Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

by Jay Shetty

Don’t judge the moment. As soon as you label something as bad, your mind starts to believe it.

receive every moment as a gift. … This is when you stop long enough to ask yourself, ‘What’s the opportunity in this moment?’ You look for it and then take advantage of that opportunity. It’s as simple as that.”

It’s far better to express your gratitude in specific terms. The minute we are given even incrementally more detailed gratitude, the better we feel.

Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.”

To receive gratitude with humility, start by thanking the person for noticing. Appreciate their attention and their intention.

Taking a broader view helps us minimize our pain and appreciate what we have,

Too often we love people who don’t love us, but we fail to return the love of others who do.

We learn more from behaviors than promises.

With friends or colleagues, get into the habit of asking yourself, What can I offer first? How can I serve?

“The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family as one.”

The biggest mistake we make is to assume that everyone else operates just like us. We believe that others value what we value.

if we think everyone is a reflection of ourselves, we fail to see things as they are. We see things as we are.

I want you to feel grateful for the people you can trust and to feel honored by those who trust you.

Think like monks do, in terms of energy management not time management. Are you bringing your full presence and attention to someone?

Tell the important people in your life how you like to receive love. When we don’t tell people what we want, we expect them to read our minds and often judge them for failing to do so.

When we learn to love and understand ourselves and have true compassion for ourselves, then we can truly love and understand another person.”

You must find the strength to open the wounds, stick your hands inside, pull out the core of the pain that is holding you in your past, the memories, and make peace with them.”

The highest purpose is to live in service.

Selflessness is the surest route to inner peace and a meaningful life. Selflessness heals the self.

Studies show that when we pursue “compassionate goals”—those aimed at helping others or otherwise helping to make the world a better place—we’re less likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression than when we focus on improving or protecting our own status or reputation.

True service doesn’t expect or even want anything in return.

When I do something to serve you, and you’re happy, I’m happy.

The world isn’t with you or against you. You create your own reality in every moment.

There is no measure of success, no goal, and no end to a meditation practice. Don’t look for results. Just keep doing it. Practice consistently for four to twelve weeks, and you’ll start to notice the effects.