12 Lessons Learned in the Last 12 Months

September 10, 2021    life lessons monk

  • Lesson #1: Focus on the input and the intention, detach yourself from the result

    • Society is addicted to expectations, our emotional well-being is at risk if we always attach success to results
    • Reflecting on his book, Think like a Monk, he prioritized and valued the shared effort put into it, you can’t control the result from there
  • Lesson #2: You can’t always find joy and happiness but you can always find meaning and service

    • “When you feel like you’re a part of the solution, the problem affects you less. When you’re trying to heal and help others, you heal yourself in the process.” – Jay Shetty

    • There is a toxic positivity movement – everything is not always fine, solutions can require struggle

  • Lesson #3: Remind yourself of the gifts brought by terrible situations (like Covid and quarantine)

    • Jay reflects on his inability to travel and do various activities with his loved ones because of the pandemic. But during this period, he found that the absence of a busy life actually made his relationships deeper
  • Lesson #4: We have to learn to celebrate people while they are alive

    • Never opt out of an opportunity to say you love or miss your closest relationships – you’ll never regret it

    • Always know where you stand with your loved ones

    • Don’t let milestones dictate your outflow of love – don’t reserve personal communication

  • Lesson #5: Look at how we are controlled by fear

    • “If we’re controlled by fear, we’re in the mode of ignorance” – Jay Shetty
    • Setting a goal alleviates the fear of failure; it helps you celebrate incremental success
  • Lesson #6: Digital friendships can go deeper than you think

    • Shared goals and passions can overpower boundaries set by physical distance
  • Lesson #7: Anything can be done in 48 hours

    • If you truly want something to happen, you will make it happen
  • Lesson #8: There’s never a better time to learn than when you’re not sure what’s going on

    • Therapy helps you make sense of your past and coaching helps you build your future
  • Lesson #9: When you don’t get what you want, you get more of what you need

    • When you’re too attached to what you want, you’ll never be open to what you need
  • Lesson #10: Solitude is as necessary as community

    • Energy preservation and internal solitude helps fuel your engagement in the community; they are not independent of each other
  • Lesson #11: Invest in energy first, expertise second

    • Energy is coachable, expertise will only get you so far
  • Lesson #12: The mind has to be used by you for what you want to believe

    • We can convince our minds to make the most of every situation
    • If you can actively see the value in discomfort, you will maintain a much healthier mental state