Summary

Jay Shetty's "Think Like A Monk" is a self-help book that offers entrepreneurial guidance through monk-inspired principles of letting go, growing, and giving.

Abstract

"Think Like A Monk" by Jay Shetty is not just a spiritual guide but also a practical manual for entrepreneurs. It encapsulates lessons from Shetty's monastic life and presents them in a framework that can be applied to business and personal growth. The book is structured into three parts: "Let Go," which encourages entrepreneurs to release negativity, fears, and external expectations; "Grow," which focuses on finding one's purpose and developing discipline; and "Give," which emphasizes gratitude, humility, and trust as foundational for successful entrepreneurship. Shetty provides actionable advice, including meditation practices and the SPOT-STOP-SWAP method for eliminating negativity, and he underscores the importance of aligning one's passion, expertise, and usefulness to serve others.

Opinions

The book is praised for its ability to simplify complex entrepreneurial concepts into actionable and spiritual practices.
It is suggested that the book's structure mirrors fundamental business principles, making it a dual-purpose read for those seeking both personal and professional development.
The author's personal anecdotes and the inclusion of practical exercises are seen as enriching the reader's experience, akin to attending a retreat or workshop.
The concept of "Dharma" is highlighted as a key takeaway, offering a formula for aligning personal passion with a purpose that benefits others.
The importance of being present and disciplined is emphasized as crucial for entrepreneurs, with detachment from outcomes being a path to peace and sustained effort.
Gratitude and humility are presented as essential traits for successful entrepreneurship, fostering better relationships and a supportive business environment.
Trust is identified as a vital component for entrepreneurial success, necessitating the ability to rely on others to achieve common goals.

Jay Shetty’s Think Like A Monk Is The Simplest Entrepreneurial Handbook

The monk life and the hustle life are basically the same

“Hustle Within”. Photo by Sharad Sreenivas on Unsplash

Think Like A Monk.

That’s the name of Jay Shetty’s first-ever book. Jay is a world-famous purpose coach, content creator, and now a best-selling author. He also hosts the podcast On Purpose, which has had guests like Arianna Huffington, Adam Grant, and Matthew McConaughey.

Think Like A Monk was released in September 2020. In one of his podcasts, Jay describes that it took around 4 years from naming the book to publishing it. Think Like A Monk, like its tagline says, was meant to train the reader’s mind for peace and purpose every day.

The book describes the lessons that Jay learned from his time living as a monk, and how you can apply these lessons to your life. It is not your typical self-help book. Think Like A Monk is filled with both mind bombs and subtle truths, all illustrated through examples and incidents from Jay’s life at the ashram. The book is divided into 3 parts, and after each part, he presents the reader with an actionable meditation how-to’s.

Even though the primary aim of the book is to make your lives simpler, one crazy thought hit me about how Jay has split his book. As I said, the book has three parts:

Part 1 : Let Go.

Part 2 : Grow.

Part 3 : Give.

These three principles, along with the sub-topics under each part, are the simplest, most dumbed-down business discipline tips an aspiring entrepreneur can get.

Let me explain.

Part 1: Let Go

Jay describes the meaning of letting go in a lot of aspects. He speaks about letting go of your negativity, fear, and others’ idea about your identity. As an entrepreneur, this can relate to so many things. The book describes “letting go” in a more spiritual, introspective way. But letting go can mean different things to different people.

You can let go of your safe 9 to 5. You can let go of your inhibitions of pursuing your dream. You can let go of others’ judgment on your entrepreneurial idea.

“Letting go” is a vast topic, and it can be personalized to match an individual’s needs.

Think Like A Monk also defines how to spot the origin of the negativity that is in and around you. We’re introduced to a SPOT-STOP-SWAP method to uproot the negative elements out of your life — SPOT where the negative influence comes from, STOP to reflect on what is, and finally SWAP it with a positive process or action.

Entrepreneurs can refer to this section of the book to get a clearer picture of what it is that they’re chasing after. Is it something that you actually want to do? Or are you doing it only to appear cool in front of others? Because every entrepreneur knows that there’s nothing cool about the grind to achieving your dream.

Part 2: Grow

In this section of the book, Jay talks about finding purpose in your actions. He uses a very concise equation to find your Dharma — using your natural inclinations to create a positive impact on the world and serve others.

Passion + Expertise + Usefulness = Dharma

Wanting to be an entrepreneur is good, but you should always make sure that whatever venture you hope to begin aligns with what you’re capable of doing. If not, you’re simply wasting your potential and one day, you will get burnt out in the journey towards success and freedom.

This chapter also tells you the importance of having a routine, how to develop one, and how to stick to it. Jay speaks about being present every moment you’re awake, because “being present is the only way to live a truly rich and full life.”

The entrepreneurial life is all about discipline. Discipline doesn’t mean following a strict set of rules. It means making your own rules and sticking to them.

The chapter moves ahead by telling us about our mind, and how detachment is the true key to peace. Detaching, as described in the book, is a form of self-control. “The Gita defines detachment as doing the right thing for its own sake, because it needs to be done, without worrying about the success or failure.”

For an entrepreneur, the goal is key. You should hustle toward your true goal, or dharma, by detaching from your selfish goals. That overpriced sports car shouldn’t be the reason you wanted to be an entrepreneur. Being able to look down on some person that once questioned you shouldn’t be the reason why you want to be an entrepreneur.

Part 3: Give

This is easily the most important chapter of the book. Jay did save the best for the last.

Be grateful towards everything and everyone who has played some role in your path to success. It is a great mechanism to remind yourself to be humble, and always introspect how different your life would have been if the things that happened never did. Feeling the sense of gratitude is not enough. Expressing it while you get the chance is where the real game is.

Being humble also has its perks. You learn to let go of your ego. Your relationships will stop suffering because now you try to empathize with people instead of looking down on them.

Another important trait that every entrepreneur should own, but a lot of them still lack, is trust. Everyone equates possessing this trait to be “trustable”. The real deal is letting down your guard enough to trust others.

As an entrepreneur, there will be a moment where you’ll have to trust others. It might be a co-founder. It might be an employee. You would be used to getting things done on your own, but the real journey starts when you find like-minded people who share your same ambitions and goals, and you work together to get closer to your target.

Think Like A Monk goes in-depth on a lot of concepts that I’ve mentioned here. It is a great read if you’re stuck in finding a purpose for your life or to love and bring quality to your daily life.

The book also contains a lot of pictures and exercises that enrich your reading experience. The level at which the author connects to the reader is so deep, that when you finish this book, it is almost as if you’ve attended a retreat or a workshop!