The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: Techniques to Use

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

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What are The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari techniques you need to know? How do The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari techniques help strengthen your mind?

In The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma shares the techniques Julian Mantle learned in India. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari techniques are used for meditation and improving your mind.

Keep reading for 3 The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari techniques.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Techniques: The Heart of the Rose

John asks for practical techniques that he can use, so Julian teaches him a meditation technique called the Heart of the Rose. This can be done with nothing but a rose and a quiet space.

Take your rose and stare at the center of the flower. Think of nothing but the rose. Notice its color, shape, scent, and even its texture. Other thoughts will intrude at first. Accept them, and return your attention to the rose. With practice, those intrusive thoughts will lessen and eventually stop as your mind gets stronger and more controlled. It’s a simple exercise, but it has to be done every single day to be effective.

At first, it may be difficult to spend even five minutes staring at a rose. Many people think they have no time to stare at a flower, but they’re the ones who need it most. Saying you have no time to stop working and meditate is like saying you have no time to stop driving and get gas.

Try the Heart of the Rose

All of the skills and lessons Julian learned begin with a clear mind. The Heart of the Rose is a simple mind-clearing exercise that anyone can do.

Find a nearby object—it doesn’t matter what—and pick it up. Take five minutes to sit quietly and concentrate on that object. Observe everything about it: shape, color, texture, even scent. Don’t try to fight against intruding thoughts. Instead, acknowledge and then dismiss them. At the end of the five minutes, write down how you feel.
How often did you find your thoughts drifting from your chosen object?
What sorts of thoughts commonly distracted you?
Next time you practice the Heart of the Rose, what will you do when intruding thoughts break your focus?

Opposition Thinking

A second powerful technique is Opposition Thinking. It works because, while the human mind may jump between thoughts very quickly, it can only ever hold one at a time.

Therefore, when a negative thought occupies your mind, you can replace it with a positive one. This requires awareness of your own thoughts. Keep watch for negativity creeping in, because you cannot afford even a single negative thought to pollute the garden of your mind.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Techniques: The Secret of the Lake

Julian then teaches John the last of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari techniques: the Secret of the Lake. It doesn’t require an actual lake; it’s only called that because the Sages stared into a nearby lake while performing this exercise.

Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and simply breathe until you feel calm and your mind is clear. Then visualize, as clearly as you can, the person you want to be. For example, if you want to be happy, see yourself laughing and smiling. If you want to be brave, see yourself acting boldly at a decisive moment. This exercise can be considered practice for when similar situations come up in reality.

This exercise is grounded in the idea that your mind attracts what you want. Therefore, if there is a lack in your life, it’s because there is a lack in your thoughts. The Secret of the Lake is a technique to make sure you are attracting the right things.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: Techniques to Use