort, but it’s worth it. You should aim to find personal fulfillment and live your life to its full value. You can make an active change by using your time productively and recognizing what is most important to you. The best version of you is one that will surely be missed by others.

  21 May, 2020 05:54 Share

  Try some journaling. Keeping a journal is a great way to help you on your journey to self-growth. Note down what happens each day, and reflect on that. How might you improve on aspects that were less than perfect? As you process events in this way, you’ll become more and more conscious of your strengths and weaknesses. This awareness is a precondition for change and personal development. Once you know what you can improve, that’s when you can work on some positive strategies to help you toward that goal.

  21 May, 2020 05:54 Share

  About the book:

  Who Will Cry When You Die (1999) contains life wisdom that will help you lead a full and generous life. It provides advice and strategies for being the best version of yourself. This means that when you die, your loved ones will cry not simply because they miss you, but also because they are grateful for everything you contributed during your lifetime.

  About the author:

  Robin Sharma is a best-selling author specializing in leadership and personal fulfillment. He has published eight books, most famously The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, as well as The Greatness Guide. He is also a speaker and motivational coach who has worked with executives from international firms such as Microsoft, Nike, and FedEx.

  

  Blinkist takes outstanding nonfiction books and distills their key insights into made-for-mobile book summaries that you can read in just 15 minutes. Learn something new every day - on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

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