Think Like a Monk Summary | Jay Shetty
The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and Be Happy Now
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Jay Shetty’s Perspective
Jay Shetty is an award-winning host, viral content creator, motivational speaker, and author. Jay launched his YouTube channel in 2016 to provide wisdom videos. Four years later, he has obtained over four billion views on YouTube and has over 20 million followers globally. On top of this, Jay was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30.
Jay’s life was changed when he met a monk at the age of 18. Jay started redefining success for himself and wanted to serve others. At age 22, he spent three years traveling across India and Europe as a monk. His daily routine was waking up at 4 a.m., taking cold showers, meditating, and eating. He would meditate approximately 4-8 hours daily. Half of Jay’s day would be spent on personal growth, and the other half serving others. Today, he has moved back into society. However, he aims to help people apply the monk mindset to busy city life.
Synopsis
Think Like a Monk includes a combination of ancient wisdom and Jay Shetty’s personal experiences. The aim of Think Like a Monk is to help individuals apply a monk mindset to their lives. Think Like a Monk shows you how to clear the roadblocks to your potential by overcoming negative thoughts, accessing stillness, and creating true purpose. It can be challenging to apply the lessons of monks to busy lives. However, Shetty provides advice and exercises to reduce stress, improve self-discipline and focus, and maintain relationships in the modern world.
StoryShot #1: Jay Met a Monk While at College
Shetty had a friend in college who asked him to attend a session with a monk. At the time, Shetty was reluctant. He did not believe the monk would know anything he did not already understand about the world. He still agreed to attend this lecture with his friend. To his surprise, he was immediately inspired by the monk. He was shocked by the passion with which the monk spoke about the importance of service. Shetty was so impressed he asked to meet the monk personally and eventually made the decision to become a monk. He is not expecting readers to become monks. He would like them to think like a monk.
StoryShot #2: Create Deliberate Values to Form Your Identity
Our identity is like a mirror covered in dust. We have no idea who we are, what we want to be, who we seek, and what we want to value. This is due to the dust that obscures our vision. Shetty explains that cleaning your mirror will not be a pleasant experience. That said, only once you have removed the dust obscuring your mirror can you see your true reflection. Removing the dust allows you to see who you truly are.
Shetty distinguishes between detachment and attachment. Attachment is wanting something to happen in a particular way. Detachment occurs when you want something to happen in the best way. The problem with attachment is that you think you know the best way.
We need to be more deliberate about the values we follow because our values guide us in life. Shetty uses the example of method actors like Heath Ledger and Daniel Day-Lewis. These actors would utilize method acting to better adopt the role they were playing in a movie. But, they would often feel lost after leaving this role. They had started to adopt the identity of their character. Shetty explains the same concept is experienced by individuals who do not have deliberate values. If you are continually following your life based on projects rather than your purpose, you will be lost when these projects fail.
You are not at the end of your last journey when you choose purpose over projects. Instead, you are at the beginning of who you’re going to become.
StoryShot #3: Pursue Higher Values
Shetty describes two types of values with differing outcomes. He encourages readers to pursue higher values, including gratitude, service, truthfulness, and compassion. These higher values are what will give you happiness, fulfillment, and meaning. In comparison, Jay Shetty suggests readers avoid lower values. Examples of common lower values include greed, lust, anger, and envy. The outcome of these lower values is a combination of anxiety, depression, and suffering.
StoryShot #4: Use Mistakes as Fuel to Create Protective Shields
You need to learn to encourage a culture of compassion, specifically self-compassion and self-forgiveness. Choosing this approach rather than dwelling on negative actions can have a significant impact on your life. Instead of beating yourself up about your mistakes, you should be trying to build the muscles to help you be resilient. If you feed your resilience effectively, then you will be happy irrespective of what life brings you.
You need to put on your protective shield. You should not walk onto the battlefield of life without doing your training and shielding.
StoryShot #5: Use Sights, Scents and Sounds to Tackle Life’s Struggles
Think about the first thing you see in the morning. Studies suggest 80% of people see their phone before their partner in both the morning and evening. Make the first thing you see in the morning a quote you love, a work of art that inspires you, or a picture of your family that means a lot to you. Making these things the first thing you see in the morning will help you pause and think. Looking at your phones first means you start your day by reacting to other people’s agendas.
