On we travel with Robin Sharma through his book: "The Monk who sold his Ferrari". Today we are talking about what matters most, setting priorities, and making the most of our most precious commodity: time.
Balance around our priorities is the key concept.
Most of us either live frantically in the futur, planning and scheduling and dont stop enough to smell the roses or float through life without clearly defined goals and wonder where on earth all our days have gone when we havent achieved half of what we had wanted to do.
Mr Sharma is all for planning: " failing to plan is planning to fail." Slightly kitschy but does make the valid point that if we dont have the discipline to determine our priorities and focus our time around them, they are most likely to remain in the dream arena.
He refers back to the Pareto Principle which you may know as the "80/20" rule. That is the scientific fact that 20% of what we do leads to 80% of our results.20% of what you do will have an influence on the quality of your life. So be ruthless with your time and say no to the things which "waste' your time.
That does not mean rushing around hectically. That means determining which are the purposeful, meaningful things you want to focus your life on. Even if that means shutting down your computer and playing with total attention with a child, listening whole heartedly to a friend in need, honouring the values and fulfilling your life mission.
Goethe wrote:" Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
Robin Sharma urges us to simplify our lives: "Too mnay people are dreaming of some magical rose garden on the horizon, rather than enjoying the one growing in our backyards."
We need to cultivate a "deathbed mentality", making every moment count.Then all the little details which can make us so mad and are the cause of so much stress, just merge into insignificance in the background.
One of the simple quotations I like the most in his book is his recommendation to: "Never be a prisoner of your past, but the architect of your future."
Dont waste time fretting about past mistakes or events, learn from them and use them to build your future.
Here is to making it happen!
Monday 23 January 2012
Saturday 14 January 2012
Timeless virtue four: live with Discipline
Discipline, now that sounds painful.But Robin Sharma brings it down to a more human level by comparing self discipline and will power to a wire cable where each stem alone is not so resisitant but all these small components woven together create a cable stronger than iron. The sum is larger than the total of the constituent parts. What it means is that small, tiny acts of self discipline, woven together create " an abundance of inner strength". I like that idea! Anyone can develop a willpower of steel through a small daily training.
Having this self discipline provides us with a huge feeling of peace, knowing what is right and doing it daily.
"Don't race against others, race against yourself" he adds. In this way we both avoid pointless envy, worry and demotivation and pursue with passion and motivation a constant improvement on ourselves.Sounds like a good goal to have, in particular in January of a New year!
Remember what we said earlier in this blog" Will is the King of Mental powers. When you master your mind, you master your life." (The Monk who sold his Ferrari)
Based on old Eastern principles he is convinced that positive always overcomes negative. So even if the negative thoughts have usually won, pursue your fight with conviction and the positive ones will overcome. Once this train of thoughts is changed, and changed regularly, the path will become effortless. But at first it takes self discipline.
One tip he gives to cultivate this self-discipline is the use of mantras, repeating a few words:
" Words are the verbal embodiment of power.By filling your mind with words of hope, you become hopeful.By filling your mind with words of kindness, you become kind. By filling your mind with thoughts of courage, you become courageous."
He suggests this one. Sit somewhere quiet and still your mind, then repeat aloud over and over again: " I am more than I appear to be, all the world's strength and power rests inside me."
Self discipline starts with small steps, large journeys are covered in small steps.
Let's make it happen!
Having this self discipline provides us with a huge feeling of peace, knowing what is right and doing it daily.
"Don't race against others, race against yourself" he adds. In this way we both avoid pointless envy, worry and demotivation and pursue with passion and motivation a constant improvement on ourselves.Sounds like a good goal to have, in particular in January of a New year!
Remember what we said earlier in this blog" Will is the King of Mental powers. When you master your mind, you master your life." (The Monk who sold his Ferrari)
Based on old Eastern principles he is convinced that positive always overcomes negative. So even if the negative thoughts have usually won, pursue your fight with conviction and the positive ones will overcome. Once this train of thoughts is changed, and changed regularly, the path will become effortless. But at first it takes self discipline.
One tip he gives to cultivate this self-discipline is the use of mantras, repeating a few words:
" Words are the verbal embodiment of power.By filling your mind with words of hope, you become hopeful.By filling your mind with words of kindness, you become kind. By filling your mind with thoughts of courage, you become courageous."
He suggests this one. Sit somewhere quiet and still your mind, then repeat aloud over and over again: " I am more than I appear to be, all the world's strength and power rests inside me."
Self discipline starts with small steps, large journeys are covered in small steps.
Let's make it happen!
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