Book Review of Think like a monk: The secret of how to harness the power of positivity and be happy now by Jay Shetty

What is the ultimate goal of one's life, beyond earning resources to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter? I have pondered over this many a times but couldn't come up with any concrete answer. Having heard Jay Shetty speak in his Youtube Channel, I had developed high regards for his practical solution in dealing with life's day to day problems. So when I came across this interesting title with the tagline 'The secret of how to harness the power of positivity and be happy now', I picked this book with eagerness that it will bring me closer to the answer that has been eluding me for long. And after having read and re-read this book, I would say that this book lived upto my expectations.

It's been quite some time since I finished a self-help book, for the message in the books under this genre is largely similar and hence, predictable. Honestly, I was bit apprehensive when I started reading this book that this could also potentially resemble other self-help books. Within reading a few pages, I realised that this book was different. 

This book is a part autobiography that documents the journey of Jay Shetty as he transforms from a spoilt lad into a refined human being. Thanks to Jay, for vividly narrating his experience as a monk at the Indian ashrams and also his take aways from his associations with fellow monks.  He has also drawn anecdotes and key life lessons from timeless Bhagavad Gita and other holy Upanishads that readers could implement in their lives. He also breaks the notion that to think like a monk requires one to head to an ashram or a monastery and one should lead a secluded life to attain the enlightenment. He presents his life as an example where he was able to extract the essence of monk’s way of life by experiencing first hand from the monks themselves and how he realized that in order to survive in this increasing chaotic world, the monk’s approach to life has become increasingly relevant. And that is what this book is about. 

He addresses the task at hand -which is to help people approach life positively and attain the elusive happiness- in 3 parts. The first stage is to 'Let go' of one's  fear, identity, and negativity and fine tune one's intention so that one leads a purposeful life. 

Next step is to 'Grow' by rebuilding our lives, for which the author emphasizes on finding one's purpose(or Dharma), looking at routines not as a monotonous boring act but as an enlightening one, importance of steering one's mind so that the desired goal is attained amidst plenty of distractions and how to stay wary of one's ego and not to let that influence one's actions. 

The third step is to 'Give' back what we have received, as Jay Shetty explains from his own experience that there is no bigger joy and satisfying act than serving others, unconditionally. He talks in detail about  how daily dose of feeling thankful for all that we have got enliven one's mood, the essential elements in making relationship works for both the partners, which includes attentive listening,  spending quality time with people who matters, and finally, why now is the better time to start serving others and how even the smallest act of service can go a long way in bringing happiness and fulfilment. 

Across all these three stages, the author gives tips and tricks about meditation and it's power to understand oneself, as that is the preparatory step which will help you realise and evaluate yourself objectively.  I especially liked his view on Death Meditation and I personally feel that is something we should perform when making key decisions in life. 

The book is filled with rich quotes that one can read everyday to stay grounded and keep reminding ourselves of the key lessons that this book imparts. Here is my top 10:

1. Fame, money, glamour, sex—in the end none of these things can satisfy us. We’ll simply seek more and more, a circuit that leads to frustration, disillusion, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and exhaustion.

2. When you learn to navigate and manage your breath, you can navigate any situation in life.

3. When we tune out the opinions, expectations, and obligations of the world around us, we begin to hear ourselves.

4. We think freedom means that we can pursue all our desires. Real freedom is letting go of things not wanted, the unchecked desires that lead us to unwanted ends.

5. Revenge is the mode of ignorance—it’s often said that you can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else

6. Failure doesn’t mean you’re worthless—it means you must look for another route to achieving worthwhile goals.

7. Satisfaction comes from believing in the value of what you do.

8. When we get in the habit of identifying what empowers us, we have a better understanding of ourselves and what we want in life.

9. Until you understand yourself, you won’t be ready for love.

10. Ultimately death can be seen as the greatest reflection point—by imagining the last moment you can reflect on everything that leads up to it...We don’t want to arrive at the end of our days knowing we haven’t lived a purposeful, service based, meaningful life.

By and large, this book is a great read, except for some repetitive ideas. The book offers practical insights and solutions that anyone could easily understand and take steps in implementing them. The author has also given the readers exercise worksheets offering room for self introspection, which will pave way for course corrective action and improvements. Unlike many other self help books, it doesn't hint even subtly that life will change overnight after one reads this book. On the contrary, Jay explicitly mentions that life will not change on its own instead it would give you occasions and opportunities to implement what you have learnt and it is upto the reader to consciously invoke the learnings and apply them appropriately to see the results. So the message is loud and clear that it requires a conscious endeavour to achieve the life that you desire.