Shetty talks about the power of smell. There is a reason that spas use smells like lavender and eucalyptus. These scents help create positivity and relaxation that helps protect you from negativity.
Finally, Shetty talks about how irrelevant sounds can increase your cognitive load. While living in New York, the author was starting to feel exhausted for no true reason. After reading academic articles, he learned how having irrelevant sounds in your environment could increase cognitive load. You are wasting 80% of your cognitive load if you have news on in the background or loud drilling nearby. Seek to create an environment where you are intentionally creating sound—for example, choosing music that uplifts you and gives you energy.
StoryShot #6: Spot, Stop and Swap
Addressing negativity involves awareness, addressing and amending. Shetty then breaks these three actions down into three simple Ss: spot (awareness), stop (addressing), and swap (amending). This is the way that stoics used to approach negativity. Firstly, you need to learn to spot negative thoughts as they arise. Once you have spotted the negative thoughts, you can start considering how you can stop them. For example, are these negative thoughts associated with a specific environment or activity? Finally, you should swap the time you spend within these negative environments with something productive. Upgrade this time to an action that can be associated with a higher purpose.
StoryShot #7: Fear Is Driven By Attachment and Control
According to Shetty, the root cause of fear is an obsession with attachment and control. Therefore, the cure for fear is detachment. Detachment is not that you own nothing, but that nothing owns you. Detachment does not mean you should be indifferent to life and the things around you. Instead, you should completely avoid letting objects control your decisions. These objects are called “preferred indifferents”. It is acceptable to prefer having these things in your life. That said, you do not need these things to be happy.
Think Like A Monk FAQ
What is the book Think Like a Monk about?
Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty is a self-help book that explores ancient wisdom and provides practical strategies to help readers find purpose, overcome negative thoughts, and create a meaningful life.
Can you provide a summary of Think Like a Monk?
Think Like a Monk offers insights from Jay Shetty’s experiences as a monk and combines them with modern research to guide readers on their journey toward personal growth, mindfulness, and living a purposeful life.
How can Think Like a Monk help me in my daily life?
Think Like a Monk provides practical tools and techniques to cultivate mindfulness, manage stress, and develop a positive mindset. It offers guidance on prioritizing values, setting goals, and building deeper relationships.
Does Think Like a Monk provide actionable steps to implement the teachings?
Yes, Think Like a Monk offers actionable steps and exercises at the end of each chapter, allowing readers to apply the teachings to their own lives. These practical exercises help reinforce the concepts discussed throughout the book.
Who is the target audience for Think Like a Monk?
Think Like a Monk is written for a general audience seeking personal growth, self-improvement, and a deeper understanding of mindfulness and purpose. It is suitable for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
Yes, Jay Shetty has a website where readers can find additional resources, such as guided meditations, journal prompts, and reflection exercises, that complement the teachings in Think Like a Monk.
Has Think Like a Monk received any accolades or recognition?
Think Like a Monk has received positive reviews and has been featured on various media platforms. It has been praised for its practical insights, relatability, and ability to offer valuable guidance for personal growth.
Where can I purchase the book Think Like a Monk?
Think Like a Monk is available for purchase at major book retailers, both online and in physical stores. It can be found on platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores near you.
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I am really looking forward to starting with the “Think like a Monk” Just ordered it while reading the summary.
Hoping to learn so many good things in the coming days.
Thanks for the comment, Sanjana. I’m delighted to hear that. I hope it will enrich your life. Feel free to share your progress with us and the readers to inspire us.
I need this book, am in S A how can I get a hard copy
Thanks for your comment, Xoliswa. There’s a link at the bottom to the hard-copy.
it is better to thank the one who tries the best to help others, i thank you so much for setting your time apart to help a big number of people who may feel incompetence to read a book of many pages but this gives an insight of what the book is about and once taken seriously can bring a better change in life. thank you indeed
I am planning to buy this book.