12 Lessons Learned in the Last 12 Months

Sep 10, 2021 · 3 min read

• 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

#life #lessons #monk