9 Life-Changing Lessons from a Monk
Are you looking for some life-changing lessons from a wise person like a monk? Then, this blog is for you. In this blog, I will be sharing 9 interesting lessons from the book “Life’s amazing secrets” written by Gaur Gopal Das. The author is one of the most sought-after monks and life coaches in the world. He shares his wisdom with millions of people across the globe through his YouTube channel and books. He is a former engineer who became a lifestyle coach and a motivational speaker. In this book, the author provides answers to some questions like – what are the secrets of happiness? How to find balance and purpose in life? This book is written in a light-hearted manner, and yet, it is thought-provoking.
Here are 9 wonderful lessons on life from this book. Let’s get started.
1. Be grateful: Being grateful in life is not easy but it is essential to a happy personal life. Gratitude is the first key to a healthy and happy life. It is something that should be practiced regularly. Take ten minutes every day and write down all the things you are grateful for. These 10 minutes of gratitude practice bring you joy and peace.
2. Don’t worry: Many of us tend to worry about things over which we have no control. This is a sheer waste of time and energy. The author demonstrates through a flow chart that there is no point in worrying about anything. This flowchart starts with the question, “Do I have a problem?” If the answer is no, then why worry? If the answer is yes, then the next question is, “Can I do something about it?” If the answer is yes, then why worry? If the answer is no, then why worry? So, the author tells us there is absolutely nothing in this world about which we should worry.
3. Incorporate spiritual practice into your routine: We are spiritual beings and spirituality is a basic need. Having a daily spiritual practice, where we connect with any form of God that appeals to us, brings us inner peace. So, incorporating the spiritual practice into our daily routine is important for our well-being. This also fills us with a purpose and relieves stress. There are various ways of connecting with God – prayer, meditation, mantra chanting, etc.
4. Be mindful while giving feedback: When the other person does something wrong, we tend to give feedback in a hurtful manner. This creates disharmony and hurt feelings in relationships. The author suggests we reflect on the below 4 questions before we give feedback to the other person.
1. Am I the right person to give corrective feedback?
2. Do I have the right motive to give corrective feedback?
3. Do I know the right way to give corrective feedback?
4. Is it the right time?
When we reflect on these questions and give feedback to the other person, our feedback becomes constructive and purposeful.
5. Make problems objective: When we view a problem as my problem or your problem, it causes guilt or anger. So, the author suggests we just think of a problem as ‘the problem’ instead of anyone’s problem. This objective approach to problems helps us to focus on finding solutions rather than blaming others or ourselves. When we blame anyone, we achieve nothing out of it other than disappointment and bitterness.
6. Compete with yourself: When we hear the word competition, we think it’s about competing with others. But competing with other people fuels envy and toxicity. Instead of competing with others, compete with yourself. This will inspire you to become better and give your best in life. This helps you achieve your full potential. Aspire to become better than what you were yesterday.
7. Find your purpose: Finding a purpose in life can be daunting. The Japanese model of Ikigai offers us a solution to find our purpose in life. As per Ikigai, when you find a profession that is an answer to the below 4 questions, that’s your purpose.
What do I love?
What am I good at?
What does the world need?
What can I get paid for?
Each one of us is blessed with an Ikigai and it’s up to us to discover it.
8. Love your job: Your job takes up 80% of your time. If you hate your job or you are unhappy about it, you are wasting a significant amount of your time in life. You can either love whatever you are doing or find something you love and focus on it. If it’s too late to find your Ikigai in life, think about the aspects of your job which you love. Focus on those things which you love in your job and try to make your job an enjoyable time.
9. Service: The purpose of life is to give to others. But remember, you can’t help others until you have helped yourself. Take care of yourself and also give to others. You can’t just give, give, give or receive, receive, receive. Giving and receiving need to be balanced. And service should start from home. Many will donate to charity organizations but don’t take care of the people close to them. Avoid this. Begin service with your family. Think about how you can help your family members physically and emotionally. But don’t stop service at your home. Extend it to strangers and the entire world in whatever capacity you can.
These are some beautiful lessons derived from this book.
In this book, the author brings in several real-life inspiring stories to teach these concepts of gratitude, service, finding purpose, etc in an easily understandable manner. These stories and the light-hearted approach of the author make this book a fascinating read. If you are looking to enrich your life, this book is a must-read. Life transforms when we pick up even 1 lesson out of these 9 lessons and implement it in our life. So, which lesson are you going to practice?
Wish you the best!
