Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
This book is a perfect beginner's book for growth. Although living like a monk seems overwhelming and unrealistic, he does a great job connecting the life of a monk to everyday situations. He guides you through specific journaling sessions or meditations that will help heal your mind of its suffering due to anxiety or materialistic happiness.
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Breaking your mind's conditions takes a lot of work, especially without the structure of living in an ashram. However, using the ancient teachings of Bhagavad Gita (“Song of God;” a vedic teaching within the Upanishads from 800-4– BCE), he utilizes it as a “universal and timeless life manual” that can be adapted into the real world (p. XIV). Keep this in mind that these universal truths can be applied to your life however you feel necessary.
Within his three part text, he teaches you the value of letting go, growing, and giving to others. He provides in depth exercises that go hand-and-hand with the lessons he provides. Take your time with this book as you go through the lessons and exercises to better understand yourself and how you’ve been self-sabotaging through negativity.
Read this Book if:
You are beginning your spiritual journey
Ready to improve your day to day life through intention
Ready to dive into your values and conditioning.
10 Things You Can Learn from Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
Let Go
By letting go of who we used to be, we allow space to fill our entire being with who we are meant to be. Learning to let go of the things we may find important due to values that don’t actually align with our souls. In this section, he dives into identity, negativity, fear, and intention. (Psssst, fear is a doozy!)
Grow
This section is the whole reason you clicked to read this blog, growth. Within this chapter he connects one’s purpose to their daily routines and how those are completely affected by the mind and ego. We’re not shy to understand that we can only change when we understand who we are. Dive into your own awareness and what works best for your highest SELF.
Give
The classic “attitude of gratitude” is the whole premise of this section. Once you are able to let your negativity go, you can allow for yourself to be of service to others while growing yourself. Be sure to utilize the information in this section in parts of your life that you feel are lacking. They will not disappoint.
Detachment
Letting go of either materialistic things or anxious thoughts that are not serving you, detachment was one of the hardest lessons for Shetty to learn within the ashram. As they slept on blankets on the floor, he quickly realized that he didn’t need everything he thought he did to be happy with who he was as a person. Using these lessons find time to adjust your attitude towards possessions.
Self-awareness
I have spent so much of my 20’s working on self-awareness. I used to brag about how aware I was of myself, but really, I was projecting insecurities. Use the exercises he gives to dive deep into who you truly are. Take your time within those exercises to really journal or meditate in your truth. This awareness will release you to the world as your highest self.
Dharma
Dharma is another word for “purpose.” I’ve written plenty on Sahara Rose’s book Discover Your Dharma, which these two definitely intersect. Finding your purpose is what all of us are searching for the moment we can have a complex thought about the bigger picture of life. Use his book to find your dharma.
Meditation
Although meditation is hard, especially for those starting their journey, he gives a meditation exercise at the end of every section that links to the lessons within. Remember, mediation takes time and try out the exercises more than once! Give yourself some grace, it takes even the most advanced mediators time to get into the flow
Negative Self-talk isn’t helping no one
Just stop negative self-talk. No one is in your mind but your ego or trauma talking down to you. YOU have the choice to talk better to yourself. He gives an exercise to tally the negative thoughts as they arrive. Much like tracking money, it keeps it at the forefront so you can learn to break the habit.
If you want to take it a step further, turn the negative thought into an affirmation as they pop up. Not only will you be aware of what you’re thoughts, you’ll have a tailored affirmation list!
Vedic Personality Test
This personality test, while being in the back of the book can be a short guide to help direct you in the right direction of your dharma. Take it lightly but maybe check out some careers that align with your results or evaluate ways you can show up like that within your daily life.
Four Types of Trust
Shetty touches on the different levels of trust and how they can intersect within relationships. They include competence, care, character, and consistency. These are observed through intentions and actions overtime. You might even have to ask yourself, “what is my genuine intention for getting involved in this relationship?”
The Self-Help Theory Official Review
Overall, I think this book has a great standing within the self-help whelm. Shetty has proven he has plenty to offer people through his monk ways. There was a lot within this book. He touched on a lot of resources that are out there. It was not my favorite by any means, but I did pull A LOT from it for my own research and to push forward deeper into the subject. That being said, his book is PERFECT for beginners at the start of their healing journey…I really want to read his next one since I feel it’ll be a better representation of his direct research and more in depth on one topic.